Moving from West Virginia to Idaho
Everyone compares rent and groceries. Almost nobody compares the two numbers that actually decide whether a move works: state income tax and property tax. Here is West Virginia and Idaho, side by side.
Moving to Idaho costs about
+$310/mo
more than West Virginia each month, renting
Worth knowing
Homes cost 2.6x more in Idaho, but the tax rate is lower
Idaho taxes property at 0.49% against 0.53% in West Virginia. Despite the far higher prices, the yearly bill only rises to about $2,051 from $862.
West Virginia vs Idaho at a glance
| West Virginia | Idaho | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $162,600 | $418,600 |
| Median rent | $872/mo | $1,238/mo |
| State income tax | Up to 4.82% | Flat 5.30% |
| Property tax rate | 0.53% | 0.49% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 97 | 96 |
| Utilities | 92 | 70 |
Price levels are indexes where 100 is the national average. They cover everyday spending only; housing is the two rows above.
What changes each month
| Monthly | WV | ID | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent)Biggest factor | $872 | $1,238 | +$366 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income tax | $243 | $282 | +$39 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $89 | $86 | -$2 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goods | $1,770 | $1,766 | -$4 |
| Utilities | $377 | $288 | -$89 |
| Total | +$310 | ||
What the move itself costs
$3,700 to $7,800
From a container you load yourself up to full-service movers.
Shipping one car adds about $1,000 to $1,450, against roughly $800 in fuel and lodging to drive it the 5-day trip yourself.
These are statewide figures. Huntington is not West Virginia-average and Boise is not Idaho-average, so a specific city can look nothing like its state. Compare metro areas instead to narrow it to 387 real places, including which side of a state line you would live on.
Run this with your own numbers
Estimates only, not advice. Housing and income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024); price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024); tax rates are for the 2026 tax year, compiled from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Moving costs are modelled from published ranges rather than quoted. Every figure is a statewide median or average and will not match any particular household.