Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Spain instead of West Virginia, you would:

Health

live 9.8 years longer

In West Virginia, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2020. In Spain, that number is 83 years (80 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 2.8 times more likely to be unemployed

In West Virginia, 4.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Spain, that number is 12.1% as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 23.9% more likely to live below the poverty line

In West Virginia, 16.3% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Spain, however, that number is 20.2% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 11.0% more likely to have internet access

In West Virginia, approximately 84.7% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Spain, about 94.0% do as of 2021.

View global rankings →

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), The World Factbook.

Compare further: West Virginia vs. Spain
Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Spain is 5.4% cheaper than West Virginia
→
Size Comparison · See true size
West Virginia is about 8 times smaller than Spain.
→
City Size Comparison · See true size
Compare the size of Los Angeles vs Madrid
→

Spain: At a glance

Spain is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 498,980 sq km. Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World War I and II but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights. More recently the government has had to focus on measures to reverse a severe economic recession that began in mid-2008. Austerity measures implemented to reduce a large budget deficit and reassure foreign investors have led to one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe.
Read more

How big is Spain compared to West Virginia? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Spain or United States. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.