Charlottesville, Virginia Accolades and Awards

The Charlottesville real estate market boasts a wonderful track record for quality of living.   From city living to farms and estates, Charlottesville is a buyer’s dream come true.  Besides the wide range of housing choices, Charlottesville also offers  a tremendous amount of educational, entertainment and cultural possibilities.   The awards Charlottesville, VA has received speaks volumes about this fantastic community.

Cities Ranked & Rated 2004: Ranks Charlottesville as #1 Best City to live in USA & Canada (Today Show/USA Today)

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• 18th Safest Mid-Sized Cities in the Country (populations between 150,000 and 500,000), Farmers Insurance|
• AARP, Top 10 Healthiest Places to Retire, 2008
• Best Places to Retire, Black Enterprise Magazine, 2nd in 2008
• Best City for Living and Launching a Business by Fortune and Money Magazines - 18th Place in 2008.
• Best Small Market for Business by Forbes Magazine - 9th Place in 2008.
• 2008 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award, Gold and Flag Award in the Environmental Program (Government) category
• USGBC LEED Gold Certification, Downtown Transit Center, 2008, 1st LEED Gold municipal designation in the state.
• Fire Chief of the Year, Fire Chief magazine, 2008
• Top Ten Digital City, Center for Digital Government, 3rd 2005, 4th 2006, 6th 2007
• National Trust for Historic Preservation, Distinctive Destination, 2007
• 2008 Bicycle Friendly Community at the Bronze Level from the League of American Bicyclists
• Southern Business & Development Magazine: #1 on the list of 10 “Really Cool Small Southern Markets”
• Life magazine: Charlottesville region “The Best New Place to Drink Wine.”  Charlottesville area - one of 10 superlative locales cited in Life’s write-up of “10 Perfect Weekend Escapes.”
2007 Businesses for the Bay Environmental Excellence Award ”Outstanding Achievement for Pollution Prevention, Local Government”
• 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Digital Cities Survey Award: Rated Charlottesville’s Web site #5 in US cities with populations of 30,000 - 75,000
• Money Magazine: Best Places to Live
• Outside Magazine: One of the Best Places to be Found 1995 & 1999, also one of Seven Dream Towns That Have it All, Best Town to Live 2006, 2008
• Kiplinger’s Personal Finance: #2 Healthiest Place to Live in America
• Men’s Journal: #3 Healthiest Small City to Live in America
• Reader’s Digest: Top Ten Places in the Country to Raise a Family (#7 out of 50)
• American Health: Top Ten Healthiest Cities for Women (#6)
• Golf Digest: Best Retirement City for Golfers (#1)
• Tennis Magazine: Best Tennis Town (#1)
• Arts and Entertainment Television: One of the Best Places to Live in America (#6)
• E-Podunk.com: Best Small College Town (#1)
• Modern Maturity Magazine: Most Alive Places to Live (#2 College Town)
• Forbes/Milken Institute: Best Small Places for Business and Career 2001 (#12)
• Travel 50 & Beyond: Top Ten Great Places to Retire 1999
• Best Trail Running, Outside Magazine 2006
• Cottage Living Magazine, Great Place to Live
• GFOA CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT FOR FINANCIAL REPORTING
• for fiscal year 2008 for the 29th consecutive year.
• AAA Bond Rating by Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s 2008, Moody’s has ranked City AAA since 1973, S & P since 1964
• Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Awards, Outstanding Achievement for Pollution Prevention, 2007
• Treasurer of the Year by the Virginia Treasurer’s Association, 2006
• City Website was voted Best City Website by the City County Communications and Marketing Association – Savvy Award, 2006
• City Website was voted Best City Website by the National Association of Government Webcasters
• Top Five Green Cities, Blue Ridge Magazine, 2006
• City Website received Sponsors Award by the National Association of Government Webcasters
• City Parks and Recreation Department accepted as Extraordinary Environmental Enterprise by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
• City Parks and Recreation Department accepted Tree City USA
• Best Place to Relocate, Relocate America, 2006
• Fire Department - ISO Class 2 Fire Department (1 being the best on a score of 10)
• Internationally Accredited Fire Department
• Fire Department - Governor’s Award for Excellence in Fire Service Management
• Dozen Distinctive Destinations – Charlottesville – National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2007
• Best Workplace for Commuters, US Department of Transportation, 2006
• Department of Social Services, USDA recognition for outstanding customer service, 2005
• City Ranked the Top “Really Cool Small Southern Market”
• By Southern Business and Development Magazine, (April 2005)
• Money Magazine 100 Best Places to Live – August 2004
• Forbes Magazine – Best Small Places to Do Business – Rank 22
• Business Journals – Best Places to Work – June 2005
• Charlottesville Officially Awarded First Tee Chapter, by the World Golf Foundation.