Moving to Montana from West Virginia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from West Virginia to Montana — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from West Virginia to Montana, you would find that Montana is 16.5% more expensive than West Virginia. A $75,000 salary in West Virginia would need to be roughly $87,400 in Montana to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Helena averages 58°F vs 73°F in Charleston, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from West Virginia to Montana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $87,400
To maintain the same standard of living in Montana
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 19.5% more
Groceries
pay 2.0% less
Transportation
pay 3.4% less
Housing
pay 35.5% more
Childcare
pay 10.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 24.0% 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 Montana.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
West Virginia performs better than Montana 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
Montana 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 Montana across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Montana 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
Montana 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
Montana performs significantly better than West Virginia across all family life metrics.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Charleston | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/47°F (16°/8°C) | 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) | 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/75°F (30°/24°C) | 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 67°/54°F (20°/12°C) | 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Charleston | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°/43°F (13.7°/6.0°C) | 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) |
| Feb | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.5°C) | 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) |
| Mar | 65°/52°F (18.3°/10.9°C) | 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) |
| Apr | 72°/59°F (22.2°/14.9°C) | 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) |
| May | 79°/67°F (25.9°/19.5°C) | 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) |
| Jun | 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.3°C) | 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) |
| Jul | 88°/77°F (30.9°/24.9°C) | 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) |
| Aug | 86°/76°F (30.2°/24.5°C) | 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) |
| Sep | 82°/72°F (27.8°/22.1°C) | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) |
| Oct | 75°/62°F (23.7°/16.9°C) | 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) |
| Nov | 67°/54°F (19.6°/12.0°C) | 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) |
| Dec | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.6°C) | 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Montana than West Virginia?
No — Montana is on average about 17% more expensive than West Virginia. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Montana?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $21,850 in Montana on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Montana safe?
West Virginia performs better than Montana across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Montana compared to West Virginia?
Montana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though West Virginia leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Montana compared to West Virginia?
The average high temperature in Helena is 58°F, compared to 73°F in Charleston. Helena receives around 11.2 in of rainfall per year, while Charleston gets 44.4 in.
