47% of Blacksburg’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Christiansburg (8%), Roanoke (4%) and Radford (3%). Half commute less than 5 miles.

47%work in town

Where working residents work

In Blacksburg47%

Christiansburg8%

Roanoke4%

Radford3%

Salem2%

5 mi

median commute distance

21,328

jobs based in Blacksburg

A job hub

jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →

Schools

Blacksburg’s public schools outperform 63% of Virginia districts

The public schools Blacksburg’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 63% of Virginia’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

BSchool Grade

School	Grades	Students	Grade
Kipps Elementary	K–5	358	B+
Margaret Beeks Elementary	PK–5	346	A−
Gilbert Linkous Elementary	PK–5	292	A
Harding Avenue Elementary	K–5	279	A
St. John Neumann Academy Private	PK–8	191
Mine Me Us Montessori School Private	PK–4	74

NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduationAll 10 schools →

Outdoors

6.8% of Blacksburg is conserved land

35 miles of trails across 32 parks and preserves.

#38for trails in VA

Map of Blacksburg: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk — Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below

6.8%

conserved · 862 of 12,629 acres

35 mi

of trails · 1.8 per sq mi

#88

most conserved land in VA

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Heritage Community Park & Natural Area	1.9 mi	168
2. Gateway Trail Park	0.9 mi	15
3. Blacksburg Municipal Park	—	35

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →

Natural hazards

Very low risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 0% of U.S. communities.

0risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingCold wavesEarthquakes

paid flood claims since 1978

federal disasters paid out here

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →

Health

Healthier than 80% of U.S. towns

Blacksburg beats the Virginia average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10.

A−Health Grade

32 measures vs. Virginia

11 better11 too close to call10 worse

What stands out	Blacksburg	VA
Fewer adults who have had cancer	3.3%	7.7%
Fewer adults with diabetes	5.7%	12.5%
More adults without reliable transportation	12.1%	7.4%

Lewisgale Hospital Montgomery

3.3 mi away · emergency room

3 of 3

care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

67th

percentile among VA towns

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →

Safety

Less crime per resident than 78% of U.S. towns

Blacksburg reports less crime per resident than 78% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

A−Safety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Blacksburg0.7

Virginia2.1

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Blacksburg5.5

Virginia13.9

U.S.15.5

78th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

90th

percentile among VA towns

violent crimes reported in 2025

252

property crimes reported in 2025

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →

Climate

Four seasons, pleasant summers

Blacksburg has chilly winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

25″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter26–45°

Spring41–65°

Summer60–82°

Fall43–66°

Oct 19

typical first frost

Apr 24

typical last frost

+1.1°

vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →

Housing

A typical Blacksburg home is worth about $417K

The typical Blacksburg home is worth about $417,000, up 2.5% in a year, close to the Virginia typical home.

$417KZillow home value

Typical home value

Blacksburg$417K

Virginia$415K

Market temperature

days on market

98.6%

sale-to-list price

+2.5%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in May

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

College town

56% of Blacksburg is in college

2 colleges in town.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University36,796 students on campus

Admission: 55%
Net price: $24,953
Graduate: 86%

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine2,596 students on campus

Admission: Open
Net price: —
Graduate: —

College Scorecard · IPEDS

Landmarks

15 places in Blacksburg on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Smithfield

Solitude

Amiss-Palmer House

Keister House

Famous people from Blacksburg

14 notable people were born in Blacksburg.

See all 14 →

John B. FloydAmerican politician · 1806–1863

Patri FriedmanAmerican libertarian activist and theorist of political economy · born 1976

William Ballard PrestonAmerican politician · 1805–1862

William Frank NewtonAmerican musician · 1906–1954

Brandon StokleyAmerican football wide receiver · born 1976

Bob RoopAmerican professional and amateur wrestler · born 1947

About Blacksburg

Town in Virginia, United States

Official town website ↗

Blacksburg is an incorporated town in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 44,826 at the 2020 census. Blacksburg and the surrounding county is dominated economically and demographically by the presence of Virginia Tech. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and the city of Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg metropolitan area, which encompasses those jurisdictions and all of Montgomery, Pulaski, and Giles counties for statistical purposes. The MSA has an estimated population of 181,863 and is currently one of the faster-growing MSAs in Virginia.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)