Southwest Virginia: A Compelling Choice for Relocating Workers
Southwest Virginia is emerging as an attractive destination for individuals considering relocation, thanks to its appealing geographic and economic characteristics. “Southwest Virginia is well-positioned. It has mountains. It has a temperate climate. It’s affordable: a $100,000 salary in Northern Virginia won’t get you much, but in Southwest Virginia, you can live quite well,” stated Lombard, highlighting the region’s potential.
The trend of moving to Southwest Virginia appears to be influenced by personal ties to the area. Although definitive data is lacking, Lombard suggests that many newcomers might be returning to their roots in the region. “Every place has to compete for its workforce, and a lot of areas are realizing that to bring in jobs, you need to make yourself a place people want to stay or move to.”
Lombard pointed out a historical challenge for the region: its economy has not been heavily reliant on high-tech or high-skill service industries, which has traditionally led to a brain drain. “One of the big disadvantages Southwest Virginia has had is that its economy is not based on high tech or a high-skill service industry economy. It’s been more blue-collar. When people who grow up here get a college degree, there are relatively few opportunities, and so they often leave,” he explained.
The shift to remote and hybrid work models might be reversing this trend. “We aren’t there with the data to say definitively, but we may be seeing people who once lived in the region who now can work remotely or have a flexible hybrid situation moving back in. Nationally, data is showing this has been happening since the pandemic,” Lombard noted.
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