Richmond

Greater Richmond

Richmond is Virginia’s state capital, and this dynamic and culturally rich region offers residents and businesses the advantages of a growing, vibrant metropolitan area with developable acreage in suburban and rural areas.

Key Companies in Richmond

Carmax, Goochland County

Regional Highlights

Greater Richmond has a population of more than 1.3 million, and comprises seven counties (Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent, Powhatan) and the City of Richmond, offering a unique combination of affordability and quality of life in urban, suburban, and rural settings. The Richmond MSA population is nearly 1.3 million.

Home to an array of industries and eight Fortune 500 headquarters, including DuPont’s largest manufacturing plant in the world, the area is a magnet for talent. With the 6th highest concentration of business and finance workers east of the Mississippi, Richmond draws a workforce that flocks to the region for diverse job opportunities and its renowned culture and recreation.

Access World Class Talent at a Competitive Cost

The Greater Richmond story is one of ingenuity and growth. Strategically located in the heart of Virginia, Greater Richmond is already capitalizing on its unique combination of affordability and high quality of life to attract the caliber of talent that companies are seeking. Once a region defined principally by its southern charm and history, Greater Richmond has grown into a thriving, dynamic, revitalized metro, revered for its natural beauty and lively art scene. Here, employees enjoy an unparalleled set of amenities, including diverse housing options that satisfy all preferences and budgets, easy commutes, access to a great K-12 school system, and an array of cultural, recreational, and outdoor activities.

Read About the Greater Richmond Region in Virginia Economic Review

GlaxoSmithKline GSK, Richmond

PrideFest, Richmond

A Diverse and Inclusive Workforce

Greater Richmond welcomes and accepts all people in the community. Richmond earned a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign's Municipal Equality Index every year since 2021. Greater Richmond provides a strategic advantage as the region is much more diverse than the U.S. average (41 percent non-white versus 34 percent). Richmond has a strong pipeline of diverse talent as the home to two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) plus a Minority Serving Institution.

CoStar Group, Richmond

“Richmond is a growing community with access to a deep pool of diverse, highly-skilled workers, a vibrant culture of innovation and a wonderful quality of life for our existing and future employees.”

Andy Florance Founder and CEO, The CoStar Group

Location

As Virginia’s capital region, Richmond’s strong transportation infrastructure connects Richmond to the Mid-Atlantic region, the U.S., and the world.

Downtown Richmond

Greater Richmond sits at the crossroads of the present and future U.S. population migration with access to 45% of within one day's delivery drive.
James River Barge Service serves the Richmond Marine Terminal, which connects to The Port of Virginia in Hampton Roads.
Richmond International Airport (RIC) provides passenger and cargo services to major domestic destinations and connecting service to points around the globe. Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), one of the nation’s largest international airports, is within 100 miles.
More than 100 motor freight companies and brokers serve the area, including specialists in heavy hauling, overdimensional loads, and liquid or dry bulk.
CSX and Norfolk Southern provide freight rail service, with rail lines radiating in all directions from Richmond. Passenger rail service is provided by Amtrak, providing multiple daily trains to and from Washington, D.C., New York, and beyond from two area stations.

Richmond Skyline

The Richmond Region

Maggie L Walker Governor's School

Talent Development in Richmond

The next generation of skilled professionals are trained and supplied by more than 20 regional institutions of higher education, including Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia State University, the University of Richmond, Virginia Union University, and Randolph-Macon College, enabling Richmond to attract and retain businesses of all sizes.

Higher Education

Companies can recruit 1.2 million enrolled students within 150 miles from Greater Richmond.

VCU: Ranked a top 50 research university, VCU is a place where discovery and creativity go hand in hand. VCU’s Department of Computer Science has 14 research labs, covering topics ranging from cybersecurity, to algorithms, data mining, and software engineering. In addition, VCU is one of just 20 universities nationwide -- and the only school in Virginia -- in the prestigious Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Consortium giving undergraduate engineering students opportunities to work with graduate students and faculty on innovative, large-scale research projects.
University of Richmond: As a top 25 liberal arts university, UR celebrates the ideas of a changing and evolving world, preparing its students to lead it. Beginning Fall 2020, computer science majors may choose to add a concentration in Data Science and Statistics, building the strong analytic skills needed to work in today’s world. UR also offers a coding boot camp that prepares students with in-demand skills needed to advance or start a career in coding, data analytics, or cybersecurity.
Community College Workforce Alliance (CCWA): A joint partnership between Brightpoint Community College and Reynolds Community College, CCWA provides world-class, non-credit, and custom-designed instruction, consulting, skills assessments, and educational programs and services to both the public and private sectors.

K-12

CodeRVA: An innovative, regional, public high school in central Virginia focused on preparing students for college and careers in computer science and coding. The computer science-focused school serves up to 400 students from 15 school districts in the region.

Maggie Walker Governor’s School: The #8 Best Public High School in the United States and #2 Best Public High School in Virginia according to Niche, is a public regional magnet high school located in Richmond.

Sabra, Chesterfield

Sabra Dipping Company

The largest hummus plant in the world resides in Chesterfield County. Sabra Dipping Company recently added a third expansion to its 220-square-foot factory which employs 700 people. The company originally announced in 2011 with plans for the future by locating on 48 acres near Interstate 95.

Read our Food & Beverage Processing Brochure

Sabra, Chesterfield

Meta Data Center Rendering, Henrico

The CoStar Group

Since establishing its headquarters for research and data analytics in the City of Richmond in 2016, CoStar Group has experienced tremendous success, ramping up to 700 team members in 6 months. In December 2021, the company announced plans to invest $460 million to expand its Global Research Headquarters, and create 2,000 new jobs.

Read the full case study

CoStar, Richmond

The LEGO Group Rendering, Chesterfield

The LEGO Group

The Danish toymaker announced a $1 billion manufacturing plant in Chesterfield County. Leading the company’s decision is the region’s access to talent, logistical options and ESG efforts, where the LEGO Group plans to build a 100 percent carbon neutral facility.

The LEGO Group Rendering, Chesterfield

Living in Richmond

Quality of Life

Greater Richmond benefits from the cultural amenities of a state capital. The region offers the entertainment and recreational opportunities of a much larger metro area, with the accessibility, atmosphere, and traffic of a smaller city, providing an ideal and affordable location to raise a family and grow a business and career.

The region offers an extensive variety of arts and cultural activities that serves a capital city with a well-known history, including state museums like the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Science Museum of Virginia, and a full array of theatre, opera, symphony, comedy, concerts, and other productions.

Ardent Craft Ales

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

James River, Richmond