Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, most areas of this idyllic city are accessible by foot or bicycle. Charlottesville enjoys clean air and water, and pleasant weather year-round, highlighted by especially beautiful fall foliage. Nearby Shenandoah National Park offers a wealth of recreation opportunities. Charlottesville is home to the University of Virginia, which strengthens the area’s healthy economy by providing steady jobs and a wealth of amenities and entertainment. Homes are not cheap (median home price $225,000), but the cost of living is manageable. The city’s low unemployment rate and significant recent job growth promise continued prosperity. As more and more people learn about this year’s best city, Charlottesville may find staying affordable and sprawl-free is its greatest challenge!
Is there any ranking organization other than BestPlaces.net? Just curious.
If you’re considering relocating to the Charlottesville area, check out this page – I’m building it as a one-stop source for beginning your home and neighborhood search.
Jim,
I wasn’t sure this was current either when I ran across it earlier this AM. I was happy to see we ranked in the Top 20 (13) as a most secure mid-sized city as well.
Jim, I am pretty sure it is for 2005. The link is: http://www.bestplaces.net/docs/studies/bestplaces05.aspx and when you click on the “Complete Rankings link” at http://www.bestplaces.net/docs/studies/bestplaces05_list.aspx it reads “Below is the complete list of 2005 Best Places to Live.”
‘
I thought so, too until I went to their main page and clicked through the “best places” link …
My response is still “meh” … 🙂
Meh?
Meh.
🙂