Moving to New York from West Virginia
What to Expect
Considering a move from West Virginia to New York? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from West Virginia to New York, you would find that New York is 41.7% more expensive than West Virginia. A $75,000 salary in West Virginia would need to be roughly $105,016 in New York to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Albany averages 58°F vs 73°F in Charleston, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between West Virginia and New York.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $105,016
To maintain the same standard of living in New York
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 12.0% more
Groceries
pay 38.0% more
Transportation
pay 24.6% more
Housing
pay 40.1% more
Childcare
pay 2.2 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 48.3% 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 New York 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 New York 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
New York 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 New York across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
West Virginia generally does better on infrastructure, though New York leads in internet access.
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
New York generally does better on employment & economy, though West Virginia leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
New York 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 | Albany |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/47°F (16°/8°C) | 37°/19°F (2°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) | 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/75°F (30°/24°C) | 78°/58°F (26°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 67°/54°F (20°/12°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Charleston | Albany |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°/43°F (13.7°/6.0°C) | 31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C) |
| Feb | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.5°C) | 35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C) |
| Mar | 65°/52°F (18.3°/10.9°C) | 44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C) |
| Apr | 72°/59°F (22.2°/14.9°C) | 58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C) |
| May | 79°/67°F (25.9°/19.5°C) | 69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C) |
| Jun | 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.3°C) | 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C) |
| Jul | 88°/77°F (30.9°/24.9°C) | 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C) |
| Aug | 86°/76°F (30.2°/24.5°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C) |
| Sep | 82°/72°F (27.8°/22.1°C) | 72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C) |
| Oct | 75°/62°F (23.7°/16.9°C) | 60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C) |
| Nov | 67°/54°F (19.6°/12.0°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C) |
| Dec | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.6°C) | 36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in New York than West Virginia?
On average New York is around 40% pricier than West Virginia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to New York?
Budget about $26,254 for 3 months in New York (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is New York safe?
West Virginia performs better than New York across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in New York compared to West Virginia?
New York performs significantly better than West Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in New York compared to West Virginia?
The average high temperature in Albany is 58°F, compared to 73°F in Charleston. Albany receives around 39.4 in of rainfall per year, while Charleston gets 44.4 in.
