Are you thinking of living in Fredericksburg, Virginia, but aren’t sure if you should make the move?

In this episode of Give, Work, Play, I’m going to show you all the reasons you don’t want to live in Fredericksburg. We’ll explore everything from traffic to housing prices so you can decide if this city is the right place for you.

All About Fredericksburg, Virginia

The city of downtown Fredericksburg was established in 1728. It sounds like it's pretty old, right? Despite its age, the city features cool unique boutiques, hidden gem antique shops, historic sites, tons of nightlife, and some of the best local restaurants that there are in Northern Virginia.

Only a few miles down the road are Mary Washington University, Mary Washington Hospital, and Central Park. This isn’t the Central Park of New York City; rather, it’s a big shopping area with bowling alleys, movie theaters, a mall, and more. There's even a place called Fun Land for the kids to hang out and play.

Moving to Fredericksburg has its pluses and minuses. While it might sound crazy, I’m going to focus on the minuses this time so you know why you don't want to move to Fredericksburg. If you’re serious about living here, these are things you need to know.

Hot Lanes & Traffic

One of the biggest reasons why you don't want to move to Fredericksburg is the hot lanes, or high occupancy travel vehicle lanes. They don’t go all the way down to Fredericksburg—at least not yet. These hot lanes are really going to be a time-saver. So if you want to spend an extra 30 minutes more or less sitting in your car, go ahead and move to Fredericksburg. If you want to save that time, however, then you’ll want to live a little further north.

Speaking of traffic, your friends in Stafford and Spotsylvania County don't have a Costco or Wegmans to shop at like you. So guess where they're going? Down to Route 3, right in Fredericksburg. You're going to be sitting in that same traffic along with them to go get those groceries.

Housing Costs

If you want to spend more on your mortgage and you work in DC, then you definitely don't want to live in Fredericksburg. Let me tell you why. If you bought a home that you were looking for right outside of DC, took that house, and moved it right down to Fredericksburg, you would save anywhere from $100,000 to possibly up to $250,000.

So if you want to save some money, where should you move to? One thing I do want you to keep in mind is that, if you're looking to purchase a single-family home in Old Town Fredericksburg, you're probably going to spend more money on that home as opposed to somewhere else in the Fredericksburg area.

Is Fredericksburg Right For You?

I hope this gave you some insight into exactly why you do not want to live in Fredericksburg, Virginia. If you’re still thinking you’d like to live here, we help people move to Fredericksburg in Northern Virginia every single day. We would love the opportunity to assist you, too, so feel free to reach out!

Don’t forget to subscribe to my channel so you never miss an episode of Give, Work, Play, my show where we talk about everything living and giving in Northern Virginia. Stay tuned to see what I feature next!