Quality of life comparison
If you lived in California instead of Virginia, you would:
Health
live 1.4 years longer
In Virginia, the average life expectancy is 78 years (77 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020. In California, that number is 79 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2020.
be 19.5% less likely to be obese
In Virginia, 35.3% of adults are obese as of 2022. In California, that number is 28.4% of people as of 2022.
Economy
make 21.6% more money
Virginia has a GDP per capita of $69,111 as of 2024, while in California, the GDP per capita is $84,028 as of 2024.
be 50.0% more likely to be unemployed
In Virginia, 3.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In California, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
be 24.5% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Virginia, 9.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In California, however, that number is 11.7% as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.2 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Virginia has a violent crime rate of 232 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 503 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 41.4% more likely to be a victim of property crime
Virginia has a property crime rate of 1,628 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 2,303 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 92.8% more for a home
The median home value in Virginia is $360,700 as of 2023, compared to $695,400 in California as of 2023.
pay 29.2% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Virginia is $1,514 as of 2023, while in California, it is $1,956 as of 2023.
be 17.0% less likely to own your home
In Virginia, 67.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In California, that number is 55.8% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 15.3% less likely to smoke
In Virginia, 13.7% of adults smoke as of 2022. In California, that number is 11.6% as of 2022.
be 2.2 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Virginia, 5.5% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In California, that number is 12.2% as of 2023.
commute 1.4 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Virginia takes 27.6 minutes as of 2023. In California, it takes 29.0 minutes as of 2023.
live among residents who are 1.2 years older on average
The median age in Virginia is 38.8 years as of 2023. In California, the median age is 37.6 years as of 2023.
live in an area that is 13.8% more densely populated
Virginia has a population density of 85.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In California, that number is 97.0 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 10.1% less likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Virginia, 27.8% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In California, that number is 25.0% as of 2023.
be 31.6% more likely to be food insecure
In Virginia, 7.9% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In California, that number is 10.4% as of 2021.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
