What is it Like Living in Abingdon?

If you are thinking about purchasing a home in or near Abingdon, you will be joining a charming community with a population of just over 8,000. As the county seat of Washington County, Abingdon is situated in the Great Appalachian Valley. Surrounded by world-class countryside, it is known for its picturesque Historic District.

According to Sperling’s Best Places, Abingdon’s cost of living is 90.9 on a scale where 100 represents the US average. Considering that Virginia as a whole rates 114 on that same scale, that makes Abingdon one of the state’s more affordable towns.

Much of the savings come in the form of a lower average housing cost. While the median home cost nationwide is around $216,200, in Abingdon is it just $152,800. State-wide, it is $252,700.

Sperling’s Best Places offers data on income and employment as well. The unemployment rate in Abingdon is just 4.60%, significantly lower than the US average of 5.20%. Income per person is reported as $26,791 on average, with the average household income reported to be $38,529.

While this is lower than the nationwide averages for income per capita and income per household, these figures reflect the lower cost of living.

What about other aspects of life in Abingdon? Property crime has a rating of 44.2 on a scale where 1 represents low crime and 100 represents high crime. Violent crime is just 12.6—a very low rating compared to the US average of 31.1.

The school district in Abingdon is Washington County Public Schools. There are several elementary schools and one middle school and high school. Higher education options include the Virginia Highlands Community College, the Emory & Henry College, and the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center.

Abingdon is a couple hours away from Blacksburg, home to the largest land-grant University in the state, Virginia Tech. The Princeton Review has ranked Virginia Tech as the number one University for “Best Quality of Life” and “Their Students Love These Colleges.”

In terms of climate, you can expect summertime highs in the mid 80s and wintertime lows in the mid-20s. The targets about 12 inches of snow each year and 45 inches of rain.

What can you do in the evenings and on the weekends in Abingdon? Both visitors and locals enjoy exploring the Abingdon Historic District, home to the Arts Depot, Fields-Penn House and Martha Washington Inn. In Abingdon, you can also enjoy a performance at the historic Barter Theatre. If you enjoy outdoor activities, there is much to explore in the surrounding region.

First Residential Mortgage Corporation is an Equal Housing Lender. As prohibited by federal law, we do not engage in business practices that discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, because all or part of your income may be derived from any public assistance program, or because you have, in good faith, exercised any right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act. Disclaimer: Programs subject to change without notice. All borrowers must qualify per program guidelines.

Jason H.

Highly recommend. Excellent rates and reasonable fees, quick responses to questions, helped overcome a couple small complications, overall a very smooth process.

Joe S.

I cannot say enough positive things about Josh Rowland and his wife Jessica. My family and I went through one of the most stressful and chaotic events all in the middle of trying to purchase a home 700 miles away. They not only were professional at every step, but compassionate at every step as well. They fought for us with their diligence and resolve. I am forever grateful for their work, help, and friendship. 100% RECCOMEND. God bless their future endeavors!

Christi S.

Absolutely wonderful experience. Ryan Hall (and team) have gone above and beyond at every point. He's responded quickly, explained clearly, and even managed to get us pre-approved when a competing lender couldn't. Ryan is easy to talk to and a joy to work with. Definitely will recommend this office any chance I get.

Mo R.

You don't even feel the mortgage process up&down if you work with Ryan and his team, the best experience. Thanks so much Ryan for your support and help cause that made the home buying so smooth. Highly highly recommend them. 5 out 5 for sure.

Katherine P.

We worked with Brian Hall to get our mortgage and it was beyond my expectations! We originally had gotten a preapproval amount and interest rate quote from another lender; our realtor Brian Mchone had recommended First Residential Mortgage to us, but I didn't think we would get a lower interest offer. Ryan reached out to me with an interest offer a whole percent lower than we were quoted from the other company! That difference was enough that when we found our dream home, we were able to get our offer in and keep our monthly payment within our budget! A LOT of paperwork was required to be submitted, but it was well worth it! Ryan was available every step of the way if I had questions or clarifications. He and my realtor communicated flawlessly and the whole experience felt well handled. We were able to submit all of this online and it was very easy to use the online submissions. My husband is a veteran and we used the VA Home Loan, Ryan was well versed in working with the VA Home Loan service. All and all, I can not say enough good things about First Residential Mortgage and Ryan Hall made the stressful experience of buying a home a much easier one!

Chase B.

Ryan did a great job getting us the best rate he could. He made sure we understood everything every step of the way and was very quick to answer any questions we had, be that via email or calling.

Mark J.

Excellent customer service from start to finish. Ryan did a great job of explaining the whole process and keeping us up to date at every step of the way. Would not hesitate to recommend him to family and friends.

Tori Z.

My husband and I worked with Ryan on securing a mortgage as we bought our first home. Ryan was helpful and would answer our questions promptly and used videos and screen sharing to make sure everything was clear. We had shopped around at a few different mortgage and First Residential Mortgage offered the best rate to us. I would definitely recommend using First Residential Mortgage.

Brandon T.

Ryan and the folks at First Residential Mortgage made the process of refinancing our home seamless and quick. Took less than 30 days from the time someone recommended me to Ryan’s team to closing. The application process was easy, Ryan looked out for us all along the way and got us a great interest rate, and we were able to pay off a $30k car while maintaining almost the exact same monthly mortgage payment we had been making previously. Can’t say enough good things about them!

Cirillo- D.

Great to work with, wonderful staff and a very rate.

Maaz G.

Ryan Hall and his team are absolutely fantastic to work with. We were first time home buyers. Thanks guys!

Mike B.

Great experience. Easy to work with. Answered all my questions.

Tommy B.

Ryan was great to work with. We ran in to several issues along the way with the sellers and our income but he did everything in his power to make the process as smooth as possible and to make sure we were able to get the loan we wanted.

John B.

Ryan was very professional, yet very responsive to our questions as we moved forward through the process of signing documents. Ryan makes these video where he explains what is happening and what to expect that made it easy the home loan understand. Ryan's insight on how to approach the sellers with our offer and make it more attractive were invaluable. I highly recommend Ryan for all Veterans and others seeking a loan professional's help. You won't be disappointed. Thanks again Ryan.

Barrett I.

Ryan Hall is great to work with. He is very knowledgeable and was always available for any questions that we had throughout our refinance. I highly recommend his services.

Sloop S.

Robin L.

I had a great experience with Ryan and team at First Residential. The communication through the entire process was excellent. I will definitely be working with Ryan again in the future.

Andrew D.

The folks at First Residential are exactly what you're looking for. They are professional, patient, fast, and thorough on every front. It felt like I had good friends walking me through the process, who always had time to answer any questions I had, fight for good rates for me, and to be excited for my family. I HIGHLY recommend you use them. I know I will be for every mortgage need I ever have again.

Payne B.

I purchased a duplex investment property with the help of First Residential Mortgage. The process was quick and easy and if I had any questions the team in Blacksburg was quick to help. When I was searching for the best interest rate Ryan was by far the lowest even in a very competitive/busy market. I will be using First Residential Mortgage again on future investment properties as well as personal residence. I highly recommend giving them a call!

Stephan C.

We used this business to assist us in finding a mortgage. Ryan made sure to keep us informed in all aspects of this process. He was very professional and knowledgeable.

Kaylee R.

Mark C.

Ryan is a great wonderful person that seamlessly works with you to achieve your mortgage goals. He and his team are professional, through, and really make the experience very easy. They do a great job at First Residental Mortgage

Kaitlyn M.

Great experience. We are now first time home owners! They answered all of our questions and explained the whole process very thoroughly. Really cannot recommend Ryan and his team enough, it was really an enjoyable process working with them

El A.

Great people, they helped me every step of the process and kept me up to date on any changes. Would definitely recommend!

Dietrich L.

It was awesome working with Ryan and his team, super knowledgeable, walked me through the whole process, weighed the pros and cons of different options, easy all-digital process, answered questions insightfully, and gave me the best rate I could find. Thanks Ryan!