Quality of life comparison
If you lived in West Virginia instead of Kentucky, you would:
Economy
be 25.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Kentucky, 3.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In West Virginia, that number is 4.4% as of 2025.
Safety
be 21.5% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Kentucky has a property crime rate of 1,525 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In West Virginia, that number is 1,198 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 20.7% more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Kentucky has a violent crime rate of 220 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In West Virginia, that number is 266 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 19.1% less for a home
The median home value in Kentucky is $192,300 as of 2023, compared to $155,600 in West Virginia as of 2023.
Lifestyle
live among residents who are 3.6 years older on average
The median age in Kentucky is 39.1 years as of 2023. In West Virginia, the median age is 42.7 years as of 2023.
live in an area that is 35.7% less densely populated
Kentucky has a population density of 44.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In West Virginia, that number is 28.4 people per sq km as of 2023.
commute 2.6 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Kentucky takes 24.0 minutes as of 2023. In West Virginia, it takes 26.6 minutes as of 2023.
be 12.8% more likely to smoke
In Kentucky, 18.7% of adults smoke as of 2022. In West Virginia, that number is 21.1% as of 2022.
be 15.9% more likely to be physically inactive
In Kentucky, 25.8% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In West Virginia, that number is 29.9% as of 2022.
be 68.0% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Kentucky, 2.5% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In West Virginia, that number is 0.8% as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
