Rocky Mount captures a hometown feel
The Town of Rocky Mount captures quintessential small-town America in rural southwest Virginia near the Blue Ridge Mountains. Founded in 1873, this town acts as a gateway to The Crooked Road—Virginia’s Heritage Musical Trail, a 300-plus-mile-long corridor that weaves across the region. Rocky Mount is also the Franklin County seat and serves as a central hub for activities and amenities for people throughout the area. Franklin Street functions as the town’s Main Street, lined with various shopping, dining and entertainment establishments, both chain and locally owned. “We have such a hometown feel here in Rocky Mount, and we’re very centrally located as well,” says Brenda Bratt, a local realtor with Next Door Realty Group and Wainwright & Co. Realtors. “We’re about 30 minutes from Roanoke and 30 minutes from Smith Mountain Lake.” Bratt notes that Rocky Mount has seen lots of growth in recent years: “There’s been a lot of economic development,” she says. “The downtown area has been a big focal point, and our manufacturing industry has grown a lot.”
Mix of housing styles and acreages
There is a large variety of homes throughout the Rocky Mount area. "Rocky Mount is pretty big. You have the actual town of Rocky Mount, but then you also have the surrounding countryside, where you can get up to 30 acres of land," Bratt says. "Anything you're looking for, you can find it. This area is not specific to any one type of home or acreage. You can get half an acre, or multiple." Housing styles here include a mix of ranch styles, new builds, Colonial-style homes, farmhouses and homes with traditional-style architecture. Properties are listed on the market for an average of 32 days, less than half the national figure. While investment properties can sell for as low as $70,000, most single-family turnkey homes range from approximately $150,000 to $580,000, with a handful of outliers, like estates worth over $800,000.
Students zoned for the Franklin County Public Schools system
Students residing in Rocky Mount are zoned for the Franklin County Public Schools system, which receives an overall B-plus rating from Niche. Prekindergarten through fifth-grade students can kickstart their education at the B-rated Rocky Mount Elementary School. Benjamin Franklin Middle and Franklin County High School both get B-plus ratings. High school students can enroll in Advanced Placement courses or Dual Enrollment programs to earn early college credits. "The school system is a big employer here," Bratt says.
Abundant town parks and access to regional hiking trails and lakes
Rocky Mount has several town parks with a range of recreational amenities. Mary Elizabeth Park and Mary Bethune Park feature playgrounds and picnic shelters, while Gilly’s Park is better known for its stocked fishing ponds and walking trails. Celeste Park offers access to biking trails, and Rocky Mount Community Dog Park is the town’s designated spot where pet owners can let their dogs run around off-leash. There are also plenty of opportunities for hiking in this area: “The Blue Ridge Parkway is nearby and is a huge spot for hikers. During the fall, the number of people hiking on the parkway really ramps up,” Bratt says. Another popular hiking spot is the Grassy Hill Natural Area Preserve, which sits adjacent to the Rocky Mount Skatepark and Franklin County Family YMCA. “Rocky Mount is also well-positioned in the middle of two lakes. You’re about 40 minutes from Philpott Lake and 30 minutes in the opposite direction from Smith Mountain Lake, which is a well-known tourist destination and draws tons of people,” Bratt says.
A growing downtown Rocky Mount
The town has a mix of local shopping and dining options, as well as national retailers and big-box stores. "Rocky Mount has a Walmart, a Lowe's, and we just got a Starbucks," Bratt says. "We also have a lot of little boutiques, mom-and-pop-type shops. We have several cafes and coffee houses; we've got all the fast-food chains. Everybody in the surrounding area comes to Rocky Mount for our Kroger and Food Lion for groceries." Another large draw of the town is the Harvester Performance Center: "The Harvester is a live music venue that's gotten really popular and brings in different music genre performers every weekend. It's in the middle of the downtown area and surrounded by a bunch of restaurants and the local farmers market," Bratt says.
Driving through Southwest Virginia
U.S. Route 220, also known as Virgil H. Goode Highway, cuts through Rocky Mount and is easily accessible for commuters. The highway travels in a north-south direction and runs just over 24 miles north into Roanoke. Bratt notes that the town is also home to the Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital, which operates a 24-hour emergency department. The closest airport, Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport, is approximately 30 miles away, just outside Roanoke. Rocky Mount is almost entirely car-dependent, and there are no options for public transit.
