Your email address will not be published. Being that Norfolk is surrounded by the sea, legend has it that mermaids would actually guide battle-weary sailors back to safety after a war at sea. According to Livability, Charlottesville ranks as one of the top 100 best places to live in the entire US. The history: Alexandria is home to some of the most historical sites in the state, including George Washingtons birthplace and Mount Vernon, the home of Americas first president. The cost of living is low, making it an excellent place for families or those on a budget. Feeling inspired to check out more of Virginia's small towns? Arlington is a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family. Los Angeles. The crime rate is so low as to be almost non-existent, the unemployment rate is at an all-time low of 2.9%, while the school system is one of the best in the state. They were ranked according to their median home value, average number of rooms per house, median monthly property taxes paid and monthly housing costs. Residents benefit from a booming economy, an unemployment rate of 3.6%, a health-conscious culture, and the lowest tax rate in the Hampton Roads region. And if youre looking for more cute towns in Virginia, check out these charming towns in Virginia where everybody knows your name. Have a great antique shop on Main St. just as you enter town Seaside Antiques and Art. Best Places 2021-2022 Rank: 42Metro Population: 774,508Median Home Price: $380,374Average Annual Salary: $47,800. 158,309 16. . This one only takes up six blocks and has a population under 1,000, yes its' small. The historic town square may only cover six square blocks, but it is home to over 100 shops and restaurants, making Occoquan a small town with big-town convenience. The city is changing. Chestertown Home to Washington College, this town's restored 18th- and 19th-century rowhouses and cobblestone streets abut the picturesque Chester River. Richmond, Virginia is yet another one of these gems weve stumbled upon, making it one of the top places to live in Virginia. Dont worry though, locals say you get pretty accustomed to the shrieks and roars of the jets knifing their way through the sky. We love smaller lesser-known cities that have a lot to offer. Sign up for travel tips and inspiration delivered right to your inbox. Perhaps one of the most obvious is that you can thrive in a great city while also being just a 30-minute drive away from Virginia Beach. If you can find a more affordable city with access to amenities, you may be able to enjoy the best of all possible worlds. I even used Bellhop to move from Florida to Colorado in 2021. Best Oceanfront Hotels In Virginia Beach. Tangier Island lies twelve miles off the western coast of the Eastern Shore in the Chesapeake Bay and is known as Americas Soft Crab Capital. Staunton is no stranger to praise. Middleburg in Loudoun County has been listed at the top of Frommer's Best Small Towns in Virginia. The town is also home to the University of Mary Washington, which offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs. If you need any more convincing as to why this suburb of Arlington deserves a place on our list, why not try its low crime rate, excellent walkability, and abundance of local amenities for size? The houses and neighborhoods are beautiful, the people are friendly, and its wonderful to have such good neighbors. $102,227 17. There are plenty of hiking and biking trails and other recreational opportunities. Thats roughly 165 a day. Virginia Beach is first and foremost for the beach lover. The average price for a home in Williamsburg is just over $300,000, lower than the state median. Town Center of Virginia Beach and Lynnhaven Mall. This sleepy coastal town is well known for sport fishing, bringing enthusiasts from around the world to fish in the vast and plentiful waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Check out this road trip that will take you to 6 of the most scenic small towns in Virginia. Providing you dont have a pointy hat, a broomstick, and a black cat at your heels, youre likely to be left spellbound by the pretty little city of Salem. 4.9 Net Migration. First settled in the 1700s, Chincoteague gained the spotlight in the late 1940s with the publication of Misty of Chincoteague, a story about one of the islands now-famous wild ponies. Lifelong watermen and weekend sailors alike head to Rock Hall for its nautical flavor, complete with marinas, a small beach, and waterfront crabhouses. Founded in 1632, the town of Williamsburg has the kind of uniquely charming historic town center you could wander for hours without getting bored. Known as the "City of Discovery," the historic coastal town of Ocean Springs is the perfect place for visitors to relax and enjoy. The median home price is $656,500, nearly double the median for the rest of the state. Visited by Captain John Smith in the early 1600s, he wrote that the land was the Gem of the Eastern Shore. http://www.burnhamguides.com/virginia Also, Inn and Garden Cafe is closed. But the state does have a slightly higher cost of living than some areas of the country. Her work has appeared on Money Under 30, The Motley Fool, MoneyGeek, E-commerce Insiders, and GoBankingRates. Norfolk is also home to an impressive art scene and to a massive 220,000 square-foot art museum called the Chrysler Museum of Art. The sculptures are a fun way to decorate the city while also honoring its maritime roots. Perfect for: Families who want a close-knit community feel or nature lovers who want to live in a beautiful setting. Full of architectural delights, quirky little boutiques, and artisanal marketplaces, its easy to understand how Williamson attracts over 4 million tourists every year. We know. SouthEast Expeditions offers an Aqua-Culture Clamming tour along Cherrystone Creek, just north of Cape Charles. Best Beach Towns in America - 23 of the Most Charming Beach Towns. The Hotel Cape Charles on Main Street innCape Charles is dog friendly and a great spot! The small town draws visitors looking for a quiet coastal beach experience as well as space travel enthusiasts, as the NASA Wallops Island Flight Facility Visitor Center, NASAs primary facility for suborbital missions, is just south of the island. Choosing where to live is one of the biggest decisions youll make for yourself and your family. Kayakers learn about aquaculture practices and tour a working clam farm, then hand pick their own clams straight from the Bay waters to sample the tasty results. Antiquers and outdoor enthusiasts equally will be at home in these destinations promising all of the above and more. 4/15. The median household income in Arlington is $105,763. If you plan on making the move to Richmond soon, give us a call, wed love to help. Fintech company SmartAsset compared data for 218 beach towns and put together a list of the most affordable 50.. The schools are excellent, and the town has a close-knit community feel. Winchester is one of the best towns to live in Virginia if you prefer to be close to D.C. and the airport. The schools: Youll have access to a first-class school system. Updated: Jan 16, 2020. The best towns in Virginia for history lovers 1. Between VCUs world-renowned art school, affordable living and impressive career opportunities, young professionals are moving to the city in droves. . Number 3: it's one of the best neighborhoods in Virginia Beach. Rich with history, this small town was once home to the Cherokee Nation and by the mid-18th century, had been explored by the likes of William Byrd and Daniel Boone. In addition to lower Virginia retirement taxes, Charlottesville also gives you plenty of culture. 1. When not underground in the caves,. Nothing to keep you from moving there, but just something to keep in mind as you make your decision. The locals are really nice and are generally accepting of college students. Here's how it ranked in each category: Affordability: 140 Weather: 147 Safety: 144 Economy: 156 Education and health: 95 Quality of. There are towns and then there are small towns. When not underground in the caves . Stephanie Faris has written about finance for entrepreneurs and marketing firms since 2013. Calvert Cliffs State Park #3 in Best Beaches in Maryland Characterized by imposing cliffs that were formed about 10 to 20 million years ago and occupy about 25 miles of shoreline, Calvert Cliffs. The first state to be settled in 1607, Virginia has a rich history, culture and heritage to delve into lots of spellbinding scenery. Of its population of 74,627, 23% have a master's degree or higher, 34% have a bachelor's degree, and a further 21% have a college or associate degree. Awesome fun coastal town with farmers markets, festivals, shopping and about 1000 residents. She also enjoys creative writing, content writing on nearly any topic (particularly business and lifestyle), because as a lifelong learner, she loves to do research and possess a high skill level in this area. Virginia has so many remarkable small towns that singling out one as the most scenic is a bit of a challenge and largely depends on whether or not you're more partial to farmland, mountains, or the coast. Surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of the Shenandoah Valley, this quiet little haven offers charm and history in abundance. Today, Chincoteague (and sister island, Assateague) is best known for its Annual Pony Swim and Auction but also offers pristine beaches, amazing seafood, boat tours, home tours, and an all-around chilled-out beach town experience. Its now Maurice., Also in Cape Charles there are several historic renovated B&Bs. Most Recent Annual Number of Property Crimes: 344. Over 60,000 veterans live in Virginia Beach and the city is home to Naval Air Station Oceana which is responsible for over 60,000 military take-offs and landings each year. 14 Chincoteague. The downtown: Lexington has a charming and historic downtown district worth exploring. One quick Google search will lead you to hundreds of images depicting a bustling river, tall buildings sprouting up between thick green leafy trees and rolling hills that seem to go on forever. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Official Tourism Blog Of The Commonwealth Of VirginiaCopyright 2023 Virginia Tourism Corporation, 901 E. Cary St., Suite 900, Richmond, Va 23219. If you love nature, youll feel right at home here. Virginia Beach. Corolla/Currituck Beach. Be sure to share your thoughts with us and join in on the conversation by leaving a comment. 100. Clifton is a charming little town located just a short drive from Washington DC. Helpful Statistics: Median Age: 40 years. Pelican Beach, Destin. With its impressive variety of landscapes, countless activities, adventures to be had, food to be eaten, and memories to be made, Virginia is a true gem. 2/15. Middleburg. It has become a safe haven for dreamers, aspiring artists, creatives and entrepreneurs wanting to pursue their passions without having to scrape by as they pay outlandish rent and living expenses. The close-knit residents of this easy-going town are known for their community spirit, which is out on full display every year at the charmingly quirky Herndon Festival. It has a first-class school system, with Chantilly High School, Centreville High School, Fairfax High School, and Westfield High School all scoring an A+ under Niches assessment criteria. Look it up. Dinner Recipes. Check out this article that highlights 11 of the most beautiful places to see in Virginia. The remote island is only accessible by plane or boat, with a ferry bringing visitors from Onancock on the Eastern Shore and Reedville from the mainland, and the islands inhabitants travel Tangiers short series of roads by foot, bicycle, or golf cart. The area is perhaps best known as home to Virginia Tech University, which gives you the amenities typically found in a college town without the chaos of the big city. Other Virginia towns that ranked in the list of 150 were Cape Charles, which ranked 37th and Warrenton, which ranked . As to number 3 where do you start? Her academic degrees include AA social Sci/BA English/MEd Adult Ed & Community & Human Resource Development and ABD in PhD studies in Indust & Org Psychology. Our first sell on Virginia Beach is that it sports over 38 miles of coastline. Welcome to Virginia Beach. Easton This makes it a fabulous place to live, visit and vacation with all its small towns and cities offering up something new, old and interesting to enjoy. Best beach towns in Virginia - 010110010101101 - Shutterstock But the Commonwealth is also home to many beach towns that are, more or less, beach cities, like Norfolk and VA Beach. The first Colonial capital of North Carolina, this 300-year-old town is replete with wonderfully restored historical homes and buildings. The poverty rate may be slightly higher than some of our other entries (although at 8.0%, its still lower than the national average), but with a low unemployment rate of 5.3%, a median income of $70,500, and a median home value of $267,300, its fair to say the majority of residents are in no danger of feeling the pinch any time soon. Located right on the South Carolina coast, Charleston is a tourist destination with beautiful moss-draped live oaks and gorgeous pastel-colored waterfront homes. Local tip: Summer means root-beer floats at Durding's Store (5742 N. Main St.; 410-778-7957), an old-time ice-cream parlor in a building that dates to the 1870s. Many of the residents work for the federal government, but the 65-plus community is a thriving one, as well. With a crime rate thats among the lowest in Virginia, an unemployment rate of 4.2%, a close-knit community of 13,843, and a median income of $114,795, Falls Church scores exceptionally well across the board. Hello, everyone who enjoys and appreciates our USA, the coastal VA rugged life style and its rich history Already called one of the Best Small Towns in America by Smithsonian Magazine and Frommers, TheCultureTrip.com has named it the Most Beautiful Small Town in Virginia as well. While the Nutmeg State may not be known first and foremost as a beach destination, vacationers and house hunters will be delighted to see the selection it has by the water. Retirables retirement calculator helps to project how much monthly retirement income your retirement nest egg can produce while ensuring your savings last as long as you need. For Virginia Citizen And Business Services Visit www.virginia.gov. What's the average retirement income for 2022? Me, just bought a teensy spot outside Boydton, n am SO excited not only about that, but the many upcoming adventures both in the County, and Coast feel very privileged to become a Virginia resident, a State with such a rich history and the folks who live here their stateSmiles to you ALL! With just 4.1% unemployment, a poverty rate of 4.9%, a median home value of $394,000, a median income of $105,844, and a healthy population of 51,012, the historic town of Leesburg makes it to 6th place position on our list. Several! The retirement hub is Hilton Head, with many upscale communities aimed at retiring baby boomers. Studded with awe-inspiring landscapes, crammed with wildlife, and blessed with some of the most diverse, vibrant cities on the continent, it offers, Read More The 20 Best Places to Live in South AfricaContinue, They say that behind every good teacher is a great leader. For the time being, here are a few of the most charming towns in Virginia that have garnered national and statewide praise for their community, beauty, and all-around livability. Sorry, but our waterfront home, Eagles View, is not pet friendly basically because of the amount of time the dogs would be left alone in the house while their families are at the beach, hiking the trails, eating out, etc. During the spring, fall and summer months, everywhere you look people can be seen rollerblading, skimboarding, paddleboarding, kayaking and walking their dogs. 1. The Most Popular Gifts of 2022. "Enjoy the abundant outdoor destinations to relax, exercise, and . We know. For a breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape, stop by the Assateague Lighthouse on the neighboring Assateague Island. As youd expect, unemployment and poverty figures are both correspondingly low, coming in at 5.3% and 3.8% respectively.