Moving to Virginia from Arkansas

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Arkansas to Virginia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Arkansas to Virginia, you would find that Virginia is 28.3% more expensive than Arkansas. A $75,000 salary in Arkansas would need to be roughly $97,576 in Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Arkansas and Virginia.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $97,576

To maintain the same standard of living in Virginia

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 8.9% more

Groceries

pay 40.6% more

Transportation

pay 41.5% more

Housing

pay 22.6% more

Childcare

pay 56.2% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 17.5% more

See full cost of living breakdown

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 Arkansas.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AR
610
VA
232
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AR
2195
VA
1628

Virginia performs significantly better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

AR
8.6%
VA
6.7%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

AR
38.3%
VA
35.3%

Virginia performs significantly better than Arkansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

AR
$175,300
VA
$360,700
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

AR
$914
VA
$1,514

Arkansas generally does better on what about housing?, though Virginia leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

AR
84.9%
VA
90.1%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

AR
22 min
VA
28 min

Arkansas generally does better on infrastructure, though Virginia leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AR
4.2%
VA
3.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

AR
$47,319
VA
$69,111

Virginia performs significantly better than Arkansas across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

AR
73.8 yrs
VA
77.6 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

AR
16%
VA
28%

Virginia performs significantly better than Arkansas 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.

Little Rock Rain: 50.0 in/yr (1271 mm)
72° / 53°F

Avg. annual high / low

Richmond Rain: 43.6 in/yr (1108 mm)
70° / 48°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Little Rock Richmond
Jan–Mar 56°/38°F (13°/3°C) 53°/32°F (12°/0°C)
Apr–Jun 80°/61°F (27°/16°C) 78°/55°F (26°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 89°/70°F (32°/21°C) 86°/65°F (30°/19°C)
Oct–Dec 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) 61°/39°F (16°/4°C)
View all months
Month Little Rock Richmond
Jan 49°/33°F (9.7°/0.4°C) 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C)
Feb 54°/36°F (12.4°/2.4°C) 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C)
Mar 64°/44°F (17.6°/6.8°C) 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C)
Apr 73°/53°F (22.7°/11.6°C) 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C)
May 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.4°C) 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C)
Jun 88°/69°F (31.2°/20.7°C) 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C)
Jul 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C)
Aug 92°/72°F (33.3°/22.2°C) 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C)
Sep 84°/65°F (29.1°/18.1°C) 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C)
Oct 73°/54°F (23.0°/12.3°C) 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C)
Nov 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.6°C) 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C)
Dec 51°/35°F (10.7°/1.7°C) 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Virginia than Arkansas?

On average Virginia is around 30% pricier than Arkansas, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Virginia?

Budget about $24,394 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 Arkansas across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Virginia compared to Arkansas?

Virginia performs significantly better than Arkansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Virginia compared to Arkansas?

The average high temperature in Richmond is 70°F, compared to 72°F in Little Rock. Richmond receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Little Rock gets 50.0 in.

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