Possible move to Wytheville (Roanoke, Blacksburg: insurance, home, job market)

[WhiteBuffalo]

We have a job offer for Wytheville. Can anyone give us some info? Thanks!

[Steven2149]

Typical small town in SW Va. It has charm, and a good quality of life. There are pretty good public schools and you are reasonable distance to 2 year and 4 year colleges. (2 year = wytheville cc, new river cc) (4 yr = Radford, Va Tech, and several small private colleges). You will be in a very scenic area which has countless outdoor recreational opportunities. Housing costs are very good in the area, as you can have a home and a decent amount of land, if you want. I grew up in Carroll County, which is just south of Wythe County. You would be a very easy drive (within 2 hours or so) of a few larger areas such as Charlotte, Winston-Salem, and Roanoke. Let me know of any specific questions you have and I may be able to answer. Where will you be moving from?

[Steven2149]

I really love southwest Virginia... Pretty much all of it. It is beautiful, home, and an excellent place to live and raise a family. The biggest problem (and it is a problem) is the job market. That is the biggest reason I and my family left. As with most areas, whether prosperous or not, government and healthcare are the bigger sectors of employment. For decades, the entire region has been very dependent on textiles and manufacturing related jobs. Many of those jobs have left for many reasons. The area was not very open to tourism or other related industries during those times, so the dependency has caused a rather large decrease in jobs as well as younger population. Fortunately, two industries or sectors have begun to help begin to turn things around. Retirement is now a very large section of the economy. While many of the jobs that stem from that are still healthcare related, there is a demand for giving retirees places to eat and a few things to do. Tourism is back on the rise through some regions of SW Va. One area in particular is the Blue Ridge Parkway which winds through many counties and a few states. I wouldn't yet call it a boom in tourism, but for such a small region population wise, it is a start. Some of the manufacturing which was once based on furniture and textiles is giving way to more high tech operations. These jobs, while manufacturing, still have a fairly decent wage in relation to the cost of living. If I were looking to move back to Carroll County (Galax), I would try to fill one void in the area, which is a good steakhouse or buffet style restaurant. If you have the means, knowledge, and experience then you could potentially become rich. (haha, let me know if you want to partner up) The last 5 - 8 years has seen a much greater variety of restaurants in that area.
If you are looking for white collar jobs, then the best bet would be either Roanoke or Blacksburg. I'm not that educated on Blacksburg, but it is the fastest growing area in the region. Roanoke is still considerably larger, therefore has more big city amenities. The biggest industries are healthcare, banking, and I believe there are a few fairly large insurance agencies in the area. Advance Auto (my wifes former employer) is headquartered in Roanoke and they have an aggressive growth strategy. Overall, if you are in the right business, then it is an absolutely wonderful place.