After four years of lectures and late-night study sessions, you’ve finally walked across the stage to claim your degree in the Mountain State. Now, a big question looms on your mind: Where will you launch your career?
For many of West Virginia's recent grads, moving out of state can seem like the natural next step, and the allure of major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, or Washington, D.C. is hard to resist. However, there’s one major drawback that often gets overlooked when it comes to big cities: big-city price tags!
Before you start mentally packing your bags, take a moment to consider how much you can save by staying in West Virginia and working remotely for a company based anywhere in the country—that’s what more and more young professionals have chosen to do with the support of the First Ascent program.
The Cost-of-Living Advantage
According to U.S. News & World Report, West Virginia currently ranks as the eighth most affordable state in the country in terms of overall cost of living. This ranking is based on regional data comparing price levels for goods and services across all states to national averages.
Even more impressive: West Virginia takes the top spot as the most affordable state for housing, even as prices surge across the country. The Mountain State makes homeownership more accessible and offers rental prices well below the national average, making that dream of your first apartment closer to reality.
Let’s compare the average cost of rent for a one-bedroom apartment in three major cities with the prices in three cities in West Virginia. According to Zillow, this is how they stack up:
- New York City: $3100
- Los Angeles: $2,798
- Washington, DC: $2,495
- Charleston, WV: $900
- Huntington, WV: $865
- Morgantown, WV: $780
The Remote Work Advantage
West Virginia’s growing industries, including information technology, medicine, energy, agriculture, and more, provide opportunities to launch meaningful careers close to home. And, for recent graduates looking to explore job opportunities beyond state lines, remaining local while working remotely offers financial benefits that are hard to overlook.
Thanks in part to the talent attraction and retention program, Ascend WV, a growing number of remote workers have been taking advantage of West Virginia’s lower cost of living while earning competitive salaries from companies out of state—imagine earning a New York City salary while paying rent prices in West Virginia.
Adding to the financial perks, working remotely in West Virginia allows workers to say goodbye to daily commutes, significantly reducing their transportation costs. In San Francisco, for example, the average yearly commute cost is $12,650.66. The average cost for commuting in New York City is $10,831.74 per year.
Remote workers in West Virginia also get to save on the outdoor exploration and recreation that abounds in the Mountain State. In fact, West Virginia is one of only a few states that offers free access to state parks and forests.
The data speaks for itself: A 2024 National Movers study conducted by United Van Lines ranks West Virginia as the number one state for inbound movers in the nation.
The First Ascent Advantage
Are you a recent West Virginia University or Marshall University grad who would like to stay in-state while chasing your career goals and growing your community? First Ascent is a two-year program designed to kickstart your professional career by leveraging the flexibility of hybrid and remote work. The program focuses on helping you achieve a healthy work-life balance while offering opportunities for networking, recreation, mentorship, and community building—all at no cost to you. Click here to find out if you are eligible to apply.