Welcome to Virginia

Your life in the Cavalier State begins

Virginia Self-Storage Reasons to Move to Virginia Moving to Virginia Economic Outlook Places to Live Resources

Welcome to Virginia

Virginia is the 12th largest state in the country with a population of 8.57 million people. It's the 35th biggest by size. Nicknamed the Old Dominion and located along the central-eastern tip of the country, Virginia stretches from the Chesapeake Bay to the Appalachian Mountains. The state is bordered by West Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Virginia is known for its gorgeous beaches and mountains and other natural wonders.

Virginia's major industries include mining, aerospace, technology, agriculture, and the military. One of Virginia's top natural resources is forests, which it uses to sell timber, generating roughly $17 billion every year. The state has more than 27 military bases and produces tons of livestock, soybeans, tomatoes, potatoes, snap beans, cucumbers, and sweet corn. However, apples and grapes are the leading fruits grown in Virginia.

Some of the state's major attractions include Shenandoah National Park, Skyline Drive, Virginia Beach, Colonial Williamsburg, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, the Military Aviation Museum, and the American Shakespeare Center. There are also tons of other things to do, including water and amusement parks, zoos, aquariums, and tons of outdoor activities like canoeing, kayaking, swimming, jet skiing, and more.

Virginia Self-Storage Facts

The Virginia self-storage industry has been booming in recent years, part of a larger trend of self-storage development expanding nationwide. After the last recession, developers weren't able to build as many new facilities as was needed to meet the demand generated by natural population growth. That led to record high occupancy rates and rental rates at self-storage facilities across the country. Over the last five years or so, financing has returned to the self-storage industry, spurning a gold rush of sorts to develop new self-storage sites. Development has surged nationwide, and the Old Dominion has seen its fair share of new self-storage construction as a part of the trend.

Below is an overview of the current state of the Virginia self-storage market:

Below are some statistics that provide an overview of the self-storage industry in Virginia:

926

Virginia is home to about 926 self-storage facilities.

43,017,469

Virginia self-storage facilities cover 43,017,469 square feet of storage space.

5.18

Virginia storage facilities offer 5.18 square feet of storage per person, which is close to the national average of 5.4 square feet per person.

Reasons to Move to Virginia

Moving to Virginia might not be a sure thing just yet, but wait till you hear our top 10 reasons why moving to Virginia could be the best move you ever made.

1

Wine country. Award-winning wines and more than 230+ vineyards combined with beautiful countryside should be reason enough for any wine-lover to make the move to Virginia. It's not California wine country, but it's the next best thing.

2

Virginia Beach. Located on the coast where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic, Virginia Beach has over 38 miles of coastline, most of which is covered in immaculate beaches. The city offers plenty to do including boat tours, kayaking, walking trails, golf, and more.

3

Best of both worlds. If you're looking for big-city living, but you also want to be able to head out to the country every now and then, Virginia might be the place for you. In Virginia, you can have your cake and eat it too.

4

Arts and culture abound. Virginia is rich in arts and culture, offering several publicly funded museums, tons of theaters, and several performing arts centers. The Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna is a national park that was actually designed to be used as a performing arts center, and the VMFA in Richmond is one of the top ten most comprehensive art museums in the country.

5

Great education. If you're looking to go back to school or your children are going off to college soon, Virginia is a the perfect place to get a great education. The Old Dominion State has three of the top 40 public colleges and universities in the country, University of Virginia (#2), the College of William and Mary (#6), and Virginia Tech (#27).

6

Experience all four seasons. Virginia is another state where you can experience every season in its splendor. From chilly autumns and ice-cold winters to mild springs and warm summers, you'll get it all right here in Virginia.

7

Top rated healthcare. Moving to Virginia means you're never too far from a top hospital. Some of the top hospitals in the country are located in Virginia, which includes Inova Fairfax Hospital and the University of Virginia Medical Center.

8

Natural beauty. One of the many things Virginia can boast about is the natural beauty you can find almost anywhere in the state. From beaches and mountains to forests and state parks, Virginia truly has it all.

9

Shopaholic's delight. If you're a shopaholic, you'll love Virginia. In Fairfax County, you'll have access to Tysons Corner, a huge retail space that has more than 300 stores and a variety of restaurants. But don't go too crazy. You'll certainly be tempted.

10

Foamhenge. One of the coolest things you'll find in Virginia is Foamhenge, an exact replica of England's Stonehenge, but...made entirely out of Styrofoam. You can't go to Virginia and not see it. You just can't.

Moving to Virginia

Virginia has a population of 8.5 million people and ranks as the 12th largest state by population. From 2018 to 2019, the population increased by 0.64 percent, according to World Population Review. In general, people seem to be moving out of Virginia more than they're moving in and the reasons appear to be job changes, retirement, or moving closer to family. Most Virginia residents moved out of the state in recent years for a job according to the 42nd annual "National Movers Study" conducted by United Van Lines.

Virginia Economic Outlook

Virginia had a GDP of $476.39 billion as of 2018, according to Statista. If Virginia were a country, its GDP would be similar to that of Nigeria, which has a GDP of $460 billion. The unemployment rate as of August 2019 is 2.8 percent, which is lower than the national unemployment rate of 3.6 percent.

Below is a breakdown of the top sectors by GDP of real value added:

$97.56 billion

Professional and business services

$85.17 billion

Government and government enterprises

$84.79 billion

Finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing

$41.97 billion

Manufacturing

$35.47 billion

Educational services, health care, and social assistance

Job growth for 2020 is expected to increase by 0.8 percent (an increase of 32,100 jobs). Since Amazon is establishing a campus in Arlington, VA, residents can expect that to bring in at least 25,000 well-paying jobs to the state. The state capital, Richmond, is expected to see good growth as well and Hershey Candy announced that it would expand in Virginia. Microsoft is also investing about $350 billion to expand its cloud data center operations in Southern Virginia and Google is also hiring tech workers throughout the state, according to Kiplinger.

Virginia has a cost of living score of 113.8, meaning its more expensive to live there than the US as a whole. However, Virginian cities like Pulaski and Big Stone Gap have a lower cost of living than larger cities like Virginia Beach, meaning you should have no trouble finding someplace affordable to call your new home.

Who are Virginia's Largest Employers?

EMPLOYER

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

US Army

500,000

Hilton Hotels & Resorts

169,000

Dollar Tree

116,050

General Dynamics

98,800

Northrop Grumman

67,000

Places to live in Virginia

Virginia is 42,775 square miles and has so much to offer both visitors and residents, including beaches, mountains, parks, and museums. Its three largest cities include Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Chesapeake, which are all part of the state's greater Hampton Roads region.

Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach is the largest city in Virginia with a population of 454,846 people and is popular among tourists because of its gorgeous state parks, beautiful beaches, hotels, and restaurants. Some of the best activities and attractions include kayaking, canoeing, Virginia Beach Boardwalk, First Landing State Park, the Military Aviation Museum, and the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center.

Cost of living

5.3 percent higher than the national average

Median home price

$270,600

Average rent

$1,206 per month

Average apartment size

971 square feet

Norfolk

Norfolk, Virginia's second-largest city has a population of 242,070 people. It's one of the oldest cities in the state and offers tons to do and see, such as museums, restaurants, shopping centers, parks, zoos, aquariums, spas, fishing charters, bike trails, boat tours, botanical gardens, and more.

Cost of living

4.7 percent higher than the national average

Median home price

$191,400

Average rent

$1,081 per month

Average apartment size

881 square feet

Chesapeake

Chesapeake is the third-largest city in Virginia with a population of 245,467 people. It's also the second-largest by area in the state, offering plenty to do whether you're with the family or out with your friends, including the Chilled Ponds Ice Sports Complex, Chesapeake Arboretum, Northwest River Park, Chesapeake Planetarium, and Fun Forest.

Cost of living

4.7 percent higher than the national average

Median home price

$267,500

Average rent

$1,235 per month

Average apartment size

980 square feet

Welcome to Virginia

Your life in the Cavalier State begins