Quality of life comparison
If you lived in New York instead of Virginia, you would:
Health
be 15.3% less likely to be obese
In Virginia, 35.3% of adults are obese as of 2022. In New York, that number is 29.9% of people as of 2022.
be 12.2% less likely to have diabetes
In Virginia, 11.5% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In New York, that number is 10.1% as of 2022.
Economy
make 33.1% more money
Virginia has a GDP per capita of $69,111 as of 2024, while in New York, the GDP per capita is $91,992 as of 2024.
be 29.4% more likely to be unemployed
In Virginia, 3.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In New York, that number is 4.4% as of 2025.
be 41.5% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Virginia, 9.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In New York, however, that number is 13.3% as of 2023.
Safety
be 64.5% 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 New York, that number is 381 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 11.7% more for a home
The median home value in Virginia is $360,700 as of 2023, compared to $403,000 in New York as of 2023.
be 19.2% less likely to own your home
In Virginia, 67.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In New York, that number is 54.3% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 25.4% less likely to be uninsured
In Virginia, 6.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In New York, that number is 5.0% as of 2023.
be 65.5% more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Virginia, 5.5% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In New York, that number is 9.1% as of 2023.
commute 5.2 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Virginia takes 27.6 minutes as of 2023. In New York, it takes 32.8 minutes as of 2023.
be 19.0% more likely to be physically inactive
In Virginia, 21.1% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In New York, that number is 25.1% as of 2022.
live in an area that is 89.4% more densely populated
Virginia has a population density of 85.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In New York, that number is 161.4 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 43.0% more likely to be food insecure
In Virginia, 7.9% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In New York, that number is 11.3% 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.
