Moving to Kentucky from West Virginia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from West Virginia to Kentucky — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from West Virginia to Kentucky, you would find that Kentucky is 10.1% more expensive than West Virginia. A $75,000 salary in West Virginia would need to be roughly $82,631 in Kentucky to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from West Virginia to Kentucky.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $82,631
To maintain the same standard of living in Kentucky
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 3.2% less
Groceries
pay 8.9% more
Transportation
pay 8.3% less
Housing
pay 1.7% more
Childcare
pay 69.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.0% 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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from West Virginia to Kentucky.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
West Virginia generally does better on safety, though Kentucky leads in violent 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
Kentucky performs significantly better than West Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
West Virginia performs better than Kentucky across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Kentucky 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
Kentucky 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
Kentucky 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 | Bowling Green |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/47°F (16°/8°C) | 52°/31°F (11°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) | 78°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/75°F (30°/24°C) | 87°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 67°/54°F (20°/12°C) | 59°/38°F (15°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Charleston | Bowling Green |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°/43°F (13.7°/6.0°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.1°C) |
| Feb | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.5°C) | 50°/30°F (10.0°/-1.3°C) |
| Mar | 65°/52°F (18.3°/10.9°C) | 60°/37°F (15.4°/2.8°C) |
| Apr | 72°/59°F (22.2°/14.9°C) | 70°/46°F (20.9°/7.6°C) |
| May | 79°/67°F (25.9°/19.5°C) | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.8°C) |
| Jun | 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.3°C) | 86°/64°F (30.1°/17.7°C) |
| Jul | 88°/77°F (30.9°/24.9°C) | 89°/68°F (31.9°/19.9°C) |
| Aug | 86°/76°F (30.2°/24.5°C) | 89°/66°F (31.6°/18.9°C) |
| Sep | 82°/72°F (27.8°/22.1°C) | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.4°C) |
| Oct | 75°/62°F (23.7°/16.9°C) | 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) |
| Nov | 67°/54°F (19.6°/12.0°C) | 59°/38°F (15.2°/3.1°C) |
| Dec | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.6°C) | 48°/29°F (8.8°/-1.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Kentucky than West Virginia?
No — Kentucky is on average about 10% more expensive than West Virginia. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Kentucky?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $20,658 in Kentucky on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Kentucky safe?
West Virginia generally does better on safety, though Kentucky leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Kentucky compared to West Virginia?
Kentucky performs significantly better than West Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Kentucky compared to West Virginia?
The average high temperature in Bowling Green is 69°F, compared to 73°F in Charleston. Bowling Green receives around 49.9 in of rainfall per year, while Charleston gets 44.4 in.
