Politics, Demographics, What is Life Like in Charlottesville?

I get questions.

I received this email this week, and promised an answer. I figured I’d answer on the blog as well; I believe if one person asks a question, then others likely have similar questions. I’ve edited the question a bit to make it a bit more broad.

I am considering moving to  Charlottesville or Crozet, or perhaps somewhere else in the area. I wonder if one of your blog posts addresses the differences in the different areas around Charlottesville?

I attended UVA an eon ago and only really know the area around the school, but now I have a young child and am looking for good schools , livability, convenience, etc. I also wonder what the politics of the different areas are. Do you have any blog posts you can point me to that address those things?

My 2007-era Charlottesville – Albemarle Relocation Map mostly holds up

 

 

Each of those areas have sub-areas, for example:

The southern part of the urban ring of Albemarle has Mountain View Elementary, Monticello High School, Tandem Friends, Food Lion, Wegmans shopping center, Mill Creek, Redfields, Foxcroft, Lake Reynovia neighborhoods, and so many more. About 3 miles to downtown Charlottesville, it’s not walkable to downtown, but it does have trails in Biscuit Run, and one day might have access to downtown Charlottesville that way. There’s going to be a new County school there, and a waste transfer station, and a lot more. Access to vineyards, Monticello Trail, IX.

What are your Triangles?

Why do you live where you do?

(that post led to a friend and client emailing that my story about my younger daughter made him cry)

“Will I Fit In?”

Is one of the most-asked questions by my clients, either directly or indirectly, to me, or to themselves/each other.

If you’re the curious type, you can you use the Virginia Public Access Project’s (VPAP) tool to see who is donating to whom in a particular zip code. I found it to be quite interesting, as we are in the middle the 2020 election cycle.

 

Politically, Will I fit in? Will I like my neighbors? Will they like me? Will we get along?

This post from 2012 feels positively quaint, and the advice remains sound.

As a Realtor, I can help with some of these, and others I can’t (that’s from 2007, and the advice is mostly the same that I give today).

When you move into a new area, buy a new home, you’re not just buying the house. You’re buying your neighbors – today, tomorrow, next month –

Driving around neighborhoods observing political signs is one way to help determine whether you might “fit in” in a neighborhood –  many, many of my clients are doing that right now. Some might feel more comfortable in a Romney-dominated neighborhood, some in an Obama-heavy neighborhood, others prefer no signs, some a good mix (50-50 is nice in my mind) –

The Census, VPAP, Charlottesville Reddit

The Census offers so many ways to drill down and look at demographic information. I like this map, where you can see Population, Race, Families and Households, Housing, & Group Quarters. Each of those categories offers more narrow subcategories.

VPAP – using my office address, I can see that as of 11 October 2024, in the 22903 zip code, people have donated $331,194 to one of the presidential candidates and $52,995 to the other candidate. That might tell you something. (disclosure, I do give them a tiny bit of money once in a while)

The Charlottesville Reddit community has a moving here page that has loads of potential. That said, you can find a ton of good information and answers there. I answer questions there often, and do Charlottesville real estate Ask Me Anythings (AMAs) quarterly.

Charlottesville and Albemarle County Schools

This post from 2018 is obviously dated. It’s a great starting point.

My best advice for those seeking to evaluate schools?

Rent First, and develop friendships and peer groups to whom you can ask questions, visit the Charlottesville and Albemarle County schools, talk to the principals – and, as someone recommended to me, talk to the janitorial staff too – and understand that “as I tell my clients, “best” school depends on what the kid(s) and family need out of a school. Some it’s community, grades, sports, proximity to home … I also tell my clients to come rent first, and then purchase, if that’s the plan.”

And this, too:

It depends on what you mean by “best.

  • Closest to your home?
  • Best test scores?
  • Best SPED program?
  • Best sport for your kid(s)?
  • Test scores?
  • Active PTO?
  • Teacher to kid ratio?
  • Best proposal for COVID-management?

High schools are important, but I’d argue that for many of my clients, middle is more of an influencer. But … be mindful of growth and redistricting plans.

I had a client years ago that moved out of a “great” school to a “lesser” school because the latter offered better special education programs for their kid. Finding the right fit is key. We have a slew of great private schools, as well. Each and all have their pros and cons.

And … look beyond the test scores.

Shortest answer to the question —

Give me a call, or let’s have coffee. We can talk about life in Charlottesville, my relevant life stages, buyer and seller representation, the Charlottesville and Crozet real estate markets, and all the tangential stuff that comes up. Houses, too.

Find me here – 434-242-7140 (ideally, please text first!)

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