Moving to Ohio from Virginia

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Virginia to Ohio, you would find that Ohio is 16.3% cheaper than Virginia. A $75,000 salary in Virginia would need to be roughly $58,537 in Ohio to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $58,537

To maintain the same standard of living in Ohio

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 14.9% less

Groceries

pay 23.1% less

Transportation

pay 2.2% more

Housing

pay 16.9% less

Childcare

pay 33.4% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 16.4% 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%).

On average, cities in Ohio cost about 20% less than cities in Virginia.

Virginia

Fairfax 75%
Roanoke 53%

Ohio

Dayton 58%
Akron 53%

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Ohio compared to Virginia.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

VA
232
OH
284
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

VA
1628
OH
1676

Virginia performs better than Ohio 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%
OH
6.2%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

VA
35.3%
OH
39.5%

Virginia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ohio leads in uninsured rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

VA
$360,700
OH
$199,200
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

VA
$1,514
OH
$988

Ohio generally does better on what about housing?, though Virginia leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

VA
90.1%
OH
89.0%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

VA
28 min
OH
24 min

Virginia generally does better on infrastructure, though Ohio 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%
OH
4.0%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

VA
$69,111
OH
$60,669

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

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

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

VA
28%
OH
21%

Virginia performs better than Ohio 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.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Columbus Rain: 46.8 in/yr (1188 mm)
76° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Richmond Columbus
Jan–Mar 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) 63°/41°F (17°/5°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) 84°/62°F (29°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) 90°/71°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) 68°/47°F (20°/8°C)
View all months
Month Richmond Columbus
Jan 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) 58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C)
Feb 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) 62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C)
Mar 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C)
Apr 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) 77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C)
May 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) 84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C)
Jun 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) 90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C)
Jul 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C)
Aug 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) 91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C)
Sep 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) 86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C)
Oct 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C)
Nov 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C)
Dec 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) 59°/39°F (15.2°/3.8°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Ohio than Virginia?

On average Ohio is about 22% less expensive than Virginia, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Ohio?

Budget about $14,634 for 3 months in Ohio (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Ohio safe?

Virginia performs better than Ohio across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Ohio compared to Virginia?

Virginia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ohio leads in uninsured rate.

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

The average high temperature in Columbus is 76°F, compared to 70°F in Richmond. Columbus receives around 46.8 in of rainfall per year, while Richmond gets 43.6 in.

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