Moving to New York from Virginia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Virginia to New York — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Virginia to New York, you would find that New York is 2.7% more expensive than Virginia. A $75,000 salary in Virginia would need to be roughly $75,640 in New York to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Albany averages 58°F vs 70°F in Richmond, making it significantly cooler. How your spending power changes when you relocate from Virginia to New York. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $75,640 To maintain the same standard of living in New York The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 4.0% less Groceries pay 2.7% less Transportation pay 13.6% more Housing pay 3.3% more Childcare pay 4.3% less Entertainment and Sports pay 15.4% 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 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 New York cost about 6% more than cities in Virginia. Compare cities head-to-head How Virginia and New York stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Virginia performs better than New York across all safety metrics. share of people without health insurance share of adults with obesity share of adults with diabetes share of adults who smoke New York performs significantly better than Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied Virginia performs better than New York across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Virginia performs better than New York across all infrastructure metrics. 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 New York leads in gdp per capita. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree Virginia generally does better on family life, though New York 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) Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: Headline costs are within a few percent between New York and Virginia; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $18,910 in New York for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit. Virginia performs better than New York across all safety metrics. New York performs significantly better than Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics. The average high temperature in Albany is 58°F, compared to 70°F in Richmond. Albany receives around 39.4 in of rainfall per year, while Richmond gets 43.6 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Cost of living by city
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Richmond Albany Jan–Mar 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) 37°/19°F (2°/-7°C) Apr–Jun 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) Jul–Sep 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) 78°/58°F (26°/14°C) Oct–Dec 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) View all months
Month Richmond Albany Jan 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) 31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C) Feb 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) 35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C) Mar 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) 44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C) Apr 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) 58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C) May 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) 69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C) Jun 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C) Jul 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C) Aug 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C) Sep 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) 72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C) Oct 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) 60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C) Nov 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C) Dec 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) 36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
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