Perhaps best known as the home of the University
of Virginia, Charlottesville also serves as a commercial
and market center for a multi-county trade area
in central Virginia. Surrounded on all sides by
Albemarle County, the Charlottesville community
has a highly diversified economy led by a strong
commercial and service sector, light manufacturing,
education and health services, and the travel industry.
Other business facts:
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More than half of the city's workforce has
a college or advanced degree. |
| • |
By
cutting taxes and fees for tech companies,
Charlottesville leaders hope to make the area
a technology zone; the city is already working
with area developers to turn a one-mile area
between downtown and the University of Virginia
into a high-tech corridor. |
| • |
From
niche publishers to investment research, knowledge-based
industry is a healthy part of the local economy,
with several such companies joining upscale
shops and restaurants in the city's thriving
downtown district. |
| • |
In
close proximity to major markets: 71 miles
west of state capital Richmond; 110 miles
southwest of Washington, D.C.; and 162 miles
northwest of port city Norfolk. |
• 2004 Population: 38,847
• Projected Population for 2010: 39,650
• Per Capita Personal Income: $35,254 (2002)
• Unemployment Rate: 2.7% (November 2004)
• Educational Attainment: 80.8% of population
25 years and older are high school graduates;
40.8% of population 25 years and older have earned
a bachelor's degree or higher (based on 1990 census)
Although the university and professional services
firms were once the primary drivers of economic
growth, the region's creative culture and dynamic
workforce are increasingly attracting knowledge-based
ventures, such as publishers. The largest local
employers:
• Dominion Virginia Power (utility), 100-299
employees
• LexisNexis Publishing (book publishing),
600-999 employees
• Martha Jefferson Hospital (healthcare),
2,000-2,499 employees
• National Optronics, Inc. (lens processing
equipment), 50-99 employees
• Pepsi Cola Bottling Center (soft drinks),
100-299 employees
• SNL Financial (research and publishing),
100-299 employees
•
University of Virginia (higher education), 11,000-12,000
employees
•
University of Virginia Health Sciences Center
(healthcare), 2,500-4,999 employees
Charlottesville is served by an interstate, I-64,
as well as U.S. Routes 29 (north-south) and 250
(east-west). Other modes of transport:
• Motor Carriers: 35 trucking firms serve
the area
• Commercial Air Service: Charlottesville/Albemarle
Airport
• General Aviation Service: Charlottesville/Albemarle
Airport
• Freight Rail Service: CSX Transportation,
Norfolk Southern Corporation
• Port: Richmond (71 miles), Norfolk (167
miles)
• Overnight Package Delivery: Federal Express,
UPS, Purolator, Emory Worldwide, and U.S. Mail
Express serve this area.
• Electric: Dominion Virginia Power
• Natural Gas: City of Charlottesville
• Telecommunications: Sprint Centel-Virginia
(local service)
• Waste Water Treatment: Rivanna Water and
Sewer Authority
• Solid Waste Disposal: Rivanna Solid Waste
Authority
• Cable: Adelphia
Three Charlottesville-based banks, Virginia National
Bank, Albemarle First Bank, and Guaranty Bank,
are among the many financial institutions serving
area businesses:
• Albemarle First Bank: $29.5 million (1999
assets)
• Virginia National Bank: $76.2 million (1999
assets)
• Guaranty Bank: $259.1 million (1999 assets)
• One Valley Bank-Central Virginia: $ 1.2
billion (1999 assets)
• First Virginia Bank-Blue Ridge: $524.7
million (1999 assets)
• F&M Bank-Central Virginia: $92.6 million
(1999 assets)
• SunTrust Bank (headquartered outside Virginia)
•
Wachovia Bank (headquartered outside Virginia)
• Charlottesville has a City Manager and
a five-member City Council.
• The city has a comprehensive plan and zoning
and subdivision ordinances.
• Palmyra is the county seat. Columbia and
Scottsville are incorporated towns within the
county.
• Local Real Estate Tax Rate: $1.09 per $100.00
of assessed value (click
here for more local tax info)
Since 1973, the city has been a partner in the
Charlottesville-Albemarle Technical Education
Center (CATEC), which offers more than fifty courses
in career and technical education to help students
develop skills for entry-level employment, advanced
technical training, and continuing education at
the college level.
Public Schools
• 6 Elementary Schools with a Fall 2003 Enrollment
of 1,712
• 2 Middle Schools with a Fall 2003 Enrollment
of 1,265
• 1 High School with a Fall 2003 Enrollment
of 1,296
• Average class size for K-4: 20
• Average class size for 5-6: 20
• Average class size for 7-8: 17
• Average class size for High School: 20
• Per-pupil expenditure (2003-04): $11,705
• Percentage of high school students who
graduate: 78.5%
Private Schools
• Charlottesville Catholic School (K-12)
• The Covenant School (K-12)
Vocational
Training
• Buford Middle School
• Charlottesville High School
• Charlottesville-Albemarle Technical Education
Center (CATEC)
• Connected Community
• Piedmont Works
Higher
Education
• University of Virginia: 23,077 (Fall 2003
enrollment)
• Piedmont Virginia Community College: 4,343
(Fall 2003 enrollment)
• National Business College: 174 (June 2004
enrollment)
Click
here to go to the City of Charlottesville website.
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