Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

Add Comparison
2023 Population
181,605
9.2% 1-year growth
US Senator
Mark Warner
Democratic Party
US Senator
Tim Kaine
Democratic Party
2023 Median Age
34.9
3.56% 1-year increase
2023 Poverty Rate
19.9%
7.55% 1-year decrease
2023 Median Household Income
$64,627
4.21% 1-year growth
2023 Median Property Value
$228,400
3.16% 1-year growth
2023 Employed Population
85,554
11.2% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA had a population of 182k people with a median age of 34.9 and a median household income of $64,627. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA grew from 166,304 to 181,605, a 9.2% increase and its median household income grew from $62,017 to $64,627, a 4.21% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA are White (Non-Hispanic) (85.2%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (4.24%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (3.75%), Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) (2.17%), and Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) (1.35%).

None of the households in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.5% of the residents in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA are Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (11,215 degrees awarded in 2023), Radford University (2,222 degrees), and New River Community College (888 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA was $228,400, and the homeownership rate was 62.5%.

Most people in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA was 2 cars per household.

Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA borders Bluefield, WV-VA and Roanoke, VA.

Population & Diversity

Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA is home to a population of 182k people, from which 96.5% are citizens. As of 2023, 5.91% of Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA residents were born outside of the country (10.7k people).

In 2023, there were 20.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (155k people) in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.71k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 6.8k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

96.5%
2023 Citizenship
96.4%
2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 96.5% of Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA was 96.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

View Data
Save Image

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    155k ± 355
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    7.71k ± 364
  3. Asian (Non-Hispanic)
    6.8k ± 404
3.69%
Hispanic Population
6.7k people

In 2023, there were 20.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (155k people) in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.71k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 6.8k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

3.69% of the people in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA are hispanic (6.7k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA as a share of the total population.

View Data
Save Image

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Virginia.
Most Common Origin
  1. El Salvador
    107,827 ± 8,012 people
  2. India
    97,961 ± 7,641 people
  3. Mexico
    63,695 ± 6,173 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Virginia was El Salvador, the natal country of 107,827 Virginia residents, followed by India with 97,961 and Mexico with 63,695.

View Data
Save Image

Foreign-Born Population

5.91%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
10.7k people
5.96%
2022 Foreign-Born Population
9.92k people

As of 2023, 5.91% of Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA residents (10.7k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA was 5.96%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

View Data
Save Image

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    2,714 ± 280
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    1,765 ± 331
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    1,446 ± 289

Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.54 times greater than any other conflict.

View Data
Save Image

Economy

The economy of Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA employs 85.6k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA were Educational Services (17,115 people), Manufacturing (11,466 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (9,911 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($68,056), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($62,083), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($60,076).

Occupations

85.6k
2023 Value
± 2,352
11.2%
1 Year growth
± 3.7%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA grew at a rate of 11.2%, from 76.9k employees to 85.6k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (9,836 people), Sales & Related Occupations (7,970 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (7,407 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA.

View Data
Save Image

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Virginia (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

View Data
Save Image

Employment by Industries

85.6k
2023 Value
± 2,352
11.2%
1 Year growth
± 3.7%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA grew at a rate of 11.2%, from 76.9k employees to 85.6k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, are Educational Services (17,115 people), Manufacturing (11,466 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (9,911 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, though some of these residents may live in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

View Data
Save Image

Median Earnings by Industry

$46,476
Median earning men ± $1,562
$34,587
Median earning women ± $1,519

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($64,444), Manufacturing ($59,283), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($55,000).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($48,750), Information ($47,701), and Manufacturing ($45,773).

View Data
Save Image

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.
Y-Axis
2.48%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.1M people employed in Virginia. This represents a 2.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.8%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Virginia.

View Data
Save Image

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 297
    Other Services (except Public Administration)
  2. 230
    Retail Trade
  3. 228
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

View Data
Save Image

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $933k
    Manufacturing
  2. $457k
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  3. $304k
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

View Data
Save Image

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Kamala Harris with 51.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Other (0.905%).

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing the state of Virginia. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

US Senators from Virginia

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.
Mark Warner
Senator from Virginia2
Assumed office on January 3, 2009
Tim Kaine
Senator from Virginia1
Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing Virginia.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Virginia over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

View Data
Save Image

US Representatives from Virginia

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Virginia have changed over time starting in 2008.

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Education

In 2023, universities in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA awarded 14,796 degrees. The student population of Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA in 2023 is skewed towards men, with 27,339 male students and 25,238 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA are White (9,469 and 69.8%), followed by Asian (1,305 and 9.61%), Hispanic or Latino (992 and 7.31%), and Black or African American (812 and 5.98%).

The largest universities in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA by number of degrees awarded are Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (11,215 and 75.8%), Radford University (2,222 and 15%), and New River Community College (888 and 6%).

The most popular majors in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA are General Computer & Information Sciences (877 and 5.93%), General Business Administration & Management (533 and 3.6%), and Management Science (486 and 3.28%).

The median tuition costs in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA are $N/A for private four year colleges, and $10,550 and $27,082 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 63.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 22.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 52,577 (52% men and 48% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

View Data
Save Image

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 52,577 students enrolled in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, 52% men and 48% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 31,386 records, of which 50.3% were women and 49.7% men.

View Data
Save Image

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. 486 degrees awarded
  2. 406 degrees awarded
  3. 526 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA was Management Science with 486 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA according to their major.

View Data
Save Image

Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. 11,215 degrees awarded
  2. 2,222 degrees awarded
  3. 888 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with 11,215 degrees awarded.

View Data
Save Image

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 7,523 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, which is 1.03 times more than the 7,273 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 9,469 degrees mean that there were 7.26 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 1,305 degrees awarded.

View Data
Save Image

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($10,550) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($3,333) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($2,000) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

View Data
Save Image

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.
Measure

In 2023, 0.988% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.986% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

View Data
Save Image

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.
Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (1.72M), Bachelors Degree (1.5M), and Some college (1.37M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

View Data
Save Image

Housing & Living

The median property value in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA was $228,400 in 2023, which is 0.753 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $221,400 to $228,400, a 3.16% increase. The homeownership rate in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA is 62.5%, which is lower than the national average of 65%.

People in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA have an average commute time of 21.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Property

$228,400
Median Property Value 2023
±$5,106
$43,753
Median Property Taxes
±$1,524

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Rent vs Own

62.5%
Homeownership
2023
67.7%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2023

In 2023, 62.5% of the housing units in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 60.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

View Data
Save Image

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$64,627
Median Household Income
± $2,441
70k
Number of Households
± 2,017

In 2023, the median household income of the 70k households in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA grew to $64,627 from the previous year's value of $62,017.

The following chart displays the households in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

View Data
Save Image

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA is from Virginia.
0.472
2023 Wage GINI in Virginia
0.475
2022 Wage GINI in Virginia

In 2023, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.472 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.599% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Virginia in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Virginia across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

View Data
Save Image

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023
  1. Drove Alone (75.1%)
  2. Worked At Home (9.67%)
  3. Carpooled (7.26%)

In 2023, 75.1% of workers in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (9.67%) and those who carpooled to work (7.26%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

View Data
Save Image

Commute Time

21.2 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA have a shorter commute time (21.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.18% of the workforce in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA have 2 cars.

View Data
Save Image

Poverty & Diversity

19.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA (33.1k out of 166k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA is White, followed by Black and Asian.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

View Data
Save Image

Health

94.3% of the population of Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA has health coverage, with 56.4% on employee plans, 10.6% on Medicaid, 14.3% on Medicare, 11.4% on non-group plans, and 1.58% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Virginia see 1,341 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.28% increase from the previous year (1,324 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1329 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 411 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.2% were men and 49.8% were women.

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.
1,341 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Virginia

Primary care physicians in Virginia see an average of 1,341 patients per year. This represents a 1.28% increase from the previous year (1,324 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Virginia in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

View Data
Save Image

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.2% under 18 years, 30.2% between 18 and 34 years, 33.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.2% were men and 49.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

View Data
Save Image

Uninsured People

5.67%
Uninsured
56.4%
Employer Coverage
10.6%
Medicaid
14.3%
Medicare
11.4%
Non-Group
1.58%
Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA grew by 4.77% from 5.41% to 5.67%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

View Data
Save Image