A blend of historic buildings and an active community
History is alive and well in Wytheville, the county seat for Wythe County. Even the city’s name refers to George Wythe, who signed the Declaration of Independence and mentored Thomas Jefferson as a law student. Wytheville has changed since Wythe’s time, and now the city is known for its low housing prices, easy interstate access and plenty to do in town.
Mike Thomas, a broker and owner at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, was drawn to the city’s small-town atmosphere when he and his wife decided to move to the area in 2012. “My parents came up from Florida to see a friend in Wytheville,” Thomas says. “They loved the area and the prices, so they bought a home here. My wife and I came to visit, and we decided during our trips that we liked the area, too. I’ve always wanted to raise my kids in a place where the biggest thing that happens on Friday night is high school football, and that’s Wytheville.”
Small and charming, Wytheville is the perfect place for those who want to live in a friendly small city.
The Boiling Wilson hotel is one of the most instantly recognizable historic buildings in Wytheville.
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Living close to work
Health care and education drive the economy, though manufacturing and food services follow closely. Wythe County Community Hospital has over 350 full-time employees, and it’s the only hospital in Wythe County. “We have lots of factories, like Gatorade and Pepsi, and several other factories that make car parts,” Thomas says. The largest Volvo plant in the United States is in nearby Dublin, where people go for work. “The plant brings people here, and Virginia Tech in Blacksburg," Thomas says. "People will make the commute because they can get a nicer home here.”
Various manufacturing facilities can be found in Wytheville, providing jobs to the locals.
Wythe County Community Hospital has over 350 full-time employees, and it’s the only hospital in Wythe County.
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Interstate access makes commuting easy
Interstates 77 and 81 paves the way to the rest of southwestern Virginia and even farther into Tennessee and North Carolina. I-81 also leads over 50 miles to Blacksburg and Christiansburg. The Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport is the nearest airport, about 75 miles from town, and flights go to East Coast destinations like Charlotte and Atlanta.
Very few residential streets have sidewalks, so most residents drive to restaurants or one of the churches along Main Street. Wytheville gets rainy and humid during the summer, and snow is common in the winter — which can lead to icy roads.
Older homes with the occasional new construction
Historic Colonial Revivals are downtown, but most of the city has bungalows from around the 1930s to 1950s and ranch-style homes from the 1990s to early 2000s. The median price is about $260,000, far below the national median. “The majority of new construction is custom builds,” Thomas says. “There are one or two builders that will build four or five homes, but they’re usually sold before they’re completed. But our market stays strong because we don’t have an oversupply.”
There's a mix of historic and new homes in Wytheville, and many of them have large spacious yards.
More historic homes can be found closer to downtown Wytheville, like this brick colonial.
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Wytheville's top-rated school gets a new building
The Wythe County Public Schools district gets a B from Niche, and Wytheville has an elementary, middle and high school. Scott Memorial Middle School has the highest rating of the three schools, an A-minus. In 2024, classes started in a new building that shares a campus with George Wythe High School, rated B-minus. Wytheville Community College also receives a B-minus.
Wytheville Middle School is gettin ga brand new building adjacent to the high school.
Wytheville public schools score an overall B from Niche.com.
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Wytheville is dedicated to preserving its history
Since the city has so much history, it’s no surprise there are museums to visit. The town’s first doctor lived in the Haller-Gibboney Rock House, where some of his personal notes, medical records and herb garden are on display.
The last documented lynching happened in Wytheville when Raymond Byrd was killed in 1926. His death sparked national outrage, and the event became a catalyst for an anti-lynching state law. The Wytheville Training School Cultural Center offers exhibits and photographs that preserve the history of African American education in Wythe County.
The town’s first doctor lived in the Haller-Gibboney Rock House, where some of his personal notes, medical records and herb garden are on display.
Withers Park is where the last hanging took place in Wytheville.
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Popular parks and Blue Ridge Bobcat games
The city has Withers Park near downtown, but Wytheville is also close to the Crystal Springs Recreation Area, where residents go to hike or bike trails. The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation installed informative placards along the trails so visitors can learn while they explore.
“As of two years ago, we have a professional hockey team,” Thomas says. Wythe County originally built the Hitachi Energy Arena to host rodeos and horse shows. Now, it’s home to the Blue Ridge Bobcats. “They turned that center into a hockey rink, and they put in all-new seating over the summer," Thomas says. "I’ve never been into hockey, but I now go to games. My son even plays hockey because they do rec leagues there.”
The Hitachi Energy Arena is home to the Blue Ridge Bobcats.
Crystal Springs Recreation Area has hiking, mountain biking and more.
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Hot air balloons and a celebration of art at the Chautauqua Festival
For over 40 years, the Wythe Arts Council has organized the Chautauqua Festival — an eight-day event with live music and art shows highlighting local artisans. Every June, the event kicks off with a hot air balloon show. “It's completely free, and people bring their folding chairs to enjoy it,” Thomas says. “It’s one of the things that made us want to move here. My wife and I happened to visit when it was going on one year, but we didn’t know about it. We just thought, ‘Wow, these people are really having a party’.”
The Wytheville Police Department responds to calls throughout the city. According to FBI data, the police department had a 50% drop in nonviolent crimes and a roughly 24% drop in violent crimes between 2022 and 2023.
Katrina has been around the real estate business all her life from tagging along as a child with Broker/Appraiser Ott Giesen, working as a secretary and helping with appraisals while in High School. Katrina is also the daughter of retired REALTOR & BROKER/APPRAISER Jo Alderman. She graduated with a Marketing Degree from Radford University 1991 and a Radiology degree from Virginia Western 1996. After working in the radiology field for 12 years she desired to return to marketing and the family business. Katrina became a REALTOR in 2008, became a BROKER in 2012, and is now the Managing Broker. Katrina and her husband have 2 boys and live on a farm in Draper. She will treat you like family and work hard to meet your Real Estate needs. You can trust her to be your guide for Buying and Selling your home or property.
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