Moving to Virginia from Iowa
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Iowa to Virginia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Iowa to Virginia, you would find that Virginia is 25.7% more expensive than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly $97,523 in Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Richmond averages 70°F vs 60°F in Des Moines, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Iowa to Virginia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $97,523
To maintain the same standard of living in Virginia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 15.3% more
Groceries
pay 34.0% more
Transportation
pay 34.1% more
Housing
pay 35.1% more
Childcare
pay 50.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 6.5% more
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 23% more than cities in Iowa.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Iowa to Virginia.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Iowa generally does better on safety, though Virginia leads in violent crime rate.
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
Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Virginia leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Iowa performs better than Virginia across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Iowa generally does better on infrastructure, though Virginia leads in internet access.
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 Iowa leads in unemployment rate.
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 Iowa 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 | Des Moines | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) | 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Des Moines | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) | 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) |
| Feb | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) | 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) | 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) | 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) | 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) |
| Jun | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) |
| Aug | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) |
| Sep | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) | 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) |
| Oct | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) | 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) | 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) |
| Dec | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) | 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Virginia than Iowa?
No — Virginia is on average about 30% more expensive than Iowa. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Virginia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $24,381 in Virginia on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Virginia safe?
Iowa generally does better on safety, though Virginia leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Virginia compared to Iowa?
Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Virginia leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Virginia compared to Iowa?
The average high temperature in Richmond is 70°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Richmond receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in.
