Moving to West Virginia from Mississippi
What to Expect
Considering a move from Mississippi to West Virginia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Mississippi to West Virginia, you would find that West Virginia is 2.0% more expensive than Mississippi. A $75,000 salary in Mississippi would need to be roughly $76,500 in West Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Mississippi and West Virginia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $76,500
To maintain the same standard of living in West Virginia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 0.3% less
Groceries
pay 11.6% more
Transportation
pay 7.4% less
Housing
pay 2.3% more
Childcare
pay 23.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.7% 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
The numbers behind daily life in West Virginia compared to Mississippi.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Mississippi 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
West Virginia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mississippi leads in adult smoking rate.
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 Mississippi across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Mississippi generally does better on infrastructure, though West Virginia leads in internet access.
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
West Virginia generally does better on employment & economy, though Mississippi leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
West Virginia performs significantly better than Mississippi 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 | Jackson | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 62°/41°F (17°/5°C) | 61°/47°F (16°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 83°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/70°F (32°/21°C) | 85°/75°F (30°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 67°/46°F (20°/8°C) | 67°/54°F (20°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Jackson | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.7°C) | 57°/43°F (13.7°/6.0°C) |
| Feb | 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.5°C) |
| Mar | 68°/47°F (20.2°/8.2°C) | 65°/52°F (18.3°/10.9°C) |
| Apr | 76°/54°F (24.4°/12.1°C) | 72°/59°F (22.2°/14.9°C) |
| May | 83°/63°F (28.3°/17.1°C) | 79°/67°F (25.9°/19.5°C) |
| Jun | 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C) | 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.3°C) |
| Jul | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.4°C) | 88°/77°F (30.9°/24.9°C) |
| Aug | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.2°C) | 86°/76°F (30.2°/24.5°C) |
| Sep | 87°/66°F (30.3°/18.9°C) | 82°/72°F (27.8°/22.1°C) |
| Oct | 77°/55°F (25.1°/12.8°C) | 75°/62°F (23.7°/16.9°C) |
| Nov | 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) | 67°/54°F (19.6°/12.0°C) |
| Dec | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°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 Mississippi?
West Virginia and Mississippi 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 $19,125 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?
Mississippi generally does better on safety, though West Virginia leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in West Virginia compared to Mississippi?
West Virginia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mississippi leads in adult smoking rate.
What's the weather like in West Virginia compared to Mississippi?
The average high temperature in Charleston is 73°F, compared to 76°F in Jackson. Charleston receives around 44.4 in of rainfall per year, while Jackson gets 54.3 in.
