Moving to Virginia from District of Columbia
What to Expect
Considering a move from District of Columbia to Virginia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from District of Columbia to Virginia, you would find that Virginia is 22.9% cheaper than District of Columbia. A $75,000 salary in District of Columbia would need to be roughly $57,800 in Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between District of Columbia and Virginia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $57,800
To maintain the same standard of living in Virginia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 15.4% less
Groceries
pay 12.1% less
Transportation
pay 17.4% less
Housing
pay 31.8% less
Childcare
pay 34.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 29.1% 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 District of Columbia.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Virginia performs significantly better than District of Columbia 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
District of Columbia performs better than Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Virginia performs significantly better than District of Columbia across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
District of Columbia generally does better on infrastructure, though 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
District of Columbia generally does better on employment & economy, though 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
District of Columbia 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Washington | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) | 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Washington | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) | 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) | 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) |
| Mar | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) | 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) | 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) |
| May | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) | 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) | 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) |
| Sep | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) | 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) | 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) |
| Nov | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) | 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) |
| Dec | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) | 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Virginia than District of Columbia?
On average Virginia is about 23% less expensive than District of Columbia, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Virginia?
Budget about $14,450 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 District of Columbia across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Virginia compared to District of Columbia?
District of Columbia performs better than Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Virginia compared to District of Columbia?
The average high temperature in Richmond is 70°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Richmond receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in.
