Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Washington instead of Virginia, you would:
Health
live 1.6 years longer
In Virginia, the average life expectancy is 78 years (77 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020. In Washington, that number is 79 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
be 11.9% less likely to be obese
In Virginia, 35.3% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Washington, that number is 31.1% of people as of 2022.
be 24.3% less likely to have diabetes
In Virginia, 11.5% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Washington, that number is 8.7% as of 2022.
Economy
make 27.0% more money
Virginia has a GDP per capita of $69,111 as of 2024, while in Washington, the GDP per capita is $87,768 as of 2024.
be 55.9% more likely to be unemployed
In Virginia, 3.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Washington, that number is 5.3% as of 2025.
Safety
be 50.4% 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 Washington, that number is 349 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 73.1% 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 Washington, that number is 2,819 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 44.1% more for a home
The median home value in Virginia is $360,700 as of 2023, compared to $519,800 in Washington as of 2023.
pay 11.1% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Virginia is $1,514 as of 2023, while in Washington, it is $1,682 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 20.4% less likely to smoke
In Virginia, 13.7% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Washington, that number is 10.9% as of 2022.
be 18.5% less likely to be physically inactive
In Virginia, 21.1% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Washington, that number is 17.2% as of 2022.
live in an area that is 46.5% less densely populated
Virginia has a population density of 85.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 45.6 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 38.2% more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Virginia, 5.5% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 7.6% as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: 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.
