Quality of life comparison
If you lived in West Virginia instead of Louisiana, you would:
Economy
be 11.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Louisiana, 18.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In West Virginia, however, that number is 16.3% as of 2023.
make 15.9% less money
Louisiana has a GDP per capita of $55,662 as of 2024, while in West Virginia, the GDP per capita is $46,834 as of 2024.
be 12.8% more likely to be unemployed
In Louisiana, 3.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In West Virginia, that number is 4.4% as of 2025.
Safety
be 51.0% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
Louisiana has a violent crime rate of 543 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In West Virginia, that number is 266 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 54.0% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Louisiana has a property crime rate of 2,605 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In West Virginia, that number is 1,198 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 25.4% less for a home
The median home value in Louisiana is $208,700 as of 2023, compared to $155,600 in West Virginia as of 2023.
pay 18.1% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Louisiana is $1,038 as of 2023, while in West Virginia, it is $850 as of 2023.
be 10.4% more likely to own your home
In Louisiana, 67.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In West Virginia, that number is 74.3% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 22.8% less likely to be uninsured
In Louisiana, 7.9% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In West Virginia, that number is 6.1% as of 2023.
live among residents who are 4.9 years older on average
The median age in Louisiana is 37.8 years as of 2023. In West Virginia, the median age is 42.7 years as of 2023.
live in an area that is 30.2% less densely populated
Louisiana has a population density of 40.7 people per sq km as of 2023. In West Virginia, that number is 28.4 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 20.3% less likely to be food insecure
In Louisiana, 14.8% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In West Virginia, that number is 11.8% as of 2021.
be 71.4% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Louisiana, 2.8% 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: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
