Bedford County, Virginia
Bedford County has the lowest tax rate of any county we serve, $0.41 per $100, and it holds the north shore of Smith Mountain Lake. At the lake the county line is also the school-district line, so which side of it a house sits on decides your taxes and your schools.
Browse Bedford County Homes for SaleAbout Bedford County
Bedford County stretches from the Forest suburbs outside Lynchburg to the north shore of Smith Mountain Lake and up into the Peaks of Otter, which is why it holds the widest range of housing in the region: subdivision homes in Forest, a walkable historic downtown in the town of Bedford, lakefront and lake-access property around Moneta and Huddleston, and working acreage in between. The county rate is $0.41 per $100, the lowest of the counties we serve, and about 84.7% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
What Makes It Special
Lowest County Tax Rate We Serve
$0.41 per $100 of assessed value, set by the Board of Supervisors in a 4-3 vote against a $0.38 equalized rate. Lower than Franklin, Campbell, Amherst or Appomattox.
Smith Mountain Lake North Shore
Moneta, Huddleston and the Westlake corridor put lakefront, lake-access and water-view property inside Bedford County lines, alongside inland homes at a fraction of waterfront pricing.
Three Comprehensive High Schools
Jefferson Forest, Staunton River and Liberty anchor three distinct feeder patterns across roughly 9,100 students, and zoning can change within a two-mile stretch.
National D-Day Memorial
Sited in the town of Bedford because the community suffered the highest per-capita losses of any American town on 6 June 1944. It remains the county's defining civic landmark.
Peaks of Otter and the Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway crosses the county's northern edge at Sharp Top and Flat Top, giving Bedford and Thaxton addresses genuine mountain access rather than a mountain view.
Forest to Lynchburg Commute
The county's largest residential concentration sits directly west of Lynchburg, close enough that Forest functions as a commuter suburb while keeping Bedford County tax rates and schools.
Things to Do in Bedford County
National D-Day Memorial
Sited in the town of Bedford because the community suffered the highest per-capita losses of any American town on 6 June 1944. It is the county's defining civic landmark.
Peaks of Otter
Sharp Top and Flat Top rise off the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 86, so Bedford and Thaxton addresses have genuine mountain access rather than a mountain view.
Smith Mountain Lake State Park
1,506 acres of trails, beach and shoreline on the Huddleston side of the lake, all of it inside Bedford County.
Smith Mountain Lake Community Park
Playground, sports fields and public lake access on Scruggs Road in Moneta, which matters if you buy inland rather than on the water.
Hickory Hill Vineyards
The lake's own winery, on Hickory Hill Road in Moneta.
The Blue Ridge Parkway
The Parkway crosses the county's northern edge, so the drive to an overlook is measured in minutes from a Bedford or Montvale address.
Schools in the Bedford County Area
Jefferson Forest High School
PublicAnchors the Forest end of the county and feeds from Forest Middle School.
Liberty High School
PublicServes the town of Bedford and the county's centre, with its own feeder middle school.
Staunton River High School
PublicServes Moneta, Huddleston and the Smith Mountain Lake north shore.
Susie G. Gibson Science and Technology Center
Public, CTEThe county's career, technical and alternative-program hub, drawing students from all three high schools.
Bedford County Public Schools
DistrictRoughly 9,100 students across three comprehensive high schools, three middle schools and a network of community elementaries. Zoning can change within a two-mile stretch, so confirm the attendance zone at the parcel.
Bedford County Neighborhoods
Forest
The county's largest residential concentration, directly west of Lynchburg. Close enough to commute while keeping Bedford County tax rates and schools.
Town of Bedford
A walkable historic downtown at the county's centre. Note that town residents pay an additional town rate on top of the county rate.
Moneta
The Smith Mountain Lake north shore, with lakefront, lake-access and water-view property alongside inland homes at a fraction of waterfront pricing.
Huddleston
The quieter end of the county's lake frontage, and the side the state park sits on.
Montvale and Thaxton
The northern edge of the county under the Peaks of Otter, where acreage and mountain access replace subdivision living.
Goode
Rural acreage between Forest and the town of Bedford, on the US 460 corridor.
Bedford County Real Estate FAQ
What is the property tax rate in Bedford County?
$0.41 per $100 of assessed value, the lowest of the counties we serve and lower than Franklin, Campbell, Amherst or Appomattox. The Board of Supervisors set it in a 4-3 vote against a $0.38 equalized rate. Residents inside the town of Bedford pay an additional town rate on top of it, so confirm which side of the town line a property sits on before you budget.
Which high school will my Bedford County home be zoned for?
One of three: Jefferson Forest in Forest, Liberty in the town of Bedford, or Staunton River in Moneta. Each anchors a distinct feeder pattern, and zoning can change within a two-mile stretch, so the answer is a parcel-level question rather than a town-level one. We confirm the current zone before you write an offer.
Is Smith Mountain Lake in Bedford County?
The north shore is. The lake spans three counties, and the county line is also the school-district line, so a Moneta or Huddleston address is Bedford County and Bedford County Public Schools while the south shore is Franklin County. That distinction changes your tax rate, your schools and your county services.
Can you get lake access in Bedford County without buying waterfront?
Yes, and it is the most common way people buy here. Lake-access and water-view property sits inland of the waterfront at a fraction of the price, and public access exists at Smith Mountain Lake State Park in Huddleston and Smith Mountain Lake Community Park in Moneta. What a given property actually conveys, from a deeded slip to a community ramp to nothing at all, varies lot by lot.
How far is Forest from Lynchburg?
Forest sits directly west of Lynchburg and functions as a commuter suburb, which is why it holds the county's largest residential concentration. You keep Bedford County tax rates and Bedford County schools while working in the city.
What kinds of homes does Bedford County have?
The widest range in the region, because the county runs from suburbs to lake to mountains: subdivision homes in Forest, a walkable historic downtown in the town of Bedford, lakefront and lake-access property around Moneta and Huddleston, and working acreage in between. Most of it is owner-occupied rather than rental or seasonal.
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