Comparing Cost of Living: How to Prepare Financially for Your Long-Distance Move to a New State

Cost of a Long-Distance Move

A long-distance move can be exceedingly stressful. Moving cross-country to a new home hundreds of miles away takes excellent planning, commitment, and budgeting.

As if moving to a new home across the country wasn’t already stressful enough in its own right, it also comes with additional baggage, such as securing a new job and working hard to save money for inevitable expenditures.

This is why hiring Professional Movers is the best way to move cross-country. A full-service moving company with extensive experience with interstate moves, such as hiring movers from ours, can help significantly with the actual moving process and help you find the perfect new home for you and your family.

You don’t want to move to a new city across the country, having paid for moving services and covered all the moving expenses, only to find out it’s not a good fit for you and your family.

This is why research and planning are so crucial. Moving cross country is an extensive choice financially and emotionally for you and your other family members.

Before taking any steps toward the actual move, you must ensure that you are well-informed and have surveyed your options properly. When Moving to Another State, it is always best to be overprepared for every possible outcome.

Looking at Housing Costs and Options in a New State

From surveying the job market to viewing comprehensive breakdowns of living expenses to understanding the closing costs of moving into your new location, you want to be very familiar with the kinds of cost factors you will be dealing with in your move and once you arrive at your new house.

Moving and labor costs can be expensive, but not nearly as expensive as housing, insurance company fees, and property taxes. If you have not accounted for these details before making your cross-country move, things can be much more financially tricky when you arrive.

Instead, do your research before committing to any payments or plans. Consider the factors that can affect your moving cross-country and relocation process, and ensure you get complete value protection for your investments.

Moving to a new home is an investment in you and your family’s future. The best way to find the cheapest way to do that effectively is to plan and schedule extensively so that you know exactly what you’re getting into well before the move.

Long-Distance Moving Companies can assist you in a great many ways during this tumultuous time.

Planning and Budgeting for When Moving Cross-Country

The average cost of moving cross-country (technically defined as a move with a distance greater than 1,000 miles) is $4,890.

The cost varies based on several factors, including the household size you are moving to and the distance being covered. Setting a budget with an attainable schedule is always best when saving for big purchases. As wonderful as planning is, it only works if you can be realistic about your means.

The cost of purchasing moving supplies, materials, or a storage unit can skyrocket if you don’t schedule accordingly. So, book or buy items such as these far in advance to avoid unnecessary price hikes.

We understand that many of our clients are looking to cut costs when already taking on such extraordinary expenditures. The proper way to cut costs and find the cheapest way to move is not to cut corners but to plan far in advance.

Hire movers from a reliable Moving Service early, have a garage sale, rid your home of unnecessary belongings so you don’t use up space on the moving truck, and put your down payment early to reserve your moving date well before, especially if you are looking to move during peak moving season.

Professional Movers, Moving Containers, and Packing Materials

A standard, affordable solution is moving containers.

These containers are an excellent alternative to the full-service mover or moving truck in varying sizes. It also means renting a freight trailer or a dumpster can save a considerable amount more than hiring the services of moving companies. So it is easy to set up a new home. Moving container companies are a great choice.

The rental of moving containers usually costs around $3000 per project.

Utilizing Used Packing Supplies to Reduce Relocation Costs

Coordinating cross-country moves requires many packing materials, such as cartons, packing tape, and bubble wrap. You can ask when getting your Free Moving Quote if you want a moving service that provides sourcing and packing.

Always ensure that you have clarified this ahead of time so that you know if you should be purchasing such items. If you are responsible for providing them, look to save delivery items such as boxes and wrapping in the days before you move.

You can even find people giving away old boxes online rather than purchasing new moving supplies. This makes the process easier, faster, more cost-efficient, and more environmentally friendly all at once!

Cost-Saving Options: Shared Load Moving

Shared load moving cross country is an innovative and simple way to save money with your team of professional movers.

Essentially, your cross-country moving company will split your moving truck or resources with another team or client traveling the same or similar route.

The resulting cost will help save money and does not fundamentally alter your moving experience.

You personally don’t have to change anything in your preparations; you’re just making things a bit easier on the cross-country moving truck rental company and their professional movers.

Always Get Multiple Quotes to Better Save Money

When planning to move across borders, collect varying driving prices to compare your service quality with the total cost. Even though you already know what cross-country moving service you need, you can get many different price quotes and contractual terms.

Request an estimate by phone or email for the most accurate quotation. Describe the services required, such as transferring pianos or transporting automobiles.

Let’s talk about the different kinds of contracts between professional movers. Sometimes, the quotation may increase if the contents are heavier than expected.

Renting Complications and Solutions

If you’re a renter, you must ensure you have resolved any rent issues before the moving process begins. In many cases, you need to give your current landlord an advance notice, so notify them well in advance.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Moving

The distance you travel is a critical element of total expenses. Local moves are simpler than distance moves and are cheaper than long-distance moves.

The price for moving long distances with professional movers is based on per diem travel costs for moving crews, including gas tolls and hotel accommodation.

In most circumstances, your professional moving company or team will provide you with many great moving tools to utilize during the moving process.

These include Packs (multi-size). Packs of paper. Cushion material to pack fragile goods like newspapers. Stainless steel labels.

The box cutter and trash bags are used to unpack and clear out trash. It is common for boxes to go out without the tape.

Always buy more than you think you should. Install the box if necessary. Most shops will accept returns for unused packing materials.

Having more room in an apartment requires time and energy. Generally, full-service movers charge hourly for local moves and by the weight or cubic foot for interstate moves.

In any way, the house size reflects the pricing. You can expect a higher cost to move to a single-family apartment with multiple bedrooms.

Standard moving base rates usually require higher costs, including movement alone. Added assistance such as packing, moving quotes, storing, and assembling the furniture will be more expensive.

Moving to Colorado

The cost of living in Colorado is 6% higher than the national average. Several factors contribute to this statistic, including housing, utilities, food pricing, and others.

In Colorado, the cost of housing is approximately 10% higher than the national average. The cost of food is about 1% higher than the national average, as is the price of goods and services.

However, the cost of healthcare is precisely in line with the national average, coming in at an even 0% when compared.

In fact, both the cost of transportation and the cost of monthly utilities are 3% below average, and utilities are a complete 8% below average.

Moving to Florida

The cost of living in Florida is only 1% higher than the national average. The cost of transportation is precisely average, sitting at 0% when compared. On the plus side, both goods & services and health actually cost less than average, contributing to the relatively modest living expenses. Goods and services come in at 2% below the average, while healthcare comes in at 4% below average.

Conversely, the pricing of food, utilities, and housing all come at substantially higher cost factors. Food costs 2% more than the national average, utilities cost 1% more, and housing costs 4% more.

Moving to Tennessee

The cost of living in Tennessee is remarkably low, coming at 11% below the national average. Every single factor that contributes to the overall cost of residing in any given state is well below the national average in Tennessee.

Housing is 19% below the national average in Tennessee, while healthcare and transportation are both 12% below average. Utilities, as well as goods and services, are both 6% below the national average. Simultaneously, the cost of food is 5% below the national average.

All of this makes for a state with a very low cost when compared to the rest of the nation, with even their largest cities (such as Nashville or Columbia) coming in well below the national average, which is a very rare accomplishment.

Moving to Oklahoma

Keeping the low-cost surprises coming, the cost of living in Oklahoma is even less than in Tennessee, with its pricing coming in at 13% below the national average.

This statistic is boasted mainly by the absolutely astounding fact that Oklahoma’s housing cost is a full 28% below the national average. This enormous difference alone does a lot of the heavy lifting when setting Oklahoma apart, but the rest of its categories are no slackers, either.

The cost of healthcare and goods and services are all 8% below average. The cost of transportation is 6% below average, and the cost of food is a total 5% below average. Even one of the state’s largest cities, Oklahoma City, comes in as a complete 16% below the national average, with remarkably low costs for living expenses.

Moving to Louisiana

The cost of living in Louisiana is 9% lower than the national average. Much like Oklahoma, the statistic that contributes most strongly to this lower cost overall is the cost of housing. The cost of housing alone in Louisiana is 17% lower than the national average. To pair with this, Louisiana’s utilities cost is 13% below average, both of which are significant factors in the state’s livable pricing overall.

Furthermore, the cost of transportation is 6% below the national average, while the cost of food, goods, and services is 4% lower than the national average. The cost of healthcare is the one that comes the closest to the national average, only 1% lower than the compared statistic.

However, it is worth noting that the cost of living in each individual city in Louisiana is well below the national average, with the exception of New Orleans. New Orleans’ cost of living is actually a full 11% higher than the national average, which means the cost of living in the rest of the state is actually even lower than its initial statistics might make it seem.

Moving to Washington

The cost of living in Washington is the highest so far, with a price of over 16% higher than the national average. The factors that directly contribute to the high cost of living in this state are housing, healthcare, and transportation. The cost of housing alone is 28% higher than the national average. The costs of both healthcare and transportation are shortly behind, coming in at a full 19% higher than the national average.

Goods and services are also 14% higher than the national average, while the cost of food is 11% higher than the national average. The only cost which is actually less than the national average is that of utilities, which is 8% lower than the national average.

All of this contributes to making the state a surprisingly expensive area to live in. For example, one of the state’s biggest cities, Seattle, has a cost of living that is a full 49% higher than the national average in its own right.

Moving to California

But if you thought the cost of living in Washington was high, California is here to put things into better perspective for you. The cost of living in California makes Washington’s 28% look like next to nothing, as California’s price is 42% higher than the national average.

California also sports some of the most insanely high individualized prices in the entire country. The cost of housing alone is a staggering 101% higher than the national average. In addition to this, The cost of transportation is 27% higher than the national average, while the cost of utilities is 22% higher.

The cost of food is 17% higher than average, and the price of goods, services, and healthcare is approximately 10% higher than the national average. All of this adds up to California’s exceedingly high prices for living expenses. The cost of living in Sunnyvale, CA alone, is 124% higher than the national average.

Moving to Georgia

On the other end of the spectrum, the cost of living in Georgia is a full 10% below the national average. In stark contrast to the previous couple of entries, the housing pricing in Georgia is actually 20% below the national average.

In addition to this, the cost of utilities is 12% lower than the national average. Goods and services and food costs are 4% below the national average, while transportation costs are 6% below the average.

The only cost of living in Georgia that isn’t measurably better than the rest of the country’s accumulated average is that of healthcare, which comes in exactly even with the national average. Even the cost of living in one of Georgia’s biggest cities, Atlanta, is only 1% higher than the national average.

Moving to Kentucky

The cost of living in Kentucky is 8% lower than the national average. This figure comes from a somewhat conflicting mix of prices from across the board that work to cancel each other out.

For instance, the price of housing is very good, coming at 23% lower than the national average. However, in stark contrast, the price of transportation is 9% higher than average, and the cost of utilities is 3% higher than average.

The cost of healthcare is also a positive factor, coming in at 12% lower than the national average, while the cost of food is 7% lower than average. In addition to this, goods and services cost 3% less than the national average in Kentucky.

Overall, Kentucky is a very affordable state to live in. All seven of its largest cities, from Bowling Green to Covington, come in substantially below the national average.

Moving to Michigan

The cost of living in Michigan is 3% below the national average overall. In this unique state’s situation, the positive pricing attributes come entirely from its very affordable housing market. The cost of housing in Michigan is 13% below the national average. To pair with this, the cost of healthcare is exactly in line with the national average, coming in at 0%.

But every other cost is actually higher than the national average. Food, goods, and services all cost 1% more than average, while healthcare and transportation each cost 2% more than the national average.

The end result is that of Michigan’s seven largest cities they are split almost completely evenly down the middle in terms of being above or below the national average on their own. The most notable standout city, and one whose information factors greatly into Michigan’s overall data, is Kalamazoo, whose cost of living is 21% below the national average.

Moving to New Jersey

The overall cost of living in New Jersey is 13% higher than the national average. The largest contributor to this in New Jersey is that of the cost of housing, which is to be expected. With the state so close to New York and its own high-price realty, the cost of housing in New Jersey is 31% higher than the national average.

No other costs are nearly as outlandish, though most of them are still higher than average. Utilities are 8% more than average, food and transportation are each 6% higher than average, and goods and services are 4% higher than the national average.

The one real exception here is the cost of healthcare, which is delightfully 5% lower than the national average. All of this adds up to one of New Jersey’s largest cities, Newark, having a total cost of living on its own that is 20% higher than the national average.

Moving to New York

Speaking of high-price realty in New York, the cost of housing in New York is a staggering 78% higher than the national average, which makes New Jersey look absolutely modest by comparison. The overall cost of living in New York is actually only 30% higher than the national average, a figure which is bolstered greatly by its housing costs but little else.

While all the other figures do come in above average, none are nearly as expensive as housing. The cost of goods and services is 12% higher than the national average, the cost of transportation is 8% higher than the national average, food is 7% higher, healthcare is 6% higher, and the cost of utilities is 4% higher than average.

Overall, this makes for living expenses not too far off the national average, with the notable exception of incredibly expensive housing prices.

Moving to Minnesota

The cost of living in Minnesota is 3% lower than the national average. In fact, the only facet of living that costs more than the national average in Minnesota is that of health care. The cost of healthcare is 10% higher in Minnesota than it is in the rest of the country, on average.

But aside from that, every other major component of pricing when it comes to the cost of living is lower than the national average.

Moving to North Carolina

The cost of living in North Carolina is 6% lower than the national average. The predominant factor in the affordability of living in North Carolina is the price of housing, which is 15% lower than the national average.

In addition to this, the cost of transportation is 6% lower than the national average, the cost of monthly utilities is 2% lower on average, and the costs of food, goods, and services are 1% lower in price. The only real hiccup here is that the cost of healthcare is a bit pricier here than elsewhere in the nation, with the cost of healthcare coming at 7% higher than the national average.

Moving to South Carolina

Moving directly to the south of Tar-heel Nation, South Carolina is also sitting pretty with a cost of living that is 6% below average as well. However, while the overall affordability of living in each of the Carolinas may seem essentially equal in broad appearances, their differences are notable and unique.

The cost of housing in South Carolina is 18% lower than the national average, making their housing even more affordable than in North Carolina on a general basis. However, unlike North Carolina, South Carolina’s healthcare is a similar bright spot, coming in at 4% lower than the national average.

The cost of transportation on average is also 4% lower than the accumulation and median of the rest of the nation, while the price of goods and services is 2% less than average.

However, the cost of other elements, such as utilities and food, are substantially higher than in North Carolina and the rest of the country. The cost of utilities is 8% higher in South Carolina, and the cost of food is 3% higher than the national average.

Moving to Ohio

The cost of living in the Buckeye State of Ohio is remarkably affordable when compared to the rest of the United States of America, with Ohio’s total cost of living coming in at 11% lower than the national average.

Several factors contribute to this statistical advantage, but most notable of all is their remarkably low cost of housing. The price of housing in Ohio is 28% below the national average, which goes a long way toward giving their state that 11% difference in pricing overall.

The cost of healthcare is 8% lower than the national average, while the cost of monthly utilities, goods, and services is 5% lower than average. In addition to this, the cost of food is 2% lower than the national average as well.

The only element of financial living in Ohio that is going to be more costly than the national average is transportation, which is approximately 1% higher in the Buckeye State than it is on average throughout the nation.

Moving to Texas

In the Lone Star state, Texas’ cost of living is similarly affordable, surprisingly enough. Overall, the cost of giving in Texas is actually 8% below the national average.

Similar to Ohio before it, the largest contributor to this statistic is the fact that Texas’ housing market is substantially more affordable to operate within than a great many of its competing states. The cost of housing in Texas is 16% lower than the national average.

The cost of food is 9% lower than the average set by the rest of the nation, the cost of healthcare is 6% lower, the cost of goods and services is 4% lower, and the cost of transportation is 3% lower than the national average.

All of these factors add up to a state where every single one of the largest measurements of affordability comes up looking great, with Texas being a viable and affordable option for interstate moves.

Notably, larger cities in Texas, such as Dallas or Plano, have much higher costs of living, with each of these cities individually coming with higher costs than the national average. But the smaller cities in Texas are not only very affordable; they’re so much more affordable that they counteract these negative impacts entirely within the state’s sum total.

Moving to Oregon

Swinging to the other side of the spectrum, the cost of living in Oregon is 12% higher than the national average. In fact, whereas Texas saw every single primary measurement of cost of living coming back positively in the state’s favor, Oregon is the exact opposite, with each measurement reflecting negatively upon them.

The cost of housing in Oregon is 28% higher than the national average. The cost of transportation is a nearly unprecedented 19% higher than the national average. The costs of food, goods, and services are all 4% higher than average, and the costs of monthly utilities and healthcare are merely 1% higher than the national average.

All of this adds up to a state whose affordability is put into stark question by the rest of the nation’s average statistics. Things only get worse when focusing on the state’s primary cities, with somewhere like Portland having a cost of living 23% higher than the national average.

Moving to Arkansas

The cost of living in Arkansas is 8% below the national average. There are two predominant factors that most directly contribute to this affordability for the state, and they are housing and healthcare.

The price of housing in Arkansas is 21% below the national average, while the cost of healthcare is 16% lesser in cost than average. Furthermore, the price of both food and transportation is 6% below the national average, and the cost of monthly utilities is 2% below the national average.

The only measurement that is higher than the national average in Arkansas is that of goods and services, which comes in at 2% above average. Still, this makes for a very well-rounded place to live, pricing-wise.

This becomes even more evident when one considers that some of its largest cities, such as Conway and Jonesboro, come in at 16% and 12% below the national average for cost of living, respectively.

Moving to Connecticut

The price of living in Connecticut is 16% higher than the national average.

Unlike many of the entries on this list so far, Connecticut does not just have one area in which it performs so strongly that it sways the rest of the overall statistic substantially. Instead, Connecticut has multiple areas in which it comes in higher than the national average.

Such areas include the cost of housing (which is 25% above average), the cost of monthly utilities (which is 29% above average), and the cost of goods and services (which is 15% above average). All of these factors contribute greatly to the state’s relatively high cost of living when compared to the national average.

The cost of transportation is 8% higher than average, the cost of healthcare is 6% higher than average, and the cost of food is 2% higher than average. Every measurement here comes back as higher than average, making Connecticut an unexpectedly expensive state to move to.

Moving to Delaware

The cost of living in Delaware is 4% higher than the national average.

Delaware’s figures are especially notable in that it is one of the few states in the U.S. to exhibit such close grouping when it comes to these primary areas of financial measurement.

In Delaware, the cost of housing, food, healthcare, and goods and services all comes in at 4% higher than the national average. The outliers are transportation and monthly utilities, which veer substantially off the beaten path but wind up essentially canceling each other’s effect on the overall cost of living.

Transportation’s pricing is 13% higher than the national average, and utilities’ pricing is actually 4% lower than average. The end result is a state whose overall affordability is very close to the national average in just about every way.

Moving to Indiana

The cost of living in Indiana is 9% below the national average. In fact, the only element that costs more than the national average is utilities, coming in at 4% higher than average. Every other measured element of affordability is lower than the national average in Indiana.

The cost of housing is 20% lower than average, while the cost of goods and services is 6% below average. The cost of both food and transportation is 4% lower than the national average, and even the cost of healthcare sneaks by with a total of 1% less than the national average.

For Indiana, things actually only look even better if you take a look at their largest cities individually. South Bend, Fort Wayne, and even Indianapolis all have a cost of living that is even less than the state’s overall average, making Inidiana a very attractive state to move to for many.

Moving to Arizona

Meanwhile, the cost of living in Arizona is 6% higher than the national average. While the cost of monthly utilities in Arizona is 2% lower than the national average and the cost of healthcare is 4% less, the rest of the prices of these crucial measurements are higher than average.

The real culprit behind Arizona’s relatively high cost of living is their housing market, with housing costing 20% more in this state than the national average. Food costs are 2% higher than average, and goods and services are 1% higher in price, while the cost of transportation is exactly in line with the national average. All of this adds up to Arizona essentially being a fairly affordable place to live, with the notable exception of its housing pricing.

Moving to Alabama

The cost of living in Alabama is 13% lower than the national average. Once again, the primary contributor to this overall number is the cost of housing. However, unlike Arizona before it, this rural state’s housing has outstandingly low pricing. The cost of housing in Alabama is a full 38% lower than the national average.

This, paired with the fact that food costs are 7% lower, healthcare is 16% lower, and the pricing of goods and services is 4% lower, go a long way toward making up Alabama’s great cost of living.

Both the cost of utilities and the cost of transportation are actually higher than the national average here, coming in at 9% higher and 8% higher, respectively. But its other pricing is so affordable that it more than counteracts these relatively minor inconveniences, making Alabama a very suitable state to move to.

Moving to Illinois

The cost of living in Illinois is 9% below the national average. Unlike several other states, Illinois is notable in that every single measured area is lower than the national average. The cost of housing is 20% below the national average, and the pricing of monthly utilities is 7% below. The costs of food, goods, and services are all 5% below average, and the cost of healthcare is 3% below average.

All of this makes Illinois a well-rounded state to live in. Notably, its largest cities, such as Chicago, understandably have a much greater cost of living than the rest of the state. However, the smaller, more rural areas have low housing costs and great values.

Moving to Massachusetts

The cost of living in Massachusetts is 50% greater than the national average. The most explicit factor in this high cost of living is the price of housing, which is extraordinarily high.

The cost of housing is 111% higher than the national average in Massachusetts. The price of monthly utilities is 14% higher than average, while the cost of food, healthcare, and goods and services are all 30% greater than the national average.

While one might expect that a city such as Boston must contribute greatly to these high prices, Boston is actually only 50% higher than the national average, while Nantucket is a staggering 129% higher than the national average.

Moving to Mississippi

In Mississippi, the cost of living is 16% lower than the national average. Many different factors contribute to this relative affordability. The cost of housing is 32% less than the national average, while the cost of food and goods and services is 10% less than average. Elsewhere, the cost of monthly utilities are 9% lower, and the cost of healthcare is 3% lower than the national average.

All of this adds up to a state where every primary measured facet of the cost of living is substantially lower than the national average, making Mississippi a scenic and affordable state to move to.

Moving to Nebraska

The cost of living in Nebraska is 9% less than the national average. The cost of housing is 18% lower than the national average, while the pricing of monthly utilities is 13% lower than average. Simultaneously, the cost of food and goods and services is 5% lower than the national average.

The only contributing factor here that is higher than the national average in Nebraska is that of healthcare. The pricing of healthcare is 1% higher than the national average. Overall, though, Nebraska remains a very viable candidate for interstate moving, with great pricing all around.

Moving to Kansas

In Kansas, the cost of living is 12% lower than the national average. The housing pricing is remarkably 30% below the national average. The pricing of everything else is relatively close to the national average, with the cost of food, goods, and services all coming in at 8% less than the national average.

Monthly utilities costs are 2% higher than average but have little to no negative effect on the state’s overall statistics. All in all, Kansas is a prime candidate for anyone looking to move to a rural state with lower prices and beautiful landscapes.

Moving to Nevada

In Nevada, the cost of living is 10% higher than the national average. One would think that the largest contributor to Nevada’s overall cost of living would be Las Vegas, but somewhat surprisingly, Vegas is actually a very affordable place to live when compared to the country at large. In fact, the cost of living in Las Vegas is exactly in line with the national average.

Instead, it is the cost of healthcare and housing in the areas outside of Las Vegas that drive up these figures and make Nevada a somewhat costly state to reside in.

Moving to Maine

The cost of living in Maine is 11% higher than the national average. With its relative closeness to exceedingly costly states to live in, such as Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York, it’s easy to see how a state such as Maine could acquire such a cost of living.

As people move out of those states to find more rural or suburban areas, Maine is a prime candidate. A direct result of this is the cost of housing in Maine, which is 17% greater than the national average. This cost of housing drives up the cost of living in the state overall, which is otherwise fairly close to the national average in every facet.

Moving to Maryland

The cost of living in Maryland is 22% greater than the national average. The cost of housing is the largest contributor here, coming in at 54% higher than the national average. This is the most distinct and costly figure of the bunch by far, for similar reasons to Maine’s high housing costs.

Maryland also sports higher than average costs for healthcare (10% greater), food, goods, services (9% greater), and monthly utilities (8% higher). So, while every element of living in Maryland is more expensive than average, it is housing that is once again the most direct factor.

Moving to Iowa

The cost of living in Iowa is 28% less than the national average. In Iowa, every measured figure is substantially less than the national average. All of this adds up to the cost of living for one person in Iowa, which is about $29,000 annually. Compared to the overall national average of $37,540 annually, this is measurably less in every conceivable way. Considering Iowa’s placement within the greater scope of the United States, this makes it prime real estate and a state that many of our clients are eager to move to.

Moving to Idaho

The cost of living in Idaho is 6% less than the national average. The cost of housing is 12% below the national average, and the cost of utilities is even less, coming in at 18% less than average. In addition, the healthcare cost in Idaho is 5% less than the national average, and the cost of food, goods, and services is 4% lower than average.

All of this makes for a relatively well-rounded state when it comes to the overall cost of living, making Idaho yet another prime candidate for many of our clients when looking for a new state to call home.

Moving to Utah

The cost of living in Utah is exactly in line with the national average. The cost of housing there is 2% higher than the national average, but utilities are 7% lower. The cost of food, goods, and services is 1% higher than average.

Meanwhile, healthcare costs 11% less than the national average. All of these factors essentially cancel each other out, leading to an overall cost of living that is precisely in line with the national average. Thus, Utah’s cost of living is entirely average.

Moving to Missouri

In Missouri, the cost of living is 10% lower than the national average. The cost of housing is 20% below the national average, while the costs of food, healthcare, goods, and services are all 7% lower than average. Even monthly utilities are 6% lower than the national average, making for a rural state that is incredibly affordable to live in.

Moving to New Hampshire

New Hampshire’s cost of living is 16% greater than the national average. Given this state’s relative proximity to other states with high costs of living (much like Maine), it’s understandable how this figure got this high.

Once again, the greatest culprit is the cost of housing, which is 22% higher than the national average in New Hampshire. Altogether, this makes New Hampshire one of the most unexpectedly expensive entries on this list, with a relatively high cost of living.

Moving to Montana

The cost of living in Montana is 1% more than the national average. Every individual cost here is, as one might expect, incredibly close to the national average. The rare divergent point is the price of monthly utilities, which is 9% lower than the national average.

Aside from that, everything is very close. The cost of housing is 4% greater than the national average, while the costs of food, healthcare, and goods and services are all approximately 1% less than the national average. It is worth noting that one of the largest cities in Montana, Bozeman, is substantially higher than the state’s average, 22% higher than the national average.

Moving to Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, the cost of living is 2% lower than the national average. The cost of housing is 13% less than the national average. Meanwhile, the cost of food, goods, and services are all precisely in line with the national average, coming in at 0%.

The cost of monthly utilities in Pennsylvania is 8% higher than the national average, and the cost of healthcare is 3% lower. Overall, this does make Pennsylvania one of a handful of states that straddles the line of the national average, making it a great compromise for families looking to stay within a specific budget but also looking for central hubs of American culture, such as Philadelphia.

Moving to New Mexico

The cost of living in New Mexico is 5% below the national average. Housing pricing is 8% lower than the national average, and the monthly cost of utilities comes in at 10% below average.

Each of the other measured costs is much closer to the national average’s figures, with food, goods, and services all coming in at 3% lower than average, while the cost of healthcare is 2% greater than average. All of this results in New Mexico being fairly affordable, though it absolutely pales in comparison to its next-door neighbor of Texas, whose cost of living is substantially lower.

Moving to Rhode Island

The cost of living in Rhode Island is 13% greater than the national average. Much like Maine or Massachusetts, Rhode Island is located in such close proximity to much pricier states (New York, New Jersey, etc.) that it can’t help but ultimately affect the cost of housing in the area, which directly correlates to the higher overall cost of living.

The cost of housing in Rhode Island is 19% higher than the national average, and the cost of monthly utilities is 8% higher. The rest of the measured prices are much closer to the national average, resulting in Rhode Island being a fairly affordable place to live outside of its higher-end housing pricing.

Moving to Virginia

The cost of living in Virginia is 1% greater than the national average. Each figure here is just as close to the national average as that overall percentage might make you think. The cost of housing is 4% more than the national average, the cost of monthly utilities is 2% more, the cost of food, goods, and services is 1% more, and the cost of healthcare services is 2% more than average.

The resulting overall cost of living makes Virginia quite similar to Pennsylvania, a state that straddles the line of the national average and makes for a fantastic compromise for families looking to have the best of both worlds.

Moving to Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, the cost of living is 2% lower than the national average. The cost of housing is 11% below the national average, while utilities are 4% higher. The cost of food, goods, and services is 3% higher than average, which is fairly normal.

What’s not so normal is that, interestingly, the cost of healthcare is 12% higher than the national average. It is also notable that one of Wisconsin’s largest cities, Sturgeon Bay, has an individual cost of living that is over 25% higher than the national average.

Moving to Wyoming

The cost of living in Wyoming is 8% less than the national average. The cost of housing is a fantastic 18% less than the national average. Similarly, the cost of utilities is also excellent, coming in at 16% less. Food, healthcare, goods, and services all have a pricing of approximately 3% less than the national average, all adding up to a state with phenomenally affordable pricing overall.

The only reason Wyoming’s average isn’t even less is because a few of its largest cities have some higher costs, but that serves as an even greater testament to its other areas being able to bring the median down to such an extent. Wyoming is a great candidate when it comes to affordable relocation in a new state.

Moving to Vermont

The overall cost of living in Vermont is 17% higher than the national average. Again, with its relative closeness to the Eastern Seaborg and its many pricier states, Vermont’s greatest cost comes from its high-end housing pricing.

Aside from this exorbitant factor, most of Vermont’s costs are closer to the national average. All in all, if you are looking to move to the Eastern Seaborg area, Vermont is among the best compromises you could hope for. Close enough to visit but far enough that there is a noticeable difference in pricing, Vermont is ideal.

Moving to South Dakota

The cost of living in South Dakota is 6% less than the national average. The cost of housing is 8% below the national average, while utilities are 10% below average.

The cost of food is 3% higher than the national average in South Dakota, while the cost of healthcare, goods, and services directly counteract this, coming in at 7% below average. The final picture is a state with well-rounded pricing overall that does have slightly higher prices for food than many of the other states.

Moving to West Virginia

The cost of living in West Virginia is 8% below the national average. The cost of transportation is notably 10% higher than the national average, but every other measured cost is less than the national average. The cost of housing is 19% less than average, and the cost of monthly utilities is 6% less.

The costs of food, goods, and services are 5% less than the national average, and the cost of healthcare is 6% less than average. Overall, West Virginia is a very viable option for any clients looking for a new state to move to for work or play, with fantastic pricing as a whole. The only downside is that transportation can be a bit pricier than expected.