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Lynchburg, VA

Lynchburg, VA

Aerial view of Lynchburg, Virginia (pop · Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
What kind of place it is

Historic, Artsy

Scored the same way as the quiz, against 382 U.S. metro areas. A feel is listed when Lynchburg scores 70 or higher out of 100.

Historic
80 / 100
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places nearby
Artsy
73 / 100
37 museums, galleries and theaters nearby; arts jobs 0.8x the U.S. share
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Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives

Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.

Around Lynchburg

Aerial view of Lynchburg, Virginia (pop
Aerial view of Lynchburg, Virginia (pop · Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
A minor league baseball game between the Lynchburg Hillcats, and the visiting Salem...
A minor league baseball game between the Lynchburg Hillcats, and the visiting Salem... · Photo: Northern-Virginia-Photographer, CC0
A group of passengars awaiting a train outside Lynchburg's Kemper Street Station
A group of passengars awaiting a train outside Lynchburg's Kemper Street Station · Photo: Northern-Virginia-Photographer, CC0
The Southern half of Liberty University's campus, including(Counter-clockwise) Commons...
The Southern half of Liberty University's campus, including(Counter-clockwise) Commons... · Photo: Northern-Virginia-Photographer, CC0
The South River Friends Meetinghouse, or Quaker Meeting House, is a historic Friends...
The South River Friends Meetinghouse, or Quaker Meeting House, is a historic Friends... · Photo: Northern-Virginia-Photographer, CC0
Hollins Mill Waterfall - Blackwater Creek Greenway
Hollins Mill Waterfall - Blackwater Creek Greenway · Photo: Johnny Lynch, CC BY-SA 4.0
T.C. Miller Elementary School for Innovation
T.C. Miller Elementary School for Innovation · Photo: Carmenshields, CC BY-SA 3.0
I took photo with Canon camera in Lynchburg, VA
I took photo with Canon camera in Lynchburg, VA · Photo: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
I took photo in Lynchburg, VA, with Canon camera
I took photo in Lynchburg, VA, with Canon camera · Photo: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
I took photo with Canon camera in Lynchburg, VA, of the downtown World War I Memorial
I took photo with Canon camera in Lynchburg, VA, of the downtown World War I Memorial · Photo: Photo by Billy Hathorn, CC BY 3.0
DeMoss Learning Center at Liberty University
DeMoss Learning Center at Liberty University · Photo: EOverbey, CC BY-SA 3.0
Point of Honor, Lynchburg VA, November 2008
Point of Honor, Lynchburg VA, November 2008 · Photo: Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
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Where it is
Lynchburg
Lynchburg in Virginia
Virginia in the U.S.
State outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.

What's nearby

Within 5 miles of the center of the Lynchburg area.

18
grocery stores
151
restaurants
41
coffee shops
37
parks
88
playgrounds
7
libraries
2
movie theaters
11
live theaters
12
museums
15
bookstores
28
gyms
9
bars
13
pharmacies
2
hospitals

Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Biking and trails

Within 5 miles of the center of the Lynchburg area.

Bike lanes and bike paths
55 miles
more than almost all U.S. towns
Walking and hiking trails
74 miles
more than most U.S. towns

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.

What rent costs

Of about 27,189 rented homes in the Lynchburg area, 96% rent for under $2,000 a month and 99% for under $3,000.

Under $1,000: 54%
$1,000 to $1,499: 35%
$1,500 to $1,999: 8%
$2,000 to $2,499: 3%
$2,500 to $2,999: 0%
$3,000 or more: 1%

Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.

What moving costs

Hiring movers

Average cost: $1,946

From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.

Moving in as a renter

The middle rented home in the Lynchburg area rents for under $1,000 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about under $2,000 for first month plus a deposit, or up to under $3,000 where landlords also ask for last month.

Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For rent under $1,000, that's a yearly income of about under $36,000.

Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.

Moving to Virginia: before and after

  • Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
  • Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Virginia DMV.
  • Register to vote at your new address: Virginia voter registration.
  • Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
  • Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
  • Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.

Public schools

The Southern half of Liberty University's campus, including(Counter-clockwise) Commons...
The Southern half of Liberty University's campus, including(Counter-clockwise) Commons... · Photo: Northern-Virginia-Photographer, CC0

One public school district serves this county, with about 7,856 students. Which one serves a home depends on its address.

Lynchburg City Public Schools · Lynchburg
7,856 students · 12.9 students per teacher · 18 schools · grades Pre-K to 12

NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.

Childcare and colleges

Daycare and preschool

Virginia keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.

Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
AgeDaycare centerHome daycare
Infant (under 2)$155/week
about $8,100 a year
$126/week
about $6,600 a year
Toddler (2)$110/week
about $5,700 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)$110/week
about $5,700 a year
$125/week
about $6,500 a year
School-age$110/week
about $5,700 a year

For an infant at a center: $155/week here, $261 across VA, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 11% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.

U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Search licensed childcare in Virginia →
Link via childcare.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

7 colleges in the county and the wider metro around Lynchburg. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.

Liberty University · Lynchburg
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 103,068 students · $15,822 a year
Central Virginia Community College · Lynchburg
Public, 2-year (community college) · 3,410 students · $4,998 in-state, $11,001 out-of-state
University of Lynchburg · Lynchburg
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 2,592 students · $35,540 a year
Randolph College · Lynchburg
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 634 students · $29,010 a year
Virginia University of Lynchburg · Lynchburg
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 589 students · $9,248 a year

Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.

IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.

The facts behind it
Typical home value
$290,368
What a typical home sells for across the Lynchburg area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026
Cost of living
About 11% below the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $89 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 89.4 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Drive to the nearest big job hub
About 2 hr 16 min at rush hour
To downtown Richmond, VA, 120 miles. About 2 hr 13 min with no traffic.
Source: Google traffic estimate for a weekday morning around 8am
Average commute
23 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
1 within 15 miles
The nearest is about 7 miles from the town center.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL), loaded July 2026
Homeowners insurance
About $2,074 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in VA. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively Low
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Very Low
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
2 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
26.2 per 100,000 people a year
21 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. VA average: 14.3 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 2.3 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 62 people without housing in the Lynchburg area (5 counties): 46 in shelters and 16 outside, down from 147 in 2024. VA: 8.2 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$59,808
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
0.84% of home value a year
About $840 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Graduated, up to 5.75%
VA's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026

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