Moving to Virginia
New residents have 60 days to get a Virginia driver license and must register a car within 30 days. Prices are 1.1% above the U.S. average, and a single filer earning $100,000 pays about $4,936 in Virginia income tax. 135,609 households moved here from other states in 2022–2023, most often from Maryland and North Carolina.
New resident checklist for Virginia
Driver license
Within 60 days of moving (30 days for CDL holders). Bring proof of identity, your Social Security number and two proofs of your Virginia address.
Vehicle title and registration
Title and register within 30 days of moving; insure the vehicle first. Annual safety inspection required. Emissions inspection in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Stafford counties and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park. Switch your auto insurance to a Virginia policy.
Taxes or fees on a car you bring: No 4.15% motor vehicle Sales and Use Tax if the vehicle is already titled or registered in your name in another state. If you bought it within the last 12 months, you must show proof that sales tax was paid elsewhere to be exempt.
Annual registration: By weight: passenger vehicles 4,000 lbs or less $30.75/yr; 4,001-6,500 lbs $35.75/yr (DMV 201, 08/10/2026). Local fees and localities' personal property tax may apply. A mileage-based Highway Use Fee applies to fuel-efficient cars and EVs.
Extra yearly fee for an electric vehicle: $136.
Establishing residency
New residents are treated as residents once they move to Virginia to live there; DMV requires proof of Virginia residency. Residency also decides where you pay income tax in the year you move; see taxes the year you move.
Your first-month checklist in Virginia
- Register to vote at your new address.
- Update your address with the IRS (Form 8822), your employer and your bank.
- Make sure your employer withholds Virginia income tax from your move date.
- Set up utilities and get renters or homeowners insurance. Owners with a mortgage here paid a median $1,290 a year for homeowners insurance in 2024 (Census ACS); premiums have risen in most states since, so get quotes.
- Keep your lease or closing papers and your license date as proof of when you became a resident.
Still planning the move itself? The moving out of state checklist covers the weeks before you go, and the moving timeline turns your move date into dated deadlines. Our guide to moving with pets covers vet records, travel and local pet rules. Shipping a car? See shipping a car to another state, or take the Where should I move? quiz.
Official site: dmv.virginia.gov. Sources: dmv.virginia.gov (2), dmv.virginia.gov (3), dmv.virginia.gov (4), dmv.virginia.gov (5). Reviewed 2026-09-25. Rules and fees change; confirm with the Virginia motor vehicle agency before you go.
Compare your move to Virginia
Pick the state you're leaving and your salary to see your take-home pay, rent and the salary that keeps your buying power the same in Virginia.
Equal salary in VA: $96,700
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $96,700 in Virginia to match $105,000 in Maryland ($8,300 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 $105,000 | Maryland | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $14,270 | $14,270 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $8,033 | $8,033 |
| State income tax | $7,802 | $5,223 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $0 | $0 |
| Take-home pay | $74,896 | $77,474 |
Full reports for the most common moves to Virginia: Maryland to Virginia, North Carolina to Virginia, Florida to Virginia, California to Virginia, New York to Virginia and Texas to Virginia.
Living in Virginia: costs, taxes and risk
Of the 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), Virginia is in the best 10 for health premiums and natural hazard risk, and in the worst 10 for state income tax.
- Median rent
- $1,646/mo U.S. $1,487
- Cost to own the median home
- $2,484/mo U.S. $2,298
- Take-home on $100,000
- $74,244 $834 less than in the median state
- Property tax (effective)
- 0.71% median $2,872/yr
- FEMA risk score
- 62.6 of 100 Above average for U.S. counties
- Moved in from other states
- 135,609 households, IRS 2022–2023
Pros and cons of living in Virginia
How Virginia ranks among all 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) on 11 measures of costs, taxes, risk and income. Top 10 means among the 10 best for someone moving in, Bottom 10 among the 10 worst.
Where Virginia ranks best
- Top 5 Lowest Marketplace health premiums: $455 a month for a benchmark plan at age 40, before subsidies (KFF 2026), 4th lowest of 51.
- Top 5 Lowest natural hazard risk: FEMA risk score 62.6 of 100, 5th lowest of 51.
Where Virginia ranks worst
- Bottom 10 Highest state income tax: $4,936 on a $100,000 salary, 10th highest of 51.
Measures: state income tax, overall prices, rent, cost to own a home, property tax rate, homeowners insurance, electric bills, car insurance, health premiums, natural hazard risk, household income. State income tax is for a single filer earning $100,000 under 2026 rules, including the average county income tax in Indiana and Maryland. Ties share a rank.
Where new Virginia residents come from
In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 135,609 households filed their taxes in Virginia after filing in another state the year before. Maryland sent the most, 15,079 households (11% of the total). Virginia gained a net 421 households from other states that year.
Five-year trend
Moves to Virginia from other states reached a five-year high in 2022–23: 135,609 households, up 12% from 2018–19. Virginia gained households from other states on net in one of the five years.
IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23. Net gain or loss by year: 2018–19 −3,498, 2019–20 −3,795, 2020–21 −2,634, 2021–22 −3,599, 2022–23 +421.
Cost of living in Virginia vs the U.S.
Overall prices in Virginia are 1.1% above the U.S. average, 36th cheapest of 51. The widest gap is in utilities (92.2), 8% below the U.S. level.
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100). BEA Regional Price Parities 2024.
- Average electric bill
- $149/mo U.S. $142
- Car insurance, per car
- $1,114/yr U.S. $1,282
- Health plan, age 40
- $455/mo U.S. $625
EIA 2024 average residential bills, NAIC 2023 average auto insurance expenditure, KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium before subsidies.
Taxes in Virginia: take-home pay at three incomes
Virginia taxes wages. Here is what a single filer keeps after 2026 federal and state taxes, compared with the middle of all 51.
| Salary | VA income tax | Take-home | vs. median state |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $2,061 | $40,294 | -$484 |
| $100,000 | $4,936 | $74,244 | -$834 |
| $150,000 | $7,811 | $105,980 | -$1,606 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. Take-home is after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Virginia income taxes. "vs. median state" is the difference from the median take-home of all 51 at the same salary. For married filing jointly, change the filing status in the calculator above.
The statewide sales tax rate is 5.3% before any local sales taxes. Homeowners pay a median $2,872 a year in property tax, 0.71% of the median home value (property tax by county). Retiring? See how Virginia taxes Social Security and pensions. Moving mid-year? Read about taxes the year you move.
Cities in Virginia: where a paycheck goes furthest
Of the 2 Virginia metro areas we cover, Virginia Beach and Richmond come out even: about $78,400 in either buys what $75,000 buys in an average-priced area with no state income tax.
| Metro area | Salary to match $75k | Price level | Median rent | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach | $78,400 | 97.9 | $1,556 | $363,400 |
| Richmond | $78,400 | 97.9 | $1,546 | $378,100 |
Salary to match $75k: the pay that leaves the same after-tax, price-adjusted income as $75,000 in an area at U.S. average prices with no state income tax, single filer, including the principal city's own income tax where it has one. BEA 2024 price levels (U.S. = 100) and Census ACS 2024 rent and home values for each metro area.
Parts of Virginia also belong to the Washington, D.C. metro area, which is centered outside Virginia.
Housing and home insurance in Virginia
| Measure | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Median rent (monthly) | $1,646 | $1,487 |
| Median home value | $403,500 | $360,600 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $2,484 | $2,298 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $106,440 | $98,486 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $2,872 | $3,211 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $1,290 | $1,450 |
Census ACS 2024 rent, home value and property tax, and ACS 2024 homeowners insurance. Cost to own: principal and interest at the Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%) with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance paid by owners with a mortgage. Premiums have risen since 2024, especially in high-risk areas, so get quotes. See buying a home in Virginia for other down payments.
Natural disaster risk in Virginia
Virginia's population-weighted score on FEMA's National Risk Index is 62.6 of 100, above average for U.S. counties and 5th safest of 51. Expected losses from natural hazards average about $230 per resident a year, and about 13% of residents live in counties FEMA rates relatively high or very high.
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
See disaster risk for every Virginia county and how to check a home's risk before you move.
Frequently asked questions
Where do people moving to Virginia come from?
In IRS migration data for 2022–2023, 135,609 households moved to Virginia from other states. The most came from Maryland (15,079 households), North Carolina (12,599) and Florida (12,414).
What are the pros and cons of living in Virginia?
Where Virginia ranks best among the 50 states and D.C.: lowest Marketplace health premiums, 4th lowest of 51; lowest natural hazard risk, 5th lowest of 51. Where it ranks worst: highest state income tax, 10th highest of 51.
Is Virginia expensive to live in?
Overall prices in Virginia are 1.1% above the U.S. average (BEA price level 101.1, 2024), 36th cheapest of 51. Median rent is $1,646 a month and the median home is worth $403,500.
How long do I have to get a Virginia driver license after moving?
60 days after becoming a resident. Within 60 days of moving (30 days for CDL holders).
How long do I have to register my car in Virginia?
30 days. Title and register within 30 days of moving; insure the vehicle first. Annual safety inspection required. Emissions inspection in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Stafford counties and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park.
Do new residents pay tax on a car brought to Virginia?
No 4.15% motor vehicle Sales and Use Tax if the vehicle is already titled or registered in your name in another state. If you bought it within the last 12 months, you must show proof that sales tax was paid elsewhere to be exempt.
What makes me a Virginia resident?
New residents are treated as residents once they move to Virginia to live there; DMV requires proof of Virginia residency.