Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Virginia instead of North Carolina, you would:
Health
live 1.5 years longer
In North Carolina, the average life expectancy is 76 years (75 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020. In Virginia, that number is 78 years (77 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020.
Economy
make 16.5% more money
North Carolina has a GDP per capita of $59,308 as of 2024, while in Virginia, the GDP per capita is $69,111 as of 2024.
be 22.3% less likely to live below the poverty line
In North Carolina, 12.1% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Virginia, however, that number is 9.4% as of 2023.
Safety
be 38.8% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
North Carolina has a violent crime rate of 379 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Virginia, that number is 232 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 18.5% less likely to be a victim of property crime
North Carolina has a property crime rate of 1,998 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Virginia, that number is 1,628 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 30.1% more money
The median household income in North Carolina is $69,904 as of 2023, while in Virginia, it is $90,974 as of 2023.
pay 39.1% more for a home
The median home value in North Carolina is $259,400 as of 2023, compared to $360,700 in Virginia as of 2023.
pay 30.3% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in North Carolina is $1,162 as of 2023, while in Virginia, it is $1,514 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 30.2% less likely to be uninsured
In North Carolina, 9.6% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Virginia, that number is 6.7% as of 2023.
be 23.6% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In North Carolina, 22.5% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Virginia, that number is 27.8% as of 2023.
be 14.6% more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In North Carolina, 4.8% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Virginia, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.
be 29.5% less likely to be food insecure
In North Carolina, 11.2% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Virginia, that number is 7.9% as of 2021.
commute 2.5 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in North Carolina takes 25.1 minutes as of 2023. In Virginia, it takes 27.6 minutes as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
