Explore the diversity of communal living found in Virginia including long standing communes, mainstream cohousings, homesteading neighborhoods, elder communities, and spiritually focused centers. Check out these 10 intentional communities in Virginia.
Want to visit these communities in-person?
Join the Virginia Intentional Communities Tour and travel in a small guided group to visit intentional communities in Virginia. Spend your August on this 9-day transformative journey to 10 intentional communities, all of the ones listed below!
10 Intentional Communities in Virginia
1. Acorn Community
Acorn Community Farm is an egalitarian community founded in 1993. They are committed to non-coercive, non-hierarchical, voluntary associations both within their community as well as within the larger community in which they find themselves. Acorn is also committed to income-sharing, sustainable living, and creating a vibrant, eclectic culture.
Acorn holds in common their land, labor, resources, and income, using them for the good of the community as a whole and its members as individuals. While all members must be enthusiastic about a culture of radical sharing and working with one another, they do not share religious, political, or philosophical beliefs. Acorn operates in a non-hierarchical manner, without bosses, owners, investors, or supervisors. While there are structured areas such as membership, they intentionally keep policies to a minimum, preferring a calm anarchy to prevail.
Check out more at: http://www.acorncommunity.org/
2. Anahata Education Center
Anahata is an intentional community and gathering place situated along the Little River in Floyd County, Virginia. Since 1995, they have explored the sacred interrelation of people, nature, and the cosmos. Their aim is to create a sustainable and mutually thriving connection with nature and each other. Visitors are invited to explore, learn, and share with them as they live from the Anahata Chakra – a Sanskrit word for heart center. Their core values include co-enlightening kindness, self-discovery, co-empowerment, sacredness, creativity & celebration, learning & evolution, holistic well-being, ecological sustainability, economic thrivance, and connection & sharing.
The community practices deep listening and mutual encouragement, fostering self-reflection and self-healing. They prioritize consensus decision-making and spiritual growth, embracing creativity and promoting holistic well-being while working towards ecological sustainability and economic well-being through shared resources and community gatherings.
Visit their website: https://anahataeducationcenter.com/
3. Cambia Community
Cambia aspires to be a small and stable community with a high level of sharing and connection. They are inspired by the nature around them as they attempt to create human habitat that emulates the beauty and complexity of living systems. Cambia seeks to intertwine reason and intuition, aesthetics and efficiency. They are interested in increasing their skills and education through experience, mentorship, sharing, and study, and growing as individuals. Within a thriving cluster of neighboring income-sharing communities, Cambia is creating a viable, regenerative alternative to the mainstream.
Find out more: cambiacommunity.weebly.com
4. Elderspirit Community
This is a unique intentional, mixed-income, participatory, co-housing community of elders, 55 and older. Recognizing that this is a time in their lives to explore and cultivate the spiritual aspects of their nature, they are committed to aging in community, with spirit. Living closely in community provides many opportunities for personal awareness, growth, and social well-being. ElderSpirit Community was created over a 10-year period via a series of meetings, planning sessions, and soul-searching, involving many of the people who are residents now or who remain involved today. Members were intimately involved in the development process; they planned and implemented their landscaping, and they created the Policies and Procedures and the Bylaws which continue to evolve and by which they govern themselves.
Visit them: https://elderspirit.org/
5. Emerson Commons Cohousing
Emerson Cohousing is a multi-generational cohousing neighborhood located on 6.1 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, one walk-able mile from downtown Crozet. There are beautiful gardens surrounding this neighborhood style community. The turn-of-the-century farmhouse is used as a Common House. There are lots available to buy and build on, and the occasional home for sale.
Visit them: https://www.emersoncommons.org/
6. Living Energy Farm
Living Energy Farm is an intentional off-the-grid community whose goal is to develop and promote sustainability technology for the health of the planet. They serve as a viable demonstration that a fulfilling life is possible without the use of fossil fuel. They actively promote lifestyles and technologies that are truly sustainable, making these sustainable technologies accessible to all persons regardless of their income or social position.
The community operates an organic farm that grows vegetables and commercial grain seeds. They produce all of their own electricity, are transitioning their tractors to run on biofuel, use solar thermal to heat their homes and water, and cook their food with biogas, solar, and wood. Through their outreach programs, LEF teaches about the importance of sustainable technology in context and about when and where such technologies are effective and when they are not.
Connect with them: https://livingenergyfarm.org/
7. Richmond Cohousing
Richmond Cohousing is a multi-generational, urban cohousing community. The mission is to create an intentional, diverse, multi-generational community of households who are good neighbors and conscientious environmental stewards. Living in close proximity and sharing resources, they increase quality of life by caring for one another, celebrating together, reducing consumption, decreasing their impact on the environment, and offering Richmond a new model of vibrant neighborhood design. Their solar-panel-topped, condo-style building has 19 units on four floors with additional common spaces, community kitchen, workshop, and foot rooftop deck with views of downtown Richmond.
Discover more: https://richmondcohousing.com/
8. Shannon Farm Community
This is a lovely and warm community spread over 500 acres in the beautiful hills of Shenandoah Valley. It’s home to a mix of folks of different ages and around 30 houses grouped close together, just a 30-minute drive from Charlottesville. Truly a hidden gem in a gorgeous part of Virginia. It’s a stable, roomy, and peaceful place. The community has rules for land buying to keep it affordable and sets membership fees based on your income.
Discover more: https://www.ic.org/directory/shannon-farm-community/
9. Twin Oaks Community
Twin Oaks is an intentional community in rural central Virginia, made up of around 80 adult members and 15 children. Since the community’s beginning in 1967, their way of life has reflected the values of cooperation, sharing, egalitarianism, income-sharing, nonviolence, and ecological sustainability. Considered the oldest income-sharing community in the country, Twin Oaks has proven a working model for an egalitarian based society for decades. Multiple businesses sustain the community, including hammock making, tofu making, and farming. Twin Oaks now has openings for new members.
Find out more: https://twinoaks.org/
10. Valley of Light
The Valley of Light (“VOL”) is a sustainable, spiritual community located in the rural town of Independence, Virginia. Their 23-acre campus is situated in the Appalachian Mountains and borders the ancient New River – the oldest river in the Western Hemisphere and possibly the oldest river in the world.
Dedicated to the Principle of Peace and the Universal Laws of Truth, Love, and Light. They seek social architects in all sectors of society – people who want to build a new world and who are in service to humanity. Members see the potential for major paradigm shift that will dramatically alter society. As such, they believe the key to a smooth transition is the adoption of new ways of living based on an awareness of the interconnectedness of all life. To that end, they are seeking committed “Cultural Creatives,” who wish to build a model micro-community that operates in every sector of society. The “Peace Pentagon” serves as the heart of their campus, which is maintained by Oracle Temple, their esoteric and multi-faith church.
For additional details, visit: https://peacepentagon.net/about-our-community
Start Your Search for Intentional Communities in Virginia
Ready to get going on your search? The Community Finders Circle is a membership program designed for those actively in the process of searching for a community. Get a network of support, essential resources, and the mentorship that will see you through on your journey.
Embrace the possibilities, find your tribe, and experience the transformative power of intentional communities. Let CommunityFinders be your trusted guide as you explore the beauty and purpose of intentional communities, offering you a glimpse of the possibilities for your own fulfilling and regenerative lifestyle.
Also, check out the upcoming Ecovillage Tour in Virginia hosted by our partners at Ecovillage Tours. Journey to 10 intentional communities over the course of an 9 day tour this August and kickstart your new year with a transformative experience.
Know of More Intentional Communities in Virginia?
Share in the comments below about communities you have heard of or have visited and we will add them to the list above. Thank you for your help in expanding this list.
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