Moving to West Virginia from Virginia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Virginia to West Virginia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Virginia to West Virginia, you would find that West Virginia is 21.7% cheaper than Virginia. A $75,000 salary in Virginia would need to be roughly $54,020 in West Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Virginia and West Virginia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $54,020
To maintain the same standard of living in West Virginia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 13.8% less
Groceries
pay 29.1% less
Transportation
pay 7.6% less
Housing
pay 13.4% less
Childcare
pay 55.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.2% 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
The numbers behind daily life in West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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
Virginia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though West Virginia leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
West Virginia performs significantly better than Virginia 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 West Virginia leads in average commute.
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 performs better than West Virginia across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Virginia performs better than West 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 | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) | 61°/47°F (16°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) | 85°/75°F (30°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 67°/54°F (20°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Richmond | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) | 57°/43°F (13.7°/6.0°C) |
| Feb | 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.5°C) |
| Mar | 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) | 65°/52°F (18.3°/10.9°C) |
| Apr | 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) | 72°/59°F (22.2°/14.9°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) | 79°/67°F (25.9°/19.5°C) |
| Jun | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) | 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.3°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) | 88°/77°F (30.9°/24.9°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) | 86°/76°F (30.2°/24.5°C) |
| Sep | 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) | 82°/72°F (27.8°/22.1°C) |
| Oct | 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) | 75°/62°F (23.7°/16.9°C) |
| Nov | 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) | 67°/54°F (19.6°/12.0°C) |
| Dec | 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in West Virginia than Virginia?
On average West Virginia is about 28% less expensive than Virginia, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to West Virginia?
Budget about $13,505 for 3 months in West Virginia (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is West Virginia safe?
Virginia generally does better on safety, though West Virginia leads in property crime rate.
How is healthcare in West Virginia compared to Virginia?
Virginia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though West Virginia leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in West Virginia compared to Virginia?
The average high temperature in Charleston is 73°F, compared to 70°F in Richmond. Charleston receives around 44.4 in of rainfall per year, while Richmond gets 43.6 in.
