Moving to Maine from Virginia

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Virginia to Maine — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Virginia to Maine, you would find that Maine is 1.9% cheaper than Virginia. A $75,000 salary in Virginia would need to be roughly $68,631 in Maine to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Virginia to Maine.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $68,631

To maintain the same standard of living in Maine

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 3.7% more

Groceries

pay 11.8% less

Transportation

pay 10.3% less

Housing

pay 2.7% less

Childcare

pay 6.5% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.9% 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.

Key Indicator Comparison

How Virginia and Maine stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

VA
232
ME
101
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

VA
1628
ME
1105

Maine performs significantly better than Virginia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

VA
6.7%
ME
6.4%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

VA
35.3%
ME
33.2%

Maine 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

VA
$360,700
ME
$266,400
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

VA
$1,514
ME
$1,084

Maine performs significantly better than Virginia across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

VA
90.1%
ME
89.2%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

VA
28 min
ME
24 min

Virginia generally does better on infrastructure, though Maine leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

VA
3.4%
ME
3.2%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

VA
$69,111
ME
$54,958

Virginia generally does better on employment & economy, though Maine leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

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

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

VA
28%
ME
25%

Virginia generally does better on family life, though Maine leads in life expectancy.

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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Augusta Rain: 43.6 in/yr (1107 mm)
77° / 51°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Richmond Augusta
Jan–Mar 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) 63°/37°F (17°/3°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) 84°/57°F (29°/14°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) 91°/67°F (33°/20°C)
Oct–Dec 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) 69°/42°F (21°/6°C)
View all months
Month Richmond Augusta
Jan 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) 58°/33°F (14.4°/0.4°C)
Feb 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) 62°/36°F (16.8°/2.2°C)
Mar 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) 70°/42°F (21.1°/5.6°C)
Apr 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) 77°/48°F (25.2°/8.9°C)
May 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) 85°/57°F (29.4°/14.1°C)
Jun 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) 91°/66°F (32.8°/19.0°C)
Jul 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) 93°/70°F (34.1°/21.0°C)
Aug 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C)
Sep 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) 87°/63°F (30.4°/17.0°C)
Oct 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.6°C)
Nov 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) 69°/41°F (20.6°/5.2°C)
Dec 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) 60°/35°F (15.6°/1.4°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Maine than Virginia?

Generally yes: Maine runs about 8% cheaper than Virginia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Maine?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $17,158 in Maine for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Maine safe?

Maine performs significantly better than Virginia across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Maine compared to Virginia?

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

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

The average high temperature in Augusta is 77°F, compared to 70°F in Richmond. Augusta receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Richmond gets 43.6 in.

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