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Home
Vol VI Issue
84
November 15, 2011
Previous Issues
Captivating
Charlottesville, Virginia Beckons to Retirees with its Lively
Ambiance, Intellectual Stimulation, Rich History, Mild Climate and Lush
Landscape
Cost of Living: Above the National Average
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Nestled along the Rivianna River just east of the Blue Ridge
Mountains in north central Virginia, leafy
Charlottesville (population 44,000) is an appealing small city steeped in American history.
It is the location of the prestigious University of Virginia (20,000
students and a UNESCO World Heritage Site), which was founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819. Charlottesville was also Jefferson's home, as well as the home of
president James Monroe (and president James Madison
lived in nearby Orange). It is an active, vibrant place to retire,
cozy yet big enough to provide plenty of intellectual and cultural stimulation.
Thanks to the University (UVa), Charlottesville definitely has a youthful flavor, but 26% of the population is age 45 or better.
Residents overwhelmingly vote Democratic as might be
expected in a college town.
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Charlottesville's overall cost of living is roughly
7% above the national average, and the median home price is $250,000,
above the national median. Home sales here have slowed, just
as they have across the country, but prices have stabilized within
the last year. The city has its share of distinctive architecture, and many homes are large with two stories, three to four bedrooms, three baths, 2,000 or more
square footage and a large yard. Everything from newer Craftsman designs to older, restored Colonial and Federalist
styles are common.
There are also more modest ranch-style homes with 1,500 sq. feet, two to three bedrooms and two baths for sale in the high-$100,000s to low-$200,000s.
Charlottesville has a good selection of condominiums and town
homes, as well, with prices for one and two bedroom units starting in the mid-$100,000s.
Luxury units are considerably more expensive.
Buyers have a number of private, gated communities from which to choose.
Just east of Charlottesville, Glenmore is an exclusive, all ages equestrian enclave on land that was once a horse farm adjacent to Thomas Jefferson's home of Monticello. Home prices start in the
high-$300,000s. In a Charlottesville suburb, Four Seasons Charlottesville is a 55+ community with beautiful single-family homes priced from
the mid-$200,000s.
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Apartments are in good supply. Many complexes, but not all, attract students. Woods Edge Senior Apartments are for
people 55+ and have small units (525 sq. ft. to 780 sq. ft.) for lease from $755
per month. Avemore Apartments is a nice all ages development with units
priced from around $850 per month.
When it comes to taxes, Virginia is a mixed bag. Social Security is
not taxed, and, depending on income, an additional $12,000 in retirement
income may be excluded from taxation, but all other income is taxed at rates
between 2% and 5.75%. Real estate is
assessed at 100% of fair market value. The annual taxes on a $250,000
residence are approximately $2,325. The state sales tax is 5%.
Prescription and non-prescription drugs are not taxed, but food for home
consumption is taxed at 2.5%.
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For American history buffs, there may not be a better place to retire
than Charlottesville (except perhaps Boston). This is a city proud of its
historical significance, and it works to preserve its unique heritage.
Thomas Jefferson casts a long shadow here, and residents can walk in his footsteps as they stroll
through the campus of the University of Virginia, one of the country's top public
universities. A tour of his wonderful home, Monticello,
also a UNESCO World Heritage site and built on a hill just two miles southeast of
town, is a must.
Worth a visit, too, and not far from Monticello, is 535-acre Ash Lawn-Highland, the estate of President James Monroe.
Just down the road, Montpelier, the 2,650-acre ancestral home of President James Madison and his wife Dolly, should not be missed.
In 2007, Charlottesville was even named by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as a Dozen Distinctive
Destination.
Even if one is not a history buff, Charlottesville
is full of things to do. Its thriving Historic Downtown Mall
has more than 150 restaurants, bookstores, boutiques, coffees hops and
pubs (with many, of course, housed in vintage buildings).
Art galleries and museums are plentiful. The Second Street Gallery showcases cutting edge contemporary art by local and national artists. The University of Virginia Art Museum, although small, presents up to three exhibits at a time, and Bozart is a collective retail space that exhibits local art and craftwork.
Residents also enjoy numerous fairs and festivals year-round.
The annual Downtown Blues Festival, Court Days (a semi-annual downtown arts and crafts festival), the Virginia Film Festival and the Dogwood Festival are just a few.
Particularly popular is the Virginia Festival of the Book, which
thousands of people attend, as Charlottesville is known as a readers' Eden (and has more newspaper readers per capita than anywhere else in the nation).
Many prominent writers, including John Grisham and Rita Mae Brown, make their home here (as did Edgar Alan Poe and William Faulkner).
During the summer, the Ash Lawn-Highland Opera Festival is held at the downtown Paramount Theater with a performance at Ash Lawn-Highland.
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This is an interactive map.
Click on the arrows in the upper left hand
corner to move the map to the East, West, North or South, and
click on the +/- signs (more than once if necessary) to zoom
in and out.
For golfers, the Meadowcreek Golf Course, operated by the city of Charlottesville, is an 18-hole, 70-par, 6,050 yard course that was designed by R.F. "Buddy" Loving and Bill Love. A handful of other private courses are outside of Charlottesville. For those who love the outdoors, nearby Shenandoah National Park provides a wealth of opportunities for camping, fishing and hiking. And, of course, a drive along the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway is always a nice way to spend an afternoon.
For sports fans, the annual calendar includes UVa basketball, crewing, soccer
and football events. For wine aficionados, the forested countryside outside of
town is dotted with nationally-recognized wineries, many of which offer tasting
tours (Thomas Jefferson is credited with being the father of American wine and
produced it in the tunnels underneath Monticello).
The Senior Center of Charlottesville (for those age 50+) is nationally accredited and offers a plethora of classes, programs, workshop and support groups. They also organize trips and tours and cruises and have special events of all kinds. More than 500 people volunteer at the
Center. Other volunteer opportunities can be found at UVa Hospital, Martha Jefferson Hospital, Charlottesville Free Clinic, Gordon Avenue Library, Meals on Wheels, etc. Retirees may also take classes at the University of Virginia and Piedmont Virginia Community College.
Much of the city is accessible by foot or by bicycle, but the clean and safe Charlottesville
Area Transit (CAT) provides bus service seven days a week. The fare is $.75 ($.35 for those
age 65 or better), and tickets can be purchased at kiosks around town. There is also a free trolley with limited service, and JAUNT provides transportation for those with
disabilities ($1.50 each way), as well as for everyone else, on a call-in basis.
Health care is outstanding as the city is a regional health care center. Two major hospitals, 176-bed Martha Jefferson Hospital,
award-winning for clinical practices, patient safety and more, and 500-bed University of Virginia Medical Center,
award-winning for stroke care, cancer care and a Level I Adult Trauma Center, provide most medical services.
The UVa hospital is a teaching hospital and has been certified as a Top 100 Hospital.
Both facilities are accredited by the Joint Commission and accept Medicare and
Medicaid patients. For military retirees, the nearest VA hospital is in
Richmond, 70 miles away.
According to the American Association of State Climatologists, Charlottesville has
the second best climate on the East coast. The average July high
temperature is 88 degrees, and the average January low is 26 degrees (45
degrees is the average January high temperature). It rains 8 to 12
inches per month year round (and the city on average receives an inch or two
of snow each winter month). On the comfort index, a combination of
temperature and humidity, the city comes in slightly above the national
average. The sun shines 215 days of the year. The air quality
is slightly below the national average, but the water quality is above the national
average.
Charlottesville is an inviting place, full of southern hospitality and gracious living, but there are drawbacks to a retirement here, including a crime rate
slightly higher than the national average. The city is also somewhat isolated.
Richmond, an hour and a half away, is the nearest large city (population 200,000
people). Washington, D.C. is two hours away. The population is declining, nearly
10% in the last decade. Students can be found in most nooks and crannies.
Even with its drawbacks, though, Charlottesville beckons to history buffs and retirees seeking a stimulating southern college town. When Thomas Jefferson retired, he settled in Charlottesville.
More than 200 years later, savvy retirees are still doing the same.
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