Moving to West Virginia from New Jersey
What to Expect
Considering a move from New Jersey to West Virginia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from New Jersey to West Virginia, you would find that West Virginia is 30.3% cheaper than New Jersey. A $75,000 salary in New Jersey would need to be roughly $52,300 in West Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle. Newark and Charleston are about 430 mi apart.
Is West Virginia cheaper than New Jersey?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 12.9% less
Groceries
pay 19.2% less
Transportation
pay 20.4% less
Housing
pay 44.9% less
Childcare
pay 32.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 29.3% 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.
What salary do you need in West Virginia?
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $52,300
To maintain the same standard of living in West Virginia
Calculate with your salary →Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in West Virginia compared to New Jersey.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
New Jersey 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
New Jersey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though West Virginia leads in uninsured 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 New Jersey across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
New Jersey generally does better on infrastructure, though West Virginia leads in average commute.
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
New Jersey 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
New Jersey 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
Weather in West Virginia vs New Jersey
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Newark | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/27°F (9°/-2°C) | 61°/47°F (16°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) | 85°/75°F (30°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/36°F (14°/2°C) | 67°/54°F (20°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Newark | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.6°/-4.4°C) | 57°/43°F (13.7°/6.0°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (7.7°/-3.2°C) | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.5°C) |
| Mar | 55°/32°F (12.7°/0.2°C) | 65°/52°F (18.3°/10.9°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.4°/5.3°C) | 72°/59°F (22.2°/14.9°C) |
| May | 76°/51°F (24.6°/10.7°C) | 79°/67°F (25.9°/19.5°C) |
| Jun | 85°/61°F (29.5°/16.3°C) | 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.3°C) |
| Jul | 88°/66°F (31.2°/18.8°C) | 88°/77°F (30.9°/24.9°C) |
| Aug | 87°/65°F (30.4°/18.1°C) | 86°/76°F (30.2°/24.5°C) |
| Sep | 80°/57°F (26.5°/14.0°C) | 82°/72°F (27.8°/22.1°C) |
| Oct | 69°/45°F (20.4°/7.3°C) | 75°/62°F (23.7°/16.9°C) |
| Nov | 58°/36°F (14.2°/2.4°C) | 67°/54°F (19.6°/12.0°C) |
| Dec | 46°/28°F (7.8°/-2.2°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 New Jersey?
On average West Virginia is about 30% less expensive than New Jersey, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to West Virginia?
Budget about $13,075 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?
New Jersey generally does better on safety, though West Virginia leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in West Virginia compared to New Jersey?
New Jersey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though West Virginia leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in West Virginia compared to New Jersey?
The average high temperature in Charleston is 73°F, compared to 67°F in Newark. Charleston receives around 44.4 in of rainfall per year, while Newark gets 46.2 in.
