You need a high-paying job, a spouse, & some kids
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5/31/2019
Stafford is more a county full of subdivisions than a place. It's a concept, a mailing address, a set of exits off I-95. To be honest, there's no there there. (By the way it's not known as Stafford CH anymore, just Stafford.) The real community and identity locally is a town called Fredericksburg that abuts the southern edge of Stafford County. Fredericksburg actually is one of the more interesting places you can visit due to its quaint downtown, amazing historic significance, and being right on the cultural boundary between north and south. It has been "discovered" and boasts a growing restaurant scene, numerous brewpubs, a distillery, the art scene is starting to take off, and it even has a university. Stafford, however, being a bedroom community for Washington DC, as well as a military-oriented area with people constantly moving in and out, lacks a sense of community and has no identity. People's sense of community comes mainly from whatever sports their kids play in, or the branch of the military one is a part of. Quantico USMCB is here, and has been growing rapidly. There are several federal Gov't facilities in the county, and more companies have moved in to capture the highly educated and professional workforce living here who are tired of the terrible commutes. Yes, the worst commutes in the nation primarily begin in Stafford, and you can expect your 30 mile trip to DC, Arlington, Alexandria, the Pentagon, etc. to take anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes. People form relationships around their commuting buddies (there is a unique phenomenon here called "slugs"... an informal system to get bodies into your car so you can drive the HOV lanes). You constantly watch Waze before driving to anything. Every discussion in this county revolves around traffic and commuting. But the really weird thing here is that the population has super high incomes (Stafford is one of the top 10 wealthiest counties in the US), but you would never know it by visiting the area. Stafford county has very few amenities, the streets are generally inadequate and unlit, and the shopping and dining choices are just the basic things you'd find on an interstate exit anywhere. Forget about boutiques, trendy restaurants, or the other kind of stuff normally accompanying clusters of upwardly-mobile, educated people. There's nothing scenic here, very little in the way of nicely landscaped commercial spaces, mostly hastily built, thoughtless development, and no pride of place for people to come home to. There is almost no place to go biking or walking on trails, park facilities are limited, and the waterfront on the Potomac is totally undeveloped. The area is safe, and law enforcement is great. Schools are very good, but not excellent and frankly underperforming when you consider the fact that Stafford is packed with the ideal demographics and high taxes that one would think would lead to some of the best schools in the US. The school system has a very large budget, but teachers are paid such low, uncompetitive salaries they can't afford to live here, so there is high turnover. Cost of living is high, but so are wages and opportunity. Homes tend to be on the large side, with basements and garages, so the high home prices are justified. In short, Stafford is a great place for a two-income couple to go work hard and chase money, but to make friends you'll need to have kids on the swim teams or playing a competitive sport, and hope you like the people you work with. If you're single, you'll wish you lived closer to DC, as there's nothing much to do. Most people move away when they can retire and get away from the rat race.
Tim | Stafford, VA