Moving to Virginia from Oregon

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Oregon to Virginia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Oregon to Virginia, you would find that Virginia is 18.3% more expensive than Oregon. A $75,000 salary in Oregon would need to be roughly $86,821 in Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Oregon and Virginia.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $86,821

To maintain the same standard of living in Virginia

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 7.5% more

Groceries

pay 24.9% more

Transportation

pay 3.3% more

Housing

pay 7.4% more

Childcare

pay 67.5% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 7.1% more

See full cost of living breakdown

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 by city

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 4% more than cities in Oregon.

Oregon

Portland 68%
Beaverton 66%
Bend 66%

Virginia

Fairfax 75%
Roanoke 53%

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Virginia compared to Oregon.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

OR
323
VA
232
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

OR
2566
VA
1628

Virginia performs significantly better than Oregon across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

OR
6.1%
VA
6.7%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

OR
31.9%
VA
35.3%

Oregon generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Virginia leads in adult smoking rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

OR
$454,200
VA
$360,700
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

OR
$1,450
VA
$1,514

Virginia generally does better on what about housing?, though Oregon leads in median rent.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

OR
91.8%
VA
90.1%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

OR
23 min
VA
28 min

Oregon performs better than Virginia across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

OR
5.1%
VA
3.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

OR
$61,622
VA
$69,111

Virginia performs significantly better than Oregon across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

OR
78.8 yrs
VA
77.6 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

OR
26%
VA
28%

Oregon 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.

Salem Rain: 39.7 in/yr (1008 mm)
64° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Richmond Rain: 43.6 in/yr (1108 mm)
70° / 48°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Salem Richmond
Jan–Mar 52°/36°F (11°/2°C) 53°/32°F (12°/0°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/45°F (20°/7°C) 78°/55°F (26°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 80°/51°F (27°/11°C) 86°/65°F (30°/19°C)
Oct–Dec 54°/38°F (12°/3°C) 61°/39°F (16°/4°C)
View all months
Month Salem Richmond
Jan 48°/35°F (8.7°/1.5°C) 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C)
Feb 52°/35°F (10.9°/1.4°C) 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C)
Mar 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.9°C) 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C)
Apr 61°/40°F (16.2°/4.2°C) 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C)
May 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.1°C) 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C)
Jun 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.6°C) 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C)
Jul 82°/53°F (27.8°/11.7°C) 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C)
Aug 82°/53°F (28.0°/11.6°C) 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C)
Sep 77°/48°F (24.9°/9.1°C) 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C)
Oct 64°/42°F (17.8°/5.7°C) 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C)
Nov 53°/38°F (11.4°/3.6°C) 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C)
Dec 46°/34°F (7.9°/1.1°C) 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Virginia than Oregon?

On average Virginia is around 16% pricier than Oregon, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Virginia?

Budget about $21,705 for 3 months in Virginia (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Virginia safe?

Virginia performs significantly better than Oregon across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Virginia compared to Oregon?

Oregon generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Virginia leads in adult smoking rate.

What's the weather like in Virginia compared to Oregon?

The average high temperature in Richmond is 70°F, compared to 64°F in Salem. Richmond receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Salem gets 39.7 in.

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