Richmond, VA
| U.S. News Ratings | |
| Population: | 195,645 |
| Crime: | High |
| Cost of Living: | Average |
| Health Care: | Comprehensive |
| Housing Price: | High |
| Income: | Low |
Richmond, home to colonists in the early 1600s and capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War, prides itself on much more modern developments. It hosts a ballet and symphony, as well as the 450,000-square-foot Philip Morris research facility. The state's largest university, Virginia Commonwealth, is in Richmond. About 200,000 people live in the city itself.
Virginia's capital has come a long way since the days of Robert E. Lee and Abraham Lincoln, when it was ground zero for the Civil War. It has a booming downtown, with a new convention center and the soon-to-open Richmond CenterStage, a performing arts center. The center will include classrooms for students and will offer shows featuring Shakespeare, jazz, opera, and more.
Richmond is already known for its support of the arts. The Richmond Ballet, founded in 1957, works with local schoolchildren and performs regularly. Its annual Nutcracker performance is popular. The Richmond Symphony and Virginia Opera also call the city their home (the opera performs in Norfolk and Fairfax as well).
The Science Museum of Virginia and adjacent Children's Museum of Richmond offer entertainment for the younger set. At the Science Museum, visitors can watch Imax films and interact with exhibits that let kids create giant soap bubbles, drive a Segway, and explore alternative energy sources.
Economically, Richmond has a strong legal sector (McGuireWoods and Williams Mullen are among the major firms based in the city) and advertising industry. The city also attracts many Fortune 500 companies. Philip Morris's downtown research facility, which cost $350 million to build, employs about 500 scientists, engineers, and other workers, who can take advantage of the fitness center, library, and green space. Virginia Commonwealth University's advertising program gets a boost from the local firms that hire and work with graduates.
Until recently, the Richmond Braves, a minor-league franchise, were the local baseball team. But in 2008, the Braves moved to just outside Atlanta, leaving many fans upset (they petitioned unsuccessfully to block the move). Sports fans still have the VCU Rams and the University of Richmond Spiders.
Richmond experiences all four seasons. Temperatures range from average lows in the 20s in the winter to average highs in the mid-80s in the summer.
The University of Richmond, a private school with fewer than 3,000 undergraduates, is selective and charges close to $39,000 a year in tuition and fees. Virginia Commonwealth University, a public school with about 22,000 undergrads, charges in-state tuition of $6,630.
Fifty hospitals lie within a 30-mile radius of the city, including the U.S. News-ranked Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital. Bon Secours has centers of excellence for cancer care, stroke care, surgical weight loss, and other specialties.
Richmond maintains a healthy range of industries and is home to many small businesses and entrepreneurs. Close to 56,000 people work in agriculture-related businesses, while 20,000 make their living in finance, insurance, or real estate. Around 20,000 work in legal services and 11,000 in primary and secondary education.
The median mortgage debt for households is $49,238. The median home sale price in 2008 was $174,000.
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