Moving to West Virginia from California
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from California to West Virginia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from California to West Virginia, you would find that West Virginia is 26.6% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly $49,271 in West Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from California to West Virginia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $49,271
To maintain the same standard of living in West Virginia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 18.5% less
Groceries
pay 26.6% less
Transportation
pay 15.2% less
Housing
pay 28.3% less
Childcare
pay 55.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 30.6% 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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from California to West Virginia.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
West Virginia performs significantly better than California 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
California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though West Virginia leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
West Virginia performs significantly better than California across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
California generally does better on infrastructure, though West Virginia leads in average commute.
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
California generally does better on employment & economy, though West Virginia leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
California performs better than West Virginia 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 | Sacramento | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) | 61°/47°F (16°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) | 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) | 85°/75°F (30°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) | 67°/54°F (20°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sacramento | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) | 57°/43°F (13.7°/6.0°C) |
| Feb | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.5°C) |
| Mar | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) | 65°/52°F (18.3°/10.9°C) |
| Apr | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) | 72°/59°F (22.2°/14.9°C) |
| May | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) | 79°/67°F (25.9°/19.5°C) |
| Jun | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) | 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.3°C) |
| Jul | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) | 88°/77°F (30.9°/24.9°C) |
| Aug | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) | 86°/76°F (30.2°/24.5°C) |
| Sep | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) | 82°/72°F (27.8°/22.1°C) |
| Oct | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) | 75°/62°F (23.7°/16.9°C) |
| Nov | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) | 67°/54°F (19.6°/12.0°C) |
| Dec | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in West Virginia than California?
Yes — West Virginia is on average about 34% cheaper than California. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to West Virginia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $12,318 in West Virginia on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is West Virginia safe?
West Virginia performs significantly better than California across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in West Virginia compared to California?
California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though West Virginia leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in West Virginia compared to California?
The average high temperature in Charleston is 73°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Charleston receives around 44.4 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in.
