Moving to West Virginia from Kentucky
What to Expect
Considering a move from Kentucky to West Virginia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Kentucky to West Virginia, you would find that West Virginia is 1.2% cheaper than Kentucky. A $75,000 salary in Kentucky would need to be roughly $74,100 in West Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Kentucky and West Virginia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $74,100
To maintain the same standard of living in West Virginia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 9.4% more
Groceries
pay 2.6% more
Transportation
pay 8.4% more
Housing
pay 4.7% less
Childcare
pay 19.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.3% 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 West Virginia compared to Kentucky.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Kentucky generally does better on safety, though West Virginia leads in property 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
Kentucky performs better than West 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
West Virginia performs significantly better than Kentucky across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Kentucky performs better than West Virginia across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Kentucky performs better than West Virginia across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Kentucky performs better than West Virginia across all family life metrics.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Bowling Green | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 52°/31°F (11°/-1°C) | 61°/47°F (16°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (25°/13°C) | 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 87°/64°F (30°/18°C) | 85°/75°F (30°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 59°/38°F (15°/3°C) | 67°/54°F (20°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bowling Green | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.1°C) | 57°/43°F (13.7°/6.0°C) |
| Feb | 50°/30°F (10.0°/-1.3°C) | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.5°C) |
| Mar | 60°/37°F (15.4°/2.8°C) | 65°/52°F (18.3°/10.9°C) |
| Apr | 70°/46°F (20.9°/7.6°C) | 72°/59°F (22.2°/14.9°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.8°C) | 79°/67°F (25.9°/19.5°C) |
| Jun | 86°/64°F (30.1°/17.7°C) | 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.3°C) |
| Jul | 89°/68°F (31.9°/19.9°C) | 88°/77°F (30.9°/24.9°C) |
| Aug | 89°/66°F (31.6°/18.9°C) | 86°/76°F (30.2°/24.5°C) |
| Sep | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.4°C) | 82°/72°F (27.8°/22.1°C) |
| Oct | 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) | 75°/62°F (23.7°/16.9°C) |
| Nov | 59°/38°F (15.2°/3.1°C) | 67°/54°F (19.6°/12.0°C) |
| Dec | 48°/29°F (8.8°/-1.6°C) | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in West Virginia than Kentucky?
West Virginia and Kentucky 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 West Virginia?
Budget about $18,525 for 3 months in West Virginia (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is West Virginia safe?
Kentucky generally does better on safety, though West Virginia leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in West Virginia compared to Kentucky?
Kentucky performs better than West Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in West Virginia compared to Kentucky?
The average high temperature in Charleston is 73°F, compared to 69°F in Bowling Green. Charleston receives around 44.4 in of rainfall per year, while Bowling Green gets 49.9 in.
