what is the cost of living like in richmond, virginia?

Question

i am moving to richmond, and would just like to know how life is generally like over there.....thanks!

Answer 1

The perception of the cost of living can be colored by where you are from. My finance is from New Jersey, and she sees the cost of living here as exceptionally cheap. (She came down here to go to graduate school and she decided to buy a house to save on rent and make an investment while living in the Richmond area.) I have another friend who came up here from a very rural area of North Carolina who feels that everything is expensive and hates the traffic. (Traffic in Richmond is nothing compared to DC or New York City, but he chooses to live in the VCU area and has not figured out the rush hour times or routes to avoid the traffic.)

Other than property values, the cost of living in Richmond is quite reasonable. Taxes are much lower than DC, Maryland, and points north. (However, Governor "King" Kaine has been trying to raise them.) There is a good selection of clubs and restaurants, both expensive and inexpensive. I have noticed that items are much more expensive the two new malls (Short Pump, Stony Point) than at the older, established malls. (If you don't care to shop at malls, head over to the Carytown area of Cary Street, which is between Boulevard and Thompson St. It is a classic urban shopping area with a lot of good deals.) Most of the museums and tourist attractions are either inexpensive or free.

There are still inexpensive places left to live, you just have to hunt around. The apartments listed in the commercially available "apartment guides" tend to be very overpriced.

Good luck and I hope that you have fun in Richmond!

Answer 2

I guess it depends on where you are coming from. generally speaking, expensive. Not as bad as DC proper, but not cheap.