A State for Life’s Lovers. 

Love lives in Virginia for a good reason. Beaches, mountain hiking spots, green lodging staycations, a bustling nightlife scene, and the constant promise of a picturesque animated lifestyle is the norm for anyone who decides to live here. The fine life of aged vineyards, exploration of bodies of water, and diversity. It’s one of those places where you can both build a business and retire peacefully. Your move to VA may be one of your best decisions for your family. 

The many powerful benefits of living in Northern Virginia far outweigh the negatives. The Virginia Department of Education has created a vibrant system, including the Purple Star program specifically designed to smooth transitions for our Military Community. The robust local jobs market and economy deliver the ability for families to afford the high cost of living, especially housing – right here in Northern Virginia. It’s a richly diverse region with so many recreational options. If you can learn to manage the traffic congestion and find some high quality air conditioning in the peak of summer, then you will love Northern Virginia.

If you’re moving to Virginia, there are a lot of things you’re going to need to know. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place.

Virginia, especially Northern Virginia, is known for having impressive public transportation systems (metro). Taking into consideration both public and private transportation (gas prices), the state’s average transportation costs come in at 0.6% lower than the national average.

Many folks say that Northern Virginia has some of the worst traffic in the nation. With it hugging D.C., the area can become packed like sardines, quickly. If you’re moving from New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles… this might not be a concern for you. But, if you’re used to being able to jump in a car and get anywhere in less than five minutes, you might want to think twice about moving to Virginia.

If you want to buy a home in the beautiful state of Virginia, you will find that it is one of the highest residential home markets in the country. Purchasing a home can be a lengthy and complex process. Besides the down payment, which is usually 15-20% of the selling price, there will be closing costs. If you own a home in your former location the sale of that home needs to be completed as well. Once you have purchased and moved into your new home, there will be utility and maintenance costs as well as property taxes and home insurance that will contribute to your cost of living. The advantages of living in Virginia are many, but the high cost of buying a home is not one of them.

Virginia is ranked number 29 out of all states in overall healthcare access and affordability. Healthcare costs make up a significant part of the cost of living. The ability to afford healthcare as well as the ability to access care are key indicators of how much you will be paying for this important resource if you move to another state. Affordability is generally measured by the rates set for insurance coverage in a state, as well as the out-of-pocket expenses that need to be paid by you when receiving the care. If rates or out-of-pocket expenses are high, your cost of living will increase. Access to healthcare is how easy or difficult it may be to receive the care. Access is measured by identifying barriers that might prevent the delivery of care such as the inability to obtain insurance coverage, having to travel long distances to health care centers, and lack of sufficient facilities and/or healthcare professionals.