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Virginia›Fluvanna County

Lake MonticelloVA

TownGrade
A
#51 of 249 in VA

Some 10,662 people live in this town, in Virginia. Public schools that outperform most of Virginia.

Is Lake Monticello a good place to live?

Where it does best is schools: its schools outperform 81% of the state's. Homes run about $326K for a typical one, 3.5 times the Charlottesville metro’s $94K median household income. Add health to its strengths (A−): CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of four fifths of the country. The overall grade comes out at A, 51st of 249 in Virginia. That leaves it better than 91% of U.S. towns. Only 27 of Virginia’s 372 towns score lower on the outdoors. 96% of households own their home in Lake Monticello, above both the Virginia town median (68%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). The rest of its grades are middling: B− for walkability and B for hazard risk.

Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · USGS PAD-US.

How Lake Monticello grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Lake Monticello is from typical.

How grading works
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

How TownRatings grades towns →

What makes Lake Monticello stand out

Where Lake Monticello beats most towns.

A commuter town

95% of working residents leave Lake Monticello for work

Where Lake Monticello’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

21% → Charlottesville Charlottesville 21% 10% → University of Virginia University of Virginia 10% 5% → Palmyra Palmyra 5% 4% → Pantops Pantops 4% 2% → Richmond Richmond 2% 2% → Rio Rio 2% Lake Monticello · 5% stay
920jobs based in Lake Monticello
5%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Lake Monticello.

Lake Monticello has less tooth loss than most of Virginia and sends most of its workers to Charlottesville and beyond.

SchoolsA−

Lake Monticello’s grade for schools is an A−

81%of VA districts it outscoresA−School Grade

Its one school is below.

SchoolLevelStudentsLetter
Effort Christian School and Preschool PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades PK–2Grades PK–270–

NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation

HealthA−

Lake Monticello’s grade for health is an A−

80%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade

Its widest gap with Virginia is tooth loss: 5.6% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.1% statewide.

In Lake Monticello, just over one in ten adults report frequent physical distress. This Virginia town beats the Virginia average on 14 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 14% of adults in Lake Monticello report frequent mental distress; 82% had a checkup this year. Among 253 Virginia towns, just 9 have a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Lake Monticello.

Lake MonticelloVirginia townsU.S. towns
Feel lonely (CDC PLACES)29%34%33%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)14%16%17%
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)82%79%79%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)9.8%12%14%
32 measures vs. Virginia
14 better16 too close to call2 worse
What stands outLake MonticelloVA
Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth5.6%11.1%
Fewer adults facing food insecurity7.4%13.1%
More adults who have had cancer10.9%7.7%
Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital
9.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
57th
percentile among VA towns

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+

Lake Monticello sends most of its workers out of town

5%work in town

Lake Monticello has 920 jobs for its 4,276 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here fell from 1,454 in 2013 to 920.

Jobs in Lake Monticello fell by 534 from 2013 to 2023, to 920. Only 5% of working residents stay in Lake Monticello for work; the rest commute out. The average commute for Lake Monticello comes to 30 minutes. The top destinations are Charlottesville (21%), University of Virginia (10%) and Palmyra (5%).

Lake MonticelloVirginia townsU.S. towns
Work from home22%17%11%
Average trip to work30 minutes27 minutes25 minutes
Median household income$107,000$101,000$80,000
Below the poverty line6.7%7.7%9.6%

Where working residents work

In Lake Monticello5%
Charlottesville21%
University of Virginia10%
Palmyra5%
Pantops4%
13 mi
median commute distance
920
jobs based in Lake Monticello
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 50% of U.S. towns

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

In Lake Monticello, expect four seasons and hot summers

12″snow a winter

Lake Monticello’s July high is 88°F.

Typical low → high °F

Winter28–49°
Spring44–69°
Summer64–86°
Fall46–70°
Oct 21
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Who lives here

A older population than Virginia as a whole

42.1median age · VA 39

People 65 and older are 25% of residents (17% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 34% of residents (39% statewide). Among adults 25 and older in Lake Monticello, 52% hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Also worth knowing: the median age here is 42.1 years.

Lake MonticelloVirginia townsU.S. towns
Aged 65 or older25%16%18%
Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+52%44%29%
Median age42.1 years38.5 years40.5 years
Under 1821%23%22%
Lake MonticelloVirginiaUnited States

Ages · share of residents

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma2%
High school15%
Some college24%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s30%
Graduate22%

Women and men · all residents

55% women, 45% men

About 82 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.5 points). Across Virginia, 50.6% of residents are women.

Ages and education in Lake Monticello
Lake MonticelloVAU.S.
Under 1013.9%11.6%11.6%
10 to 177.2%10.1%10.3%
18 to 246.1%9.3%9.1%
25 to 3414.3%13.5%13.7%
35 to 4411.7%13.6%13.2%
45 to 548.8%12.5%12.2%
55 to 6413.3%12.8%12.7%
65 to 7415.2%9.9%10.2%
75 and older9.5%6.8%7%
No diploma1.8%8.4%10.4%
High school14.9%23.9%26%
Some college23.5%17.7%19.1%
Associate’s8.1%7.8%8.8%
Bachelor’s30.2%23.7%21.6%
Graduate21.6%18.5%14.1%

U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates

OutdoorsD

0% of Lake Monticello is conserved land

#164for trails in VA

4.1 miles of trail. For Lake Monticello, the trail density is 0.4 miles per square mile.

0%
conserved · 2 of 6,028 acres
4.1 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B

Lake Monticello has a moderate natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding

40risk score of 100

FEMA puts 62% of Lake Monticello’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 9% to hurricanes. On expected storm and flood damage, Lake Monticello sits below 60% of U.S. communities.

FEMA risk score
40Moderate riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingHurricanesEarthquakes

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

HousingCost of living grade B

The median home in Lake Monticello sells for about $362K

$362Kmedian sale price

Only 8 of the 253 Virginia towns we compare have a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than Lake Monticello. Lake Monticello’s midpoint rent stands at $1,981 a month. Homes sold in Lake Monticello spent a median 44 days on the market.

Lake MonticelloVirginia townsU.S. towns
Households that own their home96%68%73%
Median rent$1,981 a month$1,760 a month$1,185 a month
Market temperature
BalancedA seller's marketBuyer’sSeller’s
44
days on market
99.1%
sale-to-list price
24
homes sold in September

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Lake Monticello

16pages on Lake Monticello
Nearby attractions

Shenandoah National Park and 9 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lake Monticello. Close and well known come first.

All 52 attractions →
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits

Shenandoah 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 · Market Street Park: Chad Fennell, CC BY 2.0 · Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection: Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, CC BY-SA 4.0

Getting set up

Moving to Lake Monticello: who provides what

Lake Monticello is unincorporated, so Fluvanna County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerCentral Virginia Electric Coop16.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLake Monticello water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesFluvanna CountyFluvanna County provides services here
SchoolsFluvanna County Public SchoolsWhich school depends on your addressNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Virginia you can register online until 11 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 11 days before).vote.gov
Who runs elections hereFluvanna General RegistrarFluvanna County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2015
ZIP code2296322963 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.

After high school

Colleges nearby

2 within 15 miles of the center of Lake Monticello

About Lake Monticello

Census-designated place in Virginia, United States

Lake Monticello, a private gated community, is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fluvanna County, Virginia, United States. The population was 10,126 at the 2020 census. The community is centered on a man-made lake of the same name, which is formed by a dam on a short tributary of the nearby Rivanna River. Lake Monticello is part of the Charlottesville metropolitan area. Lake Monticello was developed in the 1960s as a summer vacation home community but quickly evolved into a bedroom community of Charlottesville, and to a lesser extent of Richmond. It has a sizable retirement age population.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
9.5 sq mi
Elevation
371 ft

Questions about Lake Monticello

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Lake Monticello, VA a good place to live?

By most measures, yes. Lake Monticello grades A overall, better than 91% of U.S. towns and #51 of 249 in Virginia. It grades A− for health and A− for schools.

Is Lake Monticello, VA expensive?

The typical home is worth about $326,000, 21% below the Virginia typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.

Lake Monticello is in here

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