Moving to Virginia from New York
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from New York to Virginia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from New York to Virginia, you would find that Virginia is 1.0% cheaper than New York. A $75,000 salary in New York would need to be roughly $74,366 in Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Richmond averages 70°F vs 58°F in Albany, making it significantly warmer. What to expect for your wallet after moving from New York to Virginia. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $74,366 To maintain the same standard of living in Virginia Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day Restaurants pay 4.9% more Groceries pay 4.2% more Transportation pay 11.2% less Housing pay 3.0% less Childcare pay 5.8% more Entertainment and Sports pay 10.4% 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. Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%). On average, cities in Virginia cost about 6% less than cities in New York. Compare cities head-to-head Key indicators for anyone considering a move from New York to Virginia. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Virginia performs significantly better than New York across all safety metrics. share of people without health insurance share of adults with obesity share of adults with diabetes share of adults who smoke New York performs better than Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied Virginia performs significantly better than New York across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Virginia performs significantly better than New York across all infrastructure metrics. 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 New York leads in gdp per capita. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree New York 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) Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: Costs in Virginia and New York are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities. Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $18,592 in Virginia on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit). Virginia performs significantly better than New York across all safety metrics. New York performs better than Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics. The average high temperature in Richmond is 70°F, compared to 58°F in Albany. Richmond receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Albany gets 39.4 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Cost of living by city
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Albany Richmond Jan–Mar 37°/19°F (2°/-7°C) 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) Apr–Jun 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) Jul–Sep 78°/58°F (26°/14°C) 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) Oct–Dec 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) View all months
Month Albany Richmond Jan 31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C) 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) Feb 35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C) 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) Mar 44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C) 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) Apr 58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C) 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) May 69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C) 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) Jun 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C) 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) Jul 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C) 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) Aug 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C) 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) Sep 72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C) 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) Oct 60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C) 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) Nov 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C) 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) Dec 36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°C) 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Virginia than New York?
How much money do I need to move to Virginia?
Is Virginia safe?
How is healthcare in Virginia compared to New York?
What's the weather like in Virginia compared to New York?
