Moving to West Virginia from Minnesota
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Minnesota to West Virginia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Minnesota to West Virginia, you would find that West Virginia is 14.4% cheaper than Minnesota. A $75,000 salary in Minnesota would need to be roughly $62,559 in West Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Charleston averages 73°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 West Virginia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $62,559
To maintain the same standard of living in West Virginia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 8.6% less
Groceries
pay 19.7% less
Transportation
pay 4.5% less
Housing
pay 2.0% less
Childcare
pay 41.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 20.5% 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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Minnesota to West Virginia.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Minnesota 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
Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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 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
Minnesota 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
Minnesota 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 | Saint Paul | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) | 61°/47°F (16°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) | 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) | 85°/75°F (30°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) | 67°/54°F (20°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Saint Paul | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) | 57°/43°F (13.7°/6.0°C) |
| Feb | 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.5°C) |
| Mar | 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) | 65°/52°F (18.3°/10.9°C) |
| Apr | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) | 72°/59°F (22.2°/14.9°C) |
| May | 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) | 79°/67°F (25.9°/19.5°C) |
| Jun | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.3°C) |
| Jul | 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) | 88°/77°F (30.9°/24.9°C) |
| Aug | 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) | 86°/76°F (30.2°/24.5°C) |
| Sep | 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) | 82°/72°F (27.8°/22.1°C) |
| Oct | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) | 75°/62°F (23.7°/16.9°C) |
| Nov | 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) | 67°/54°F (19.6°/12.0°C) |
| Dec | 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°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 Minnesota?
Yes — West Virginia is on average about 17% cheaper than Minnesota. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to West Virginia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $15,640 in West Virginia on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is West Virginia safe?
Minnesota generally does better on safety, though West Virginia leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in West Virginia compared to Minnesota?
Minnesota performs better than West Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in West Virginia compared to Minnesota?
The average high temperature in Charleston is 73°F, compared to 56°F in Saint Paul. Charleston receives around 44.4 in of rainfall per year, while Saint Paul gets 28.5 in.
