Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in New Zealand instead of West Virginia, you would:

Health

be 16.0% less likely to be obese

In West Virginia, 40.5% of adults are obese as of 2022. In New Zealand, that number is 34.0% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 15.5% more likely to be unemployed

In West Virginia, 4.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In New Zealand, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.

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Basic Needs

be 10.4% more likely to have internet access

In West Virginia, approximately 84.7% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In New Zealand, about 93.5% do as of 2024.

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

Compare further: West Virginia vs. New Zealand

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
New Zealand is 7.2% cheaper than West Virginia
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Size Comparison · See true size
West Virginia is about 4.3 times smaller than New Zealand.
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Moving from West Virginia to New Zealand · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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New Zealand: At a glance

New Zealand (sometimes abbreviated NZ) is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 264,537 sq km. The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. That same year, the British began the first organized colonial settlement. A series of land wars between 1843 and 1872 ended with the defeat of the native peoples. The British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both world wars. New Zealand's full participation in a number of defense alliances lapsed by the 1980s. In recent years, the government has sought to address longstanding Maori grievances.
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How big is New Zealand compared to West Virginia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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