Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
100% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Free Union, above both the Virginia town median (44%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). No town among the 254 in Virginia we compare has a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than Free Union. Mount Fair and Ballard-Maupin House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Free Union has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Free Union beats most towns.
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 4 maps from 1931 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Free Union. Close and well known come first.
8 mi National ParkShenandoah National Park1.7M visitors a year
18 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
9 mi Stadium & arenaScott Stadium
8 mi Stadium & arenaJohn Paul Jones Arena28 mi Scenic driveSkyline Drive
36 mi CaveLuray CavernsShenandoah National Park: Image copyright 2005 by user G. Edward Johnson (user Lorax) and released under t, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Scott Stadium: Mak7912, CC BY-SA 3.0 · John Paul Jones Arena: Bob Mical, CC BY 2.0 · Skyline Drive: Image copyright 2005 by user G. Edward Johnson (user Lorax) and released under t, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Luray Caverns: Paulo Ordoveza from Washington, DC, CC BY 2.0
Free Union is unincorporated, so Albemarle County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Free Union.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Union Country School PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 59 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Typical home values rose 3.8% in the year to September 2026.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The top destinations are Charlottesville (25%), University of Virginia (9%) and Richmond (3%). Employers in Free Union shed 38 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 15. Half the trips to work are shorter than 10 miles.
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Free Union brings chilly winters and warm summers. Summer afternoons peak near 88° in July, and January nights bottom out around 26°; snowfall runs to about 17 inches a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In Free Union, nearly one in ten adults smoke cigarettes. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Free Union is ahead of Virginia on 10 and behind on 1. Two figures for adults locally: 31% sleep under 7 hours, 28% have obesity.
| Free Union | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 36% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 34% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 34% | 33% |
| What stands out | Free Union | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.2% | 13.1% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.1% | 10.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Free Union after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2011. On expected storm and flood damage, Free Union sits above 60% of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Free Union break down as 79% from inland flooding and 5% from hurricanes.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
2 within 15 miles of the center of Free Union
About 0 of every 100 Free Union residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census-designated place in Virginia, United States
Free Union is a census-designated place (CDP) in Albemarle County, Virginia, United States, ten miles north-northwest of Charlottesville. The population as of the 2020 Census was 187. It is a small hamlet consisting of a private school (Free Union Country School), a doctor's office, a post office, a homebuilder, and several dozen homes. Otherwise it is entirely rural in character.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Free Union has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
_(2).jpg){kind=link}