MA born, FL reared, need to get away!

My wife and I (queer couple) are preparing to move next summer to Virginia. I grew up in Massachusetts which sets the bar high for certain things I’m looking for… but we both are in FL currently and need to get away from this climate (political and weather…) We have visited VA more than a few times and are drawn to the blue ridge area. The major city we liked most is Charlottesville, but I feel like living there will be out of reach right now. We both work in education and will continue to do so when we move, so a good school system is a must. The pay scale is a big factor in where we land. We’re just not sure what cities/areas “near” Charlottesville/the blue ridge we can really take a good look at. We liked Staunton, neutral about Roanoke, but haven’t been to too many of the other smaller cities around that area.

Our biggest things we’re looking for are: 1) good schools/district. 2) LGBTQ embracing. 3) close enough to the blue ridge that we can do regular hikes and trips in the mountains.