Moving to Florida from Virginia

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Virginia to Florida, you would find that Florida is 8.9% cheaper than Virginia. A $75,000 salary in Virginia would need to be roughly $71,662 in Florida to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Tallahassee averages 80°F vs 70°F in Richmond, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $71,662

To maintain the same standard of living in Florida

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 0.1% less

Groceries

pay 10.3% less

Transportation

pay 6.1% less

Housing

pay 7.9% more

Childcare

pay 39.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 10.1% less

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%).

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Florida compared to Virginia.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

VA
232
FL
280
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

VA
1628
FL
1461

Virginia generally does better on safety, though Florida leads in property crime rate.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

VA
6.7%
FL
11.0%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

VA
35.3%
FL
32.6%

Virginia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Florida leads in adult obesity rate.

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

VA
$360,700
FL
$325,000
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

VA
$1,514
FL
$1,564

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

VA
90.1%
FL
90.4%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

VA
28 min
FL
28 min

Virginia generally does better on infrastructure, though Florida leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

VA
3.4%
FL
4.4%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

VA
$69,111
FL
$57,636

Virginia performs better than Florida across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

VA
77.6 yrs
FL
77.5 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

VA
28%
FL
22%

Virginia performs better than Florida 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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

TallahasseeRain: 59.2 in/yr (1504 mm)
80°/56°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsRichmondTallahassee
Jan–Mar53°/32°F (12°/0°C)68°/43°F (20°/6°C)
Apr–Jun78°/55°F (26°/13°C)86°/61°F (30°/16°C)
Jul–Sep86°/65°F (30°/19°C)91°/71°F (33°/22°C)
Oct–Dec61°/39°F (16°/4°C)73°/48°F (23°/9°C)
View all months
MonthRichmondTallahassee
Jan47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C)64°/39°F (17.5°/3.9°C)
Feb51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C)67°/42°F (19.7°/5.5°C)
Mar60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C)74°/47°F (23.2°/8.4°C)
Apr70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C)80°/52°F (26.6°/11.3°C)
May78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C)87°/62°F (30.6°/16.4°C)
Jun86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C)91°/69°F (32.8°/20.8°C)
Jul90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C)92°/72°F (33.4°/22.2°C)
Aug88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C)92°/72°F (33.1°/22.3°C)
Sep81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C)88°/68°F (31.3°/20.1°C)
Oct71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C)81°/57°F (27.4°/14.1°C)
Nov61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C)73°/47°F (22.8°/8.6°C)
Dec51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C)65°/41°F (18.5°/5.1°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Florida than Virginia?

On average Florida is about 4% less expensive than Virginia, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Florida?

Budget about $17,916 for 3 months in Florida (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Florida safe?

Virginia generally does better on safety, though Florida leads in property crime rate.

How is healthcare in Florida compared to Virginia?

Virginia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Florida leads in adult obesity rate.

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

The average high temperature in Tallahassee is 80°F, compared to 70°F in Richmond. Tallahassee receives around 59.2 in of rainfall per year, while Richmond gets 43.6 in.

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