Moving to Virginia from Minnesota
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Minnesota to Virginia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Minnesota to Virginia, you would find that Virginia is 12.2% more expensive than Minnesota. A $75,000 salary in Minnesota would need to be roughly $86,855 in Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Richmond averages 70°F vs 56°F in Saint Paul, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Minnesota to Virginia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $86,855
To maintain the same standard of living in Virginia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 6.3% more
Groceries
pay 14.4% more
Transportation
pay 3.9% more
Housing
pay 19.8% more
Childcare
pay 31.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 1.0% 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.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Minnesota to Virginia.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Virginia performs significantly better than Minnesota 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
Minnesota generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Virginia leads in adult smoking rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Minnesota 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
Minnesota performs better than 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
Virginia generally does better on employment & economy, though Minnesota leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Minnesota generally does better on family life, though Virginia leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
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 | Saint Paul | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) | 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Saint Paul | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) | 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) |
| Feb | 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) | 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) |
| Mar | 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) | 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) |
| Apr | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) | 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) |
| May | 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) | 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) |
| Jun | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) | 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) |
| Aug | 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) |
| Sep | 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) | 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) |
| Oct | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) | 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) |
| Nov | 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) | 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) |
| Dec | 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°C) | 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Virginia than Minnesota?
No — Virginia is on average about 16% more expensive than Minnesota. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Virginia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $21,714 in Virginia on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Virginia safe?
Virginia performs significantly better than Minnesota across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Virginia compared to Minnesota?
Minnesota generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Virginia leads in adult smoking rate.
What's the weather like in Virginia compared to Minnesota?
The average high temperature in Richmond is 70°F, compared to 56°F in Saint Paul. Richmond receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Saint Paul gets 28.5 in.
