What is the best place to move to in Virginia?
What is actually in Virginia?
After deciding that Virginia might be a good place to move, we set out to continue our research. We had a checklist of items we cared about, so we would take these into consideration while looking at future homes:
- Weather (not too cold/not too hot)
- Within reasonable distance to Home Depot or Lowes
- Within 15 minutes from grocery store
- No Home Owners Assocation (HOA)
- Agriculture Freedom
- Nice people
- Near a Yoga Studio
- Near the mountains
We than began to compile the list of places in Virginia that appealed to us:
- Floyd, Virginia
- Stuart, Virginia
- Amherst, Virginia
- Bedford, Virginia
Below is the research we gathered on each one:
1. Floyd, Virginia
Floyd is a small town located in Virginia. The 2020 consensus showed a population of 448 residents. For such a small amount of people, the town is abundant in art and culture. The downtown is cozy and inviting. With little antique shops, small little wine shops, and a farmers market that gathers on the weekends. The main strip also has some popular restaurants and plenty of good eating options.
We were attracted to this small town but had to check it off our list of places to live because of the scarcity of work. Unless you have a remote job, the job options are limited in Floyd, Virginia.
2. Stuart, Virginia
Our next stop on our places to check out was Stuart, Virginia. If you visit the website for the town, you can immediately tell the pride the residents have for their town. Rich in history, this town is filled with historic events. Check out this link to learn about the town history: Click Here.
Stuart also has some regular festivals. They have a Wine and Food Festival in May. They have a spring Strawberry Festival and an Apple Dumpling Festival in the fall.
This looks like an inviting place to live but we decided that living further up in the state would better suit our needs. Of course this is just a personal preference, but if you look at a map, Stuart is at the bottom of the state. We decided (mainly for work reasons) that living farther north in Virginia would provide us more work opportunities.
3. Amherst, Virginia
Taken from the Amherst Website:
“The Town of Amherst was established in 1807 and was named after Sir Jeffery Amherst, a British Major‑General who was the hero of the Battle of Ticonderoga during the French and Indian War and later became Governor‑In‑Chief of the Colony of Virginia from 1763 to 1768.
The Town of Amherst was originally known as “The Oaks” and “Seven Oaks” and started as a stage station on the Charlottesville‑Lynchburg road. Amherst has been the county seat of Amherst County since Nelson County was partitioned from Amherst County in 1807. The original courthouse was built in 1809 on two acres of land purchased “from a Mr. Coleman for ten shillings.” The original courthouse was torn down 1872 and the present courthouse was built “from homemade brick of Amherst County clay.” All Amherst County records have been stored in the courthouse since 1761 when Amherst‑Nelson counties were divided from Albemarle County.
Amherst has a population of 2,231 (per the 2010 Census) and a land area of 4.92 square miles.”
(https://amherstva.gov/about-us/town-history/).
Amherst seems to be abundant in wineries and antique shops. And the prices of homes seem reasonable (as of 2024). But as in with the rest of the locations we liked, it also had a long commute when it comes to work options. So for this reason alone, we also had to remove it from our options.
4. Bedford, Virginia
This brings us to our last stop on our journey to find the perfect place to live. Our last stop was Bedford, Virginia. I have been to Bedford a few times. Everyone greets you with a smile and the scenery around you takes your breath away. With rolling mountains around you, you are situated right alongside the Blue Ridge Parkway. And if you take a one hour drive, you are at the Natural Bridge (a natural wonder located within Virginia). Bedford is also situated between Roanoke and Lynchburg, both of which have more work options.
Bedford seemed to immediately check off (almost) all the items on our checklist.
| Weather | It snows but the snow is limited |
| Home Depot and Lowes | 30 minute drive to either |
| Grocery Store | Has some large grocery stores |
| HOA | There are a lot of HOAs but you can find properties without them |
| Agriculture Freedom | The town has alot of freedom in regards to farming |
| Nice people | Everyone greets you with a smile |
| Near a yoga studio | Sadly, there are no (hot) yoga studios in town |
| Near the mountains | In Bedford you can find homes ON the mountain |
The only downside would be the lack of a yoga studio. Yoga has become something of importance to my life. So I decided the only thing I could do was bring yoga with me. If there is no yoga in Bedford, I’ll bring the Yoga to Bedford myself. So I’ve enrolled in a program to get my 500 Hour Yoga Certification.
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