Central Virginia receives high marks in business, education, lifestyle and development

Lynchburg and its surrounding counties have a lot to offer—dynamic workforce, economic stability, top ranking school systems, a wealth of recreational opportunities, a plethora of arts and entertainment outlets, a low cost of living, extraordinary quality of life, and the list goes on and on.

But don’t just take our word for it. The Central Virginia area has found itself on a multitude of top lists in recent years.

• Sperling’s list of Best Places to Live
• Inc.com “Boomtown 2007” The Best Cities for Doing Business
• Forbes’ Magazine Best Places for
• Business in 2006
• Forbes’ Best Places for Business
• and Careers in 2007
• Newsweek lists Lynchburg’s two public high schools among the top public high schools in the country
• National Geographic’s 2007 Top Small Towns to Live and Play
• Men’s Journal, in 2007, pronounced Lynchburg #1 of the Top 5 Cleanest Places and one of the “50 best places to live in the United States.”

Using a three-prong strategy for helping its readers find their dream town, Men’s Journal noted Lynchburg as a place “where you can have it all: a decent job, a vibrant community, a charming setting, ready access to outdoor activities and a mortgage that doesn’t rival the GNP of a small-world country.”

There is no doubt that this describes Lynchburg.

Low Home Prices Plus Mix of New and Historical

The median home value in Lynchburg is $167,720, according to Sperling’s Best Places, and home appreciation has been 4.24 percent over the last year.

According to the Coldwell Banker Home Price Comparison Index (HPCI), a home with a market value of $167,500 in Lynchburg can be expected to cost approximately $177,808 in the Roanoke area, while the same home would cost about $471,577 in Alexandria. Lynchburg is listed as having the best/lowest home prices in Virginia and as one of the lowest in the nation. In addition, the area boasts a fine mix of active new home communities and beautiful historic districts, with a resurgence of residential growth in the downtown district.

Low Cost of Living

Compared to the rest of the country, Lynchburg’s cost of living is 21.8 percent lower than the U.S. average, and its unemployment rate is 3.70 percent. The U.S. average unemployment rate is 4.60 percent.

Prime Industries and Small Businesses Provide Stable Economy

Lynchburg has also seen a 2.9 percent increase in jobs over the last year. Prime industries within the Central Virginia area include nuclear technology, pharmaceuticals and material handling. A diversity of small businesses within the region has helped maintain a stable economy and minimized the downturns of the national economy.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Hill City’s strongest economic contributions came from three areas—financial activity, including real estate; professional and business services in science and technology, places like AREVA and The Babcock & Wilcox Company; and higher education and health services, specifically Centra and Lynchburg’s area colleges and universities.

Now consider some of the great attractions found in Lynchburg—its hands-on Amazement Square Children’s Museum, numerous historical sites, minor league baseball team the Lynchburg Hillcats, Academy of Fine Arts, miles of bike trails and scenic, mountain views—and you can see why Lynchburg finds itself on so many top lists. Why not add it to your list of top places?

Competitive Advantages

• It is rich in history, unspoiled natural beauty, and the warm friendliness of southern hospitality. Lynchburg is nestled into the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and is bordered on one side by the historic James River.
• In a single day’s drive, vehicles leaving Central Virginia can reach every major metropolitan area on the East coast between New York and Atlanta. Other major destinations, such as Chicago, New England, and the Canadian border, are just a few hours beyond.
• Virginia’s Region 2000 is consistently ranked as having one of the highest-quality, lowest-cost healthcare systems in the state. One of the three hospitals serving the region has been ranked among the top 100 orthopedic and top 100 cardiovascular centers in the nation.
• Central Virginia is a safe place to live and work. The property crime rates are below the national average. Violent crime rates are 30% and more below the national average.
• In 2007, Lynchburg ranked 13 of Top 20 Small Metros for Recruitment and Attraction, according to Expansion Management.
• In 2007, Lynchburg Metro ranked 94 of 393 for best cities for doing business according to Inc.com “Boomtown 2007” based on job-growth data, supplied by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Lynchburg’s high schools ranked in top 1000 for the third consecutive year in 2007, according to MSNBC.com. Newsweek lists two area high schools, E. C. Glass and Heritage, in the country’s top public high schools.
• In 2007, Lynchburg ranked 65 of 200 Best Metros–Forbes magazine ranked Lynchburg 65 of 200 of the best metros for business and careers.
• In 2007, Lynchburg was tied for 1st place for cities that excel in the digital arena with population of 30,000-74,999 as recognized by the Center for Digital Government.
• Lynchburg Cleanest Place to Live, according to Men’s Journal in 2007.
• The publication lists Lynchburg as #1 in Top Five Cleanest Places to live and one of the “50 Best Places to Live” in the US.
• Businessweek Online named Lynchburg among America’s best affordable housing markets in 2007.
• Lynchburg was recently recognized by Forbes magazine as among the top 50 places in the nation to start a business… and named one of the top 15 places in the nation to live by a 2007 edition of Cities Ranked and Rated.

Why Lynchburg?

Exceptional Workforce

• Large, motivated workforce with positive work attitudes and a traditional, right-to-work environment
• Extraordinary training and workforce development resources
• Six colleges & universities, producing thousands of new graduates each year

Solid Infrastructure

• Abundant choices of available building sites, ranging in size from 2 to 1,000 acres
• Affordable utilities and abundant water/wastewater capacity
• Broad transportation options

Rich Quality of Life

• Outstanding schools
• Nationally recognized advanced
• healthcare resources
• Mild climate
• Diverse recreational/cultural opportunities
• Attractively priced housing choices

Uncommonly Cooperative Governments

• Pro-business environment (reflected in performance-based financial incentives
• for new and expanding businesses and moderate tax structures)
• Localities with more than 20 years
• experience working in partnership
• Government-assisted industrial parks throughout the region

Distances to Selected Cities

Lynchburg is conveniently located close to larger metropolitan areas such as Richmond, VA and Washington, D.C. It is so close to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and warm, sandy beaches that if you left the Central Virginia area a little before breakfast, you can dip your toes in the ocean or your gloves in the snow before lunch.

From Lynchburg To:

The Mountains

• Bedford, VA - Home of Peaks of Otter - 30 minutes
• Wintergreen, VA - Ski and Golf Resort - 45 minutes to 1 hour

Metropolitan Areas

• Richmond, VA - Virginia’s capital - 2 hours
• Washington, D.C. - The nation’s capital - 3 hours
• Charlotte, NC - Financial center of the South - 3.5 hours

The Beach

• Virginia Beach, VA - Longest pleasure beach in the world - 3.5 to 4 hours
• Nags Head, NC - Swimming, sunning and surfing abound - 5 hours

Other

• Greensboro, NC - Offering history, culture, and arts - 2 hours

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