Moving to Utah from Virginia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Virginia to Utah — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Virginia to Utah, you would find that Utah is 14.2% cheaper than Virginia. A $75,000 salary in Virginia would need to be roughly $63,871 in Utah to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Virginia to Utah.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $63,871
To maintain the same standard of living in Utah
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 12.3% less
Groceries
pay 20.4% less
Transportation
pay 0.2% more
Housing
pay 9.1% less
Childcare
pay 44.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 11.4% less
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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Virginia to Utah.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Utah performs significantly better than Virginia across all safety metrics.
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
Utah generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Virginia leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Utah generally does better on what about housing?, though Virginia leads in median home value.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Utah performs significantly better than Virginia across all infrastructure metrics.
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 Utah leads in median household income.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Virginia generally does better on family life, though Utah 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Richmond | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) | 45°/27°F (7°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) | 87°/60°F (31°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 51°/32°F (10°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Richmond | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) | 37°/22°F (3.0°/-5.8°C) |
| Feb | 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) | 43°/25°F (6.2°/-3.8°C) |
| Mar | 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Apr | 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) | 62°/40°F (16.4°/4.2°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) | 72°/48°F (22.2°/8.8°C) |
| Jun | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) | 83°/56°F (28.3°/13.6°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) | 93°/65°F (33.7°/18.2°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) | 90°/63°F (32.5°/17.4°C) |
| Sep | 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) | 79°/53°F (26.2°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) | 65°/41°F (18.2°/5.2°C) |
| Nov | 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) | 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) | 38°/23°F (3.3°/-5.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Utah than Virginia?
Yes — Utah is on average about 15% cheaper than Virginia. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Utah?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $15,968 in Utah on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Utah safe?
Utah performs significantly better than Virginia across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Utah compared to Virginia?
Utah generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Virginia leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Utah compared to Virginia?
The average high temperature in Salt Lake City is 64°F, compared to 70°F in Richmond. Salt Lake City receives around 16.1 in of rainfall per year, while Richmond gets 43.6 in.
