Moving to Kansas from West Virginia
What to Expect
Considering a move from West Virginia to Kansas? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from West Virginia to Kansas, you would find that Kansas is 7.7% more expensive than West Virginia. A $75,000 salary in West Virginia would need to be roughly $80,309 in Kansas to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between West Virginia and Kansas.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $80,309
To maintain the same standard of living in Kansas
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 3.3% less
Groceries
pay 11.7% more
Transportation
pay 13.3% less
Housing
pay 1.5% more
Childcare
pay 35.9% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 17.9% 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.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Kansas compared to West Virginia.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
West Virginia performs better than Kansas 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
Kansas 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 better than Kansas across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Kansas performs significantly better than West 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
Kansas performs significantly 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
Kansas performs significantly 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 | Charleston | Topeka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/47°F (16°/8°C) | 46°/25°F (8°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) | 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/75°F (30°/24°C) | 86°/63°F (30°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 67°/54°F (20°/12°C) | 54°/32°F (12°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Charleston | Topeka |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°/43°F (13.7°/6.0°C) | 39°/19°F (4.1°/-7.3°C) |
| Feb | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.5°C) | 44°/23°F (6.9°/-5.1°C) |
| Mar | 65°/52°F (18.3°/10.9°C) | 56°/32°F (13.4°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 72°/59°F (22.2°/14.9°C) | 66°/43°F (19.1°/5.9°C) |
| May | 79°/67°F (25.9°/19.5°C) | 75°/53°F (24.1°/11.8°C) |
| Jun | 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.3°C) | 84°/63°F (28.9°/17.0°C) |
| Jul | 88°/77°F (30.9°/24.9°C) | 90°/68°F (32.2°/19.9°C) |
| Aug | 86°/76°F (30.2°/24.5°C) | 89°/65°F (31.6°/18.6°C) |
| Sep | 82°/72°F (27.8°/22.1°C) | 80°/55°F (26.7°/13.0°C) |
| Oct | 75°/62°F (23.7°/16.9°C) | 67°/44°F (19.6°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 67°/54°F (19.6°/12.0°C) | 54°/32°F (12.3°/0.2°C) |
| Dec | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.6°C) | 41°/21°F (4.9°/-5.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Kansas than West Virginia?
On average Kansas is around 7% pricier than West Virginia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Kansas?
Budget about $20,077 for 3 months in Kansas (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Kansas safe?
West Virginia performs better than Kansas across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Kansas compared to West Virginia?
Kansas generally does better on health & wellbeing, though West Virginia leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Kansas compared to West Virginia?
The average high temperature in Topeka is 66°F, compared to 73°F in Charleston. Topeka receives around 38.9 in of rainfall per year, while Charleston gets 44.4 in.
