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. 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 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 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 indicators for anyone considering a move from Iowa to Virginia. 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. 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. 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. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Iowa generally does better on infrastructure, though Virginia leads in internet access. 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. 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) Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: No — Virginia is on average about 30% more expensive than Iowa. City-level variation matters. 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). Iowa generally does better on safety, though Virginia leads in violent crime rate. Iowa generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Virginia leads in adult obesity rate. 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. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Cost of living by city
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
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) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Virginia than Iowa?
How much money do I need to move to Virginia?
Is Virginia safe?
How is healthcare in Virginia compared to Iowa?
What's the weather like in Virginia compared to Iowa?
