Moving to Massachusetts from Virginia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Virginia to Massachusetts? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Virginia to Massachusetts, you would find that Massachusetts is 4.5% more expensive than Virginia. A $75,000 salary in Virginia would need to be roughly $80,253 in Massachusetts to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Boston averages 59°F vs 70°F in Richmond, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Virginia and Massachusetts.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $80,253
To maintain the same standard of living in Massachusetts
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.6% more
Groceries
pay 6.3% less
Transportation
pay 0.8% less
Housing
pay 18.7% more
Childcare
pay 8.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.5% more
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 Massachusetts cost about 19% more than cities in Virginia.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Massachusetts compared to Virginia.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Virginia generally does better on safety, though Massachusetts leads in property crime rate.
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
Massachusetts performs significantly better than Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Virginia performs better than Massachusetts across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Virginia generally does better on infrastructure, though Massachusetts leads in internet access.
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
Virginia generally does better on employment & economy, though Massachusetts leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Massachusetts performs significantly better than 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 | Richmond | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) | 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) | 78°/62°F (25°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 51°/38°F (11°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Richmond | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C) |
| Feb | 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) | 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C) |
| Mar | 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) | 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C) |
| Apr | 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) | 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C) |
| Jun | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) | 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) | 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C) |
| Sep | 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) | 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C) |
| Oct | 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) | 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) | 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C) |
| Dec | 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) | 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Massachusetts than Virginia?
On average Massachusetts is around 7% pricier than Virginia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Massachusetts?
Budget about $20,063 for 3 months in Massachusetts (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Massachusetts safe?
Virginia generally does better on safety, though Massachusetts leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in Massachusetts compared to Virginia?
Massachusetts performs significantly better than Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Massachusetts compared to Virginia?
The average high temperature in Boston is 59°F, compared to 70°F in Richmond. Boston receives around 43.8 in of rainfall per year, while Richmond gets 43.6 in.
