Moving from Alabama to West Virginia
Your real buying power stays about the same (+0.4%). Change the salary below to see your own numbers.
Equal salary in WV: $64,700
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $64,700 in West Virginia to match $65,000 in Alabama ($300 less), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.
These changes cover taxes, housing and electricity. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. They are not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.
| Tax on $65,000 | Alabama | West Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $5,620 | $5,620 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $4,973 | $4,973 |
| State income tax | $2,729 | $2,088 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $0 | $0 |
| Take-home pay | $51,679 | $52,320 |
Key facts: Alabama to West Virginia
- Median rent
- $1,077 → $883/mo
- Median home value
- $233,300 → $170,800
- Price level (U.S. = 100)
- 88.8 → 89.5
- Road distance
- ≈ 620 miles
- Natural hazard risk (FEMA)
- Among the highest → Above average
What changes when you move to West Virginia
- Your state taxes fall by about $641 a year on the same $65,000 salary.
- BEA's housing price index is 12% lower in West Virginia. Median rent goes from $1,077 to $883 a month and the median home value from $233,300 to $170,800.
- The average home electric bill is $155 a month in West Virginia vs $174 in Alabama (EIA 2024), about $225 a year less.
Who moves from Alabama to West Virginia
In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 146 households (264 people) filed their taxes in West Virginia after filing in Alabama the year before. That makes West Virginia the #40 destination for people leaving Alabama. These households reported an average adjusted gross income of $69,685. Going the other way, 188 households moved from West Virginia to Alabama, a net loss of 42 households for West Virginia.
Five-year trend
Moves from Alabama to West Virginia peaked in 2020–21 at 151 households, then fell 3% by 2022–23. That is still up 17% from 2018–19.
Source: IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23.
Cost to move from Alabama to West Virginia
Moving cost: $530–$7,560
Moving about 620 miles from Alabama to West Virginia costs roughly $530 – $7,560, depending on how much of the work you hire out.
Distance between the states' population centers by road (estimate).
| Moving method | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Rental truck (DIY) Truck rental, taxes and fees. Add fuel, damage coverage, lodging and your time. | $530 – $1,870 |
| Moving container You pack and load; the company drives the container. | $1,340 – $2,960 |
| Full-service movers Packing, loading, transport and unloading. | $2,200 – $7,560 |
These ranges are based on summer (peak-season) quotes. A move between October and April usually costs less: peak prices run 20–30% higher.
A rental truck also burns about 62 gallons of fuel over this distance. One-way truck rental prices depend on direction: a truck headed where many people are moving often costs more than the same trip in reverse.
Ranges combine 198 published quote ranges on 22 interstate routes (moveBuddha, retrieved 2026-09-24) with 47 independent published prices from U-Pack, HireAHelper and Move.org, which raised the top of several ranges. They are not quotes; get at least three written estimates.
Alaska and Hawaii ranges come from published carrier rates and moving quotes, dated in each row (Matson's household-goods rates, U-Pack, Royal Hawaiian Movers). See how we estimate.
Shipping a car from Alabama to West Virginia
Car shipping: $740–$1,110
Shipping a sedan from Alabama to West Virginia on an open carrier costs about $740–$1,110, typically 3–7 days in transit over about 620 miles.
Modeled from 32 published 2026 route prices (SGT Auto Transport 'Ship a Car to Another State' sample routes, SGT Auto Transport cost calculator sample routes) plus published Hawaii and Alaska rates. SUVs cost about 25% more and enclosed carriers about 35% more. Not a quote.
Alabama vs West Virginia take-home pay at every salary
| Salary | Equal salary in WV | Take-home change | Take-home in AL | Take-home in WV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $49,600 | +$625 | $40,286 | $40,911 |
| $75,000 | $74,800 | +$581 | $58,466 | $59,047 |
| $100,000 | $100,300 | +$411 | $75,079 | $75,489 |
| $150,000 | $151,300 | +$42 | $107,768 | $107,810 |
| $250,000 | $253,700 | -$866 | $173,487 | $172,621 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. "Equal salary" keeps the same after-tax buying power.
Cost of living: Alabama vs West Virginia
| Measure | Alabama | West Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (U.S. = 100) | 88.8 | 89.5 |
| Housing price index | 61.8 | 54.2 |
| Utilities price index | 84.6 | 92.2 |
| Goods price index | 96.4 | 96.5 |
| Median rent (monthly) | $1,077 | $883 |
| Median home value | $233,300 | $170,800 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $890 | $881 |
| Electricity (residential) | 16.40¢/kWh | 15.45¢/kWh |
| State sales tax rate | 4% | 6% |
| Median household income | $66,659 | $60,798 |
Renting and buying: Alabama vs West Virginia
| Measure | Alabama | West Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Income to rent the median home (30% rule) | $43,080 | $35,320 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $1,442 | $1,063 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $61,816 | $45,542 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $1,593 | $1,017 |
| Infant child care (center, yearly) | $8,632 | $10,439 |
Mortgage at the Freddie Mac 30-year average with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance that owners with a mortgage paid in 2024 (Census ACS). Premiums have risen in most states since then, so get quotes. See buying a home in West Virginia for other down payments.
Your yearly budget: Alabama vs West Virginia
On a $65,000 salary, taxes, housing, electricity, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $39,094 a year in Alabama and $41,171 in West Virginia if you rent: $2,077 more after the move. If you buy the median home, they come to $43,479 and $43,327 ($152 less).
Your yearly budget, before vs after
| Yearly cost | AL | WV | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income and payroll taxes on $65,000, single filer | $13,322 | $12,680 | -$642 |
| Electricity state average bill | $2,082 | $1,857 | -$225 |
| Car insurance one car, state average | $1,081 | $1,063 | -$18 |
| Gas 12,000 miles at 25 mpg | $1,945 | $2,099 | +$154 |
| Health insurance one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies | $7,740 | $12,876 | +$5,136 |
| If you rent | |||
| Rent median, 12 months | $12,924 | $10,596 | -$2,328 |
| Total if you rent | $39,094 | $41,171 | +$2,077 |
| If you buy the median home (20% down) | |||
| Mortgage payment median home, 20% down, 6.95% | $14,826 | $10,854 | -$3,972 |
| Property tax median home | $890 | $881 | -$9 |
| Homeowners insurance state median, with a mortgage | $1,593 | $1,017 | -$576 |
| Total if you buy | $43,479 | $43,327 | -$152 |
Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 state medians. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%, week of September 17, 2026).
State figures: EIA 2024 average residential power bill, NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on September 23, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.
Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.
Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $8,632 a year in Alabama and $10,439 in West Virginia (Child Care Aware of America, 2024 state averages).
After you arrive in West Virginia
- West Virginia new resident checklist: driver license and vehicle registration deadlines.
- Taxes the year you move: part-year returns in Alabama and West Virginia.
- How West Virginia taxes retirement income.
Frequently asked questions
How much salary do I need in West Virginia to live like I do in Alabama?
A $65,000 salary in Alabama works out to about $64,700 in West Virginia once 2026 federal and state taxes and BEA regional price levels are counted. At $100,000 it is about $100,300.
Will I pay less tax in West Virginia than in Alabama?
Yes, about $641 less a year in income and payroll taxes on a $65,000 salary (20.5% of pay in Alabama vs 19.5% in West Virginia). Property and sales taxes are shown separately.
How much does it cost to move from Alabama to West Virginia?
For a 2–3 bedroom home over about 620 miles, expect roughly $530–$1,870 with a rental truck, $1,340–$2,960 with a moving container, or $2,200–$7,560 with full-service movers.
Are more people moving from Alabama to West Virginia?
Moves from Alabama to West Virginia peaked in 2020–21 at 151 households, then fell 3% by 2022–23. That is still up 17% from 2018–19.
How many people move from Alabama to West Virginia?
IRS migration data for 2022–2023 show 146 households (264 people) moved from Alabama to West Virginia, making West Virginia the #40 destination for people leaving Alabama. 188 households moved the other way.
Is West Virginia cheaper than Alabama?
Overall prices in West Virginia are 0.8% higher than Alabama (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $883 vs $1,077 a month.
Compare other moves
Where people from Alabama actually move
- AL to Georgia 8,527 households
- AL to Florida 7,060 households
- AL to Tennessee 4,554 households
- AL to Texas 4,359 households
- AL to Mississippi 2,588 households
- AL to North Carolina 1,904 households
- AL to California 1,589 households
- AL to Virginia 1,388 households