Moving to Virginia from Alaska
What to Expect
Considering a move from Alaska to Virginia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Alaska to Virginia, you would find that Virginia is 10.6% more expensive than Alaska. A $75,000 salary in Alaska would need to be roughly $74,570 in Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Richmond averages 70°F vs 49°F in Juneau, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Alaska and Virginia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $74,570
To maintain the same standard of living in Virginia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 13.8% less
Groceries
pay 7.4% less
Transportation
pay 13.4% more
Housing
pay 11.3% less
Childcare
pay 2.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 15.8% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Virginia compared to Alaska.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Virginia performs significantly better than Alaska across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Alaska generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Virginia leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Alaska generally does better on what about housing?, though Virginia leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Alaska performs better than Virginia across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Virginia generally does better on employment & economy, though Alaska leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Virginia performs significantly better than Alaska across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Juneau | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 56°/42°F (13°/6°C) | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 61°/49°F (16°/10°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 42°/33°F (5°/0°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Juneau | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/26°F (1.4°/-3.2°C) | 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.4°C) | 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) |
| Mar | 41°/30°F (4.9°/-1.1°C) | 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) |
| Apr | 49°/35°F (9.5°/1.8°C) | 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) |
| May | 57°/42°F (13.8°/5.7°C) | 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) |
| Jun | 62°/48°F (16.9°/9.1°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.8°C) | 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) |
| Aug | 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.1°C) | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) |
| Sep | 57°/46°F (13.7°/7.7°C) | 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) |
| Oct | 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.9°C) | 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) |
| Nov | 40°/31°F (4.3°/-0.3°C) | 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) |
| Dec | 37°/28°F (2.6°/-2.3°C) | 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Virginia than Alaska?
Virginia and Alaska are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Virginia?
Budget about $18,642 for 3 months in Virginia (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Virginia safe?
Virginia performs significantly better than Alaska across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Virginia compared to Alaska?
Alaska generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Virginia leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Virginia compared to Alaska?
The average high temperature in Richmond is 70°F, compared to 49°F in Juneau. Richmond receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Juneau gets 92.2 in.
