Great Area But Cost of Living is Expensive
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8/27/2014
I came to Charlottesville for a new job opportunity working at NGIC as a Software Engineer. I stayed there for about a year till my job ended. While I was up there, I noticed there is a huge cap with income inequality. Most of the middle class people lived outside of Albemarle County due to the high cost of real estate and taxes. Most of the jobs do not pay enough to justify for the high cost of living. Unless, you get a job at the hospital, UVA, or NGIC (like me) that pays well, you will be struggling living in Charlottesville. Now Charlottesville does have a lot of history here; however, I do not think most people are willing to pay for the high cost just to live in. Yes the sales tax on merchandise and stuff is 5.30%; however, if you dine out at restaurants a lot like me the sales tax is 9.3%. All groceries you purchase at the supermarkets there is a 2.5% sales tax, even on water and milk which I think is crazy. Also, if you are new to Virginia like me to register your car in the state you have to get your car inspected and pay a high registration tax base on the value of your car, which could cost you over $1,000 per year just to register it. So I just left my license plate in Florida which only cost me $50 a year.
In my opinion, I would only move here if you have a very good paying job or if you really want to go to UVA for college. I believe UVA is too pricey for the middle class families and is over rated. If you really want to stay in Virginia, I think you should check out Lynchburg. The cost of living is a lot cheaper and it’s still a college town. Also if you really like history, then it is only an hour drive to Charlottesville whenever you want to visit Monticello. For me, I have moved back down to Florida to appreciate the low taxes and the beautiful weather.
Jason | Lauderhill, FL