Moving to Virginia from Kansas

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Kansas to Virginia, you would find that Virginia is 29.5% more expensive than Kansas. A $75,000 salary in Kansas would need to be roughly $97,245 in Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $97,245

To maintain the same standard of living in Virginia

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 20.9% more

Groceries

pay 30.1% more

Transportation

pay 30.4% more

Housing

pay 28.8% more

Childcare

pay 75.5% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 11.1% more

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 8% more than cities in Kansas.

Kansas

Lawrence 57%

Virginia

Fairfax 75%
Roanoke 53%

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Virginia compared to Kansas.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

KS
424
VA
232
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

KS
2068
VA
1628

Virginia performs significantly better than Kansas across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

KS
8.6%
VA
6.7%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

KS
36.8%
VA
35.3%

Virginia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kansas leads in diabetes rate.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

KS
$203,400
VA
$360,700
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

KS
$1,029
VA
$1,514

Kansas generally does better on what about housing?, though Virginia leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

KS
89.5%
VA
90.1%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

KS
20 min
VA
28 min

Kansas generally does better on infrastructure, though Virginia leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

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

a broad measure of economic output per person

KS
$60,996
VA
$69,111

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

KS
76.4 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

KS
23%
VA
28%

Virginia performs significantly better than Kansas 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.

Topeka Rain: 38.9 in/yr (989 mm)
66° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Topeka Richmond
Jan–Mar 46°/25°F (8°/-4°C) 53°/32°F (12°/0°C)
Apr–Jun 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) 78°/55°F (26°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/63°F (30°/17°C) 86°/65°F (30°/19°C)
Oct–Dec 54°/32°F (12°/0°C) 61°/39°F (16°/4°C)
View all months
Month Topeka Richmond
Jan 39°/19°F (4.1°/-7.3°C) 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C)
Feb 44°/23°F (6.9°/-5.1°C) 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C)
Mar 56°/32°F (13.4°/0.1°C) 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C)
Apr 66°/43°F (19.1°/5.9°C) 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C)
May 75°/53°F (24.1°/11.8°C) 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C)
Jun 84°/63°F (28.9°/17.0°C) 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C)
Jul 90°/68°F (32.2°/19.9°C) 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C)
Aug 89°/65°F (31.6°/18.6°C) 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C)
Sep 80°/55°F (26.7°/13.0°C) 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C)
Oct 67°/44°F (19.6°/6.6°C) 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C)
Nov 54°/32°F (12.3°/0.2°C) 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C)
Dec 41°/21°F (4.9°/-5.9°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 Kansas?

On average Virginia is around 30% pricier than Kansas, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Virginia?

Budget about $24,311 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 Kansas across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Virginia compared to Kansas?

Virginia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kansas leads in diabetes rate.

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

The average high temperature in Richmond is 70°F, compared to 66°F in Topeka. Richmond receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Topeka gets 38.9 in.

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