Winchester/Stephens City VA vs. Martinsburg/something else, WV (living, best, cost)

[isis297]

Trying to decide which will give us a better cost of living, better safety, schools, medical, etc.

Thanks.

[ckhthankgod]

Perhaps you can add Charles Town, Ranson and Shepherdstown as the other WV community.

As for the areas, I don't think that there is much difference.

[isis297]

Is there much difference between VA and WV? I know both have personal property tax. I know WV is 3% but am not sure what VA's is. Do they both do it the same way or do you pay more living in one state over the other? I know medically speaking, Winchester and University of VA are the hospitals that the bad cases get sent to.

We want land. Something with a lake or a running stream would be awesome. The biggest thing is land (well...and safety, schools or a homeschooling friendly area). Eventually, we want to build a small home on the property for my in-laws.

[lammius]

I could offer comparisons between the cities of Winchester and Martinsburg. Winchester is a nicer looking town, beautiful historic downtown, while Martinsburg is an old factory town and has kind of a depressed feel to it. Charles Town is smaller but a cuter WV town than Martinsurg. Shepherdstown and Harpers Ferry are nice too. But if you're looking for lots of land you're interested in territory outside city limits so comparing the cities/towns might not matter.

Not sure what the tax rates are but you can check each county's website and you should find what the tax rates are on land and improvements. You'll also want to check things like sales tax (VA taxes food and clothing, not sure if WV does or not), income tax, personal property taxes on vehicles, vehicle insurance rates, etc. Posting this question in each the VA and WV forums might get you helpful answers from locals.

[tantan1968]

Even though it will be almost 10 years since I left the area for over 30 years I had the chance to live in both Winchester and Martinsburg. Taxes, car insurance rates and things like that I am sure the rates have since changed since I had left but as far as the two towns themselves...

Winchester-the pluses

*a booming downtown district with so many restaurants that Winchester is getting a regional reputation of being a great place for foodies. Lot of great stores and nightlife too. There is a lot of history in Winchester including museums especially if one is into the Civil War and country singer Patsy Cline. Most big box stores and a lot of chain restaurants are located in Winchester and it's suburbs. The town is home of Shenandoah University so Winchester does have a bit of a college vibe of course not like Charlottesville. The Winchester area also has great parks, a zoo, lots of movie theaters including a drive-in that well still shows movies. Winchester Medical Center has been called by so many one of the best in Virginia so health care in the area is hardly something to be worried about. Winchester does have the Apple Blossom Festival during the first weekend of May. Something for everyone but the event does get crowded so I guess that could be a minus for some. Both Winchester and Frederick County tend to be strict on zoning which I guess could be a good thing or a bad thing thing depending on ones point of view.

Winchester-minuses..

Even though Winchester is the county seat for Frederick County the town is not a part of the county thanks to Virginia law. Some say because of this the Winchester City Schools are the best in the area ( may be true it may not be everyone has an opinion on that one ) however because of Winchester being an independent city the local city buses ( WinTran ) aren't allowed to venture into the county. This may be a turn off for some. Traffic in and around Winchester is actually pretty bad especially during the rush hours and on Saturdays. The local paper The Winchester Star doesn't publish a Sunday edition and the town just like with Martinsburg no longer have a TV station to call its own. For local TV news coverage there is WHAG 25 out of Hagerstown but many viewers in the two towns do tend to watch the DC & Baltimore channels anyway.


Martinsburg pluses...

The cost of living is pretty much cheaper than Winchester and like Winchester they do have their share of history and big box stores if those things are important to you. Movie theaters and the like one can find them in Martinsburg too. Schools are decent and the local buses though hardly perfect at least the PanTran does venture outside Martinsburg city limits. The Martinsburg Journal again not perfect but they do offer a Sunday edition. The Marc commuter trains can take one to DC so one doesn't have to worry about the traffic. Into casino gambling ?? Charles Town is very close.

Martinsbug minuses..

Just like it is in Winchester traffic can be bad in Martinsburg as well. Downtown Martinsburg while I wouldn't say it is dead but it is not as active as Winchester's downtown. The rather large number of bars and strip clubs in the Martinsburg area can be a bit of a turn off for some just like with the lack of zoning in Berkeley County as some don't like it. While the Martinsburg hospital has improved over the years it isn't in the same ballpark as what the Winchester Medical Center is. Martinsburg can have that "depressed feel" such as Porter Ave. for example thanks to big empty buildings that are nearby.

Things about Winchester & Martinsburg that are probably not a big deal but can be worth a mention.

Winchester has better local radio ( the town's Q102 dominates the ratings in both Winchester & Martinsburg ) however three of the four Martinsburg stations were recently sold so maybe things will improve in that town radio wise. Passenger flights from out of Winchester or Martinsburg ?? Even though both towns do have an airport neither offers such a thing but Dulles airport is just a short drive away so it isn't a big deal for many.

Hope this helps.