In & Around Lynchburg, VA : Central Virginia: We're Still Growing!

Despite the negative national economic news, a report this past week from the University of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service is promising for Central Virginia. It concerned the growth in our local community from 2007 to 2008. Though certainly not large increases, the population in Lynchburg, Bedford City and the surrounding counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford and Campbell continue to rise thanks in part to low taxes and a stable local economy.

Local Population Growth

                                    2007                            2008                            Change

Lynchburg City     70,056                         70,732                         +1%

Bedford City                6,056                           6,356                           +5%

Amherst Co.               32,205                         32,341                         +.4%

Appomattox Co.      14,191                         14,414                         +1.6%

Bedford Co.                65,712                         66,274                         +.9%

Campbell Co.             51,971                         52,595                         +1.2%

• The state of Virginia lost 31,100 jobs between December 2007 and December 2008.

• Lynchburg was one of only three regions in Virginia to gain more jobs in December 2008 over 2007.
  

• The Lynchburg area added 1,300 jobs, for a job growth rate of 1.2 percent. In one year, the region gained 1,900 service-related jobs, but lost 600 jobs in fields such as manufacturing, construction and mining.

• Unemployment reached 5.3 percent for the Lynchburg area, and 5.2 percent for the state in December.

• In 2008 the  Milken Institute released a report ranking the country’s top 324 metropolitan statistical areas.  Due to growth in local high-tech industries the Lynchburg, Virginia area was ranked #71 out of the nation’s top 100 areas for sustaining economic activity.Lynchburg ranked #110 in 2007. If local wages and salaries had grown at a faster pace, Lynchburg would have been rated even higher.

• Lynchburg is part of Region 2000 and has a diverse economic base. Also in 2007:

Kiplinger's  ranked Lynchburg #42 on its top "50 Best Places to Live"

Businessweek listed Lynchburg among America's best affordable housing markets

Men's Journal - The April edition lists Lynchburg as one of the "50 Best Places to Live"

Forbes magazine lists Lynchburg at #109 in their top "200 Best Metros for Business and Careers"

Feel free to contact me for more information on business or homes for sale in the Lynchburg area.