Moving to Virginia from Colorado

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Colorado to Virginia, you would find that Virginia is 4.2% more expensive than Colorado. A $75,000 salary in Colorado would need to be roughly $75,182 in Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $75,182

To maintain the same standard of living in Virginia

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 3.1% less

Groceries

pay 16.2% more

Transportation

pay 2.1% less

Housing

pay 8.1% less

Childcare

pay 33.8% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.3% less

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.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Virginia cost about 5% less than cities in Colorado.

Colorado

Boulder 74%

Virginia

Fairfax 75%
Roanoke 53%

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Virginia compared to Colorado.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

CO
463
VA
232
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

CO
2814
VA
1628

Virginia performs significantly better than Colorado across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

CO
7.3%
VA
6.7%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

CO
26.3%
VA
35.3%

Colorado generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Virginia leads in uninsured rate.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

CO
$502,200
VA
$360,700
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

CO
$1,693
VA
$1,514

Virginia performs significantly better than Colorado across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

CO
92.9%
VA
90.1%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

CO
26 min
VA
28 min

Colorado performs better than Virginia across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

CO
3.6%
VA
3.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

CO
$74,650
VA
$69,111

Colorado generally does better on employment & economy, though Virginia leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

CO
78.3 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

CO
30%
VA
28%

Colorado performs better than 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.

Denver Rain: 14.3 in/yr (363 mm)
65° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Denver Richmond
Jan–Mar 48°/21°F (9°/-6°C) 53°/32°F (12°/0°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/43°F (22°/6°C) 78°/55°F (26°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/55°F (29°/13°C) 86°/65°F (30°/19°C)
Oct–Dec 53°/26°F (12°/-3°C) 61°/39°F (16°/4°C)
View all months
Month Denver Richmond
Jan 44°/17°F (6.7°/-8.1°C) 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C)
Feb 46°/19°F (7.9°/-7.3°C) 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C)
Mar 54°/26°F (12.4°/-3.1°C) 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C)
Apr 62°/33°F (16.4°/0.7°C) 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C)
May 71°/43°F (21.9°/5.9°C) 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C)
Jun 82°/52°F (28.0°/11.3°C) 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C)
Jul 89°/59°F (31.9°/14.9°C) 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C)
Aug 87°/58°F (30.7°/14.4°C) 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C)
Sep 78°/48°F (25.8°/9.1°C) 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C)
Oct 65°/37°F (18.5°/2.6°C) 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C)
Nov 52°/24°F (11.2°/-4.2°C) 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C)
Dec 43°/17°F (6.0°/-8.3°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 Colorado?

Virginia and Colorado 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 $18,796 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 Colorado across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Virginia compared to Colorado?

Colorado generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Virginia leads in uninsured rate.

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

The average high temperature in Richmond is 70°F, compared to 65°F in Denver. Richmond receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Denver gets 14.3 in.

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