Moving to West Virginia from South Carolina
What to Expect
Considering a move from South Carolina to West Virginia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from South Carolina to West Virginia, you would find that West Virginia is 12.4% cheaper than South Carolina. A $75,000 salary in South Carolina would need to be roughly $59,557 in West Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between South Carolina and West Virginia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $59,557
To maintain the same standard of living in West Virginia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 12.2% less
Groceries
pay 22.6% less
Transportation
pay 7.9% more
Housing
pay 11.6% less
Childcare
pay 39.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.9% 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
The numbers behind daily life in West Virginia compared to South Carolina.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
West Virginia performs significantly better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
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
South Carolina 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 South Carolina across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
South Carolina 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
South Carolina 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
South Carolina 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 | Columbia | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) | 61°/47°F (16°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) | 85°/75°F (30°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) | 67°/54°F (20°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Columbia | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) | 57°/43°F (13.7°/6.0°C) |
| Feb | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.5°C) |
| Mar | 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) | 65°/52°F (18.3°/10.9°C) |
| Apr | 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) | 72°/59°F (22.2°/14.9°C) |
| May | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 79°/67°F (25.9°/19.5°C) |
| Jun | 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) | 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.3°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) | 88°/77°F (30.9°/24.9°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) | 86°/76°F (30.2°/24.5°C) |
| Sep | 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) | 82°/72°F (27.8°/22.1°C) |
| Oct | 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) | 75°/62°F (23.7°/16.9°C) |
| Nov | 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) | 67°/54°F (19.6°/12.0°C) |
| Dec | 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°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 South Carolina?
On average West Virginia is about 21% less expensive than South Carolina, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to West Virginia?
Budget about $14,889 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?
West Virginia performs significantly better than South Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in West Virginia compared to South Carolina?
South Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though West Virginia leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in West Virginia compared to South Carolina?
The average high temperature in Charleston is 73°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Charleston receives around 44.4 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in.
