Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in France instead of Virginia, you would:

Health

be 68.3% less likely to be obese

In Virginia, 35.3% of adults are obese as of 2022. In France, that number is 11.2% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In Virginia, 3.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In France, that number is 7.5% as of 2025.

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be 66.0% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Virginia, 9.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In France, however, that number is 15.6% as of 2021.

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make 29.1% less money

Virginia has a GDP per capita of $69,111 as of 2024, while in France, the GDP per capita is $48,986 as of 2025.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: Virginia vs. France

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
France is 25.0% cheaper than Virginia
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Size Comparison · See true size
Virginia is about 5 times smaller than France.
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Moving from Virginia to France · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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City Size Comparison · See true size
Compare the size of Richmond vs Paris
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France: At a glance

France is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 549,970 sq km. France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. It plays an influential global role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, NATO, the G-8, the G-20, the EU and other multilateral organizations. France rejoined NATO's integrated military command structure in 2009, reversing DE GAULLE's 1966 decision to take French forces out of NATO. Since 1958, it has constructed a hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier, more purely parliamentary administrations. In recent decades, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common currency, the euro, in January 1999. In the early 21st century, five French overseas entities - French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion - became French regions and were made part of France proper.
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How big is France compared to Virginia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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