Moving to Maine from West Virginia

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from West Virginia to Maine, you would find that Maine is 35.8% more expensive than West Virginia. A $75,000 salary in West Virginia would need to be roughly $95,286 in Maine to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between West Virginia and Maine.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $95,286

To maintain the same standard of living in Maine

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 20.8% more

Groceries

pay 25.8% more

Transportation

pay 3.0% less

Housing

pay 24.6% more

Childcare

pay 2.4 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 23.7% more

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.

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Maine compared to West Virginia.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

WV
266
ME
101
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

WV
1198
ME
1105

Maine performs significantly better than West Virginia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

WV
6.1%
ME
6.4%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

WV
40.5%
ME
33.2%

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

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

WV
$155,600
ME
$266,400
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

WV
$850
ME
$1,084

West Virginia performs better than Maine across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

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

share of households with internet

WV
84.7%
ME
89.2%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

WV
27 min
ME
24 min

Maine performs significantly better than West Virginia across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

WV
4.4%
ME
3.2%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

WV
$46,834
ME
$54,958

Maine performs significantly better than West Virginia across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

WV
72.8 yrs
ME
77.8 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

WV
17%
ME
25%

Maine 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.

Charleston Rain: 44.4 in/yr (1128 mm)
73° / 60°F

Avg. annual high / low

Augusta Rain: 43.6 in/yr (1107 mm)
77° / 51°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Charleston Augusta
Jan–Mar 61°/47°F (16°/8°C) 63°/37°F (17°/3°C)
Apr–Jun 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) 84°/57°F (29°/14°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/75°F (30°/24°C) 91°/67°F (33°/20°C)
Oct–Dec 67°/54°F (20°/12°C) 69°/42°F (21°/6°C)
View all months
Month Charleston Augusta
Jan 57°/43°F (13.7°/6.0°C) 58°/33°F (14.4°/0.4°C)
Feb 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.5°C) 62°/36°F (16.8°/2.2°C)
Mar 65°/52°F (18.3°/10.9°C) 70°/42°F (21.1°/5.6°C)
Apr 72°/59°F (22.2°/14.9°C) 77°/48°F (25.2°/8.9°C)
May 79°/67°F (25.9°/19.5°C) 85°/57°F (29.4°/14.1°C)
Jun 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.3°C) 91°/66°F (32.8°/19.0°C)
Jul 88°/77°F (30.9°/24.9°C) 93°/70°F (34.1°/21.0°C)
Aug 86°/76°F (30.2°/24.5°C) 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C)
Sep 82°/72°F (27.8°/22.1°C) 87°/63°F (30.4°/17.0°C)
Oct 75°/62°F (23.7°/16.9°C) 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.6°C)
Nov 67°/54°F (19.6°/12.0°C) 69°/41°F (20.6°/5.2°C)
Dec 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.6°C) 60°/35°F (15.6°/1.4°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Maine than West Virginia?

On average Maine is around 27% pricier than West Virginia, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Maine?

Budget about $23,822 for 3 months in Maine (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Maine safe?

Maine performs significantly better than West Virginia across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Maine compared to West Virginia?

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

What's the weather like in Maine compared to West Virginia?

The average high temperature in Augusta is 77°F, compared to 73°F in Charleston. Augusta receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Charleston gets 44.4 in.

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