Moving to West Virginia from Michigan
What to Expect
Considering a move from Michigan to West Virginia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Michigan to West Virginia, you would find that West Virginia is 5.8% cheaper than Michigan. A $75,000 salary in Michigan would need to be roughly $66,472 in West Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Charleston averages 73°F vs 58°F in Lansing, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Michigan and West Virginia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $66,472
To maintain the same standard of living in West Virginia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 1.0% less
Groceries
pay 9.7% less
Transportation
pay 4.1% more
Housing
pay 0.1% less
Childcare
pay 31.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 6.1% 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 West Virginia compared to Michigan.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
West Virginia performs significantly better than Michigan 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
Michigan 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 Michigan across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Michigan 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
Michigan generally does better on employment & economy, though West 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
Michigan performs better than West 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 | Lansing | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/21°F (2°/-6°C) | 61°/47°F (16°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) | 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/57°F (26°/14°C) | 85°/75°F (30°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 47°/32°F (9°/0°C) | 67°/54°F (20°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lansing | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/17°F (-0.8°/-8.3°C) | 57°/43°F (13.7°/6.0°C) |
| Feb | 34°/19°F (0.9°/-7.4°C) | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.5°C) |
| Mar | 44°/27°F (6.7°/-2.8°C) | 65°/52°F (18.3°/10.9°C) |
| Apr | 58°/38°F (14.2°/3.3°C) | 72°/59°F (22.2°/14.9°C) |
| May | 69°/48°F (20.5°/8.9°C) | 79°/67°F (25.9°/19.5°C) |
| Jun | 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) | 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.3°C) |
| Jul | 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.2°C) | 88°/77°F (30.9°/24.9°C) |
| Aug | 81°/60°F (27.0°/15.5°C) | 86°/76°F (30.2°/24.5°C) |
| Sep | 74°/51°F (23.1°/10.8°C) | 82°/72°F (27.8°/22.1°C) |
| Oct | 60°/41°F (15.8°/5.1°C) | 75°/62°F (23.7°/16.9°C) |
| Nov | 47°/33°F (8.6°/0.5°C) | 67°/54°F (19.6°/12.0°C) |
| Dec | 35°/22°F (1.6°/-5.3°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 Michigan?
On average West Virginia is about 11% less expensive than Michigan, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to West Virginia?
Budget about $16,618 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?
West Virginia performs significantly better than Michigan across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in West Virginia compared to Michigan?
Michigan performs better than West Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in West Virginia compared to Michigan?
The average high temperature in Charleston is 73°F, compared to 58°F in Lansing. Charleston receives around 44.4 in of rainfall per year, while Lansing gets 32.2 in.
