“There are ample jobs here, thanks to the University of Virginia and a vibrant startup culture, and the city has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, just 2.7%,” the magazine noted. “The university helps attract highly educated professionals – roughly 30% of Charlottesville’s populace has a graduate degree.”
While a steady job can lead to happiness, there’s also plenty of joy to be found outside the office for Charlottesville residents.
Outside noted the hikers’ paradise that is Rivanna Trail as well the beauty that resides within nearby Shenandoah National Park. The magazine also trumpeted Charlottesville’s expansive restaurant scene, highlighting options on the Downtown Mall and in the Belmont neighborhood.
Seth Herman, a Charlottesville resident who moved here from Portland, Oregon, and, along with his wife Erin James, runs the High Tor Gear Exchange in McIntire Plaza, told Outside: “It’s easy to live here. There’s a lot of innovation here. The community wants to see you succeed.”
