Blacksburg, VA
Census place 5107784 · pop 45,446
Home of Virginia Tech, site of the 2007 campus shooting, one of the deadliest in U.S. history.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
42.7% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.61 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
22.3% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
35.8% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$50,182 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$446,300 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$1,837/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+2.6% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
8.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.78% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
93.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
21.1% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
10.1% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
2.7% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
24.8% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
69.2% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
15 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
26/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Not measured for Blacksburg: Crime, Air, Bad air, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Blacksburg, VA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Blacksburg scores 53/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 18 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is natural disaster risk and its weakest is poverty rate. Virginia overall ranks #14 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Blacksburg, VA expensive to live in?
- Blacksburg has a median home value of $446,300 and typical rent around $1,837/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Blacksburg, VA?
- Its weakest measured area is poverty rate (42.7%) — 0/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Blacksburg, VA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is natural disaster risk (26/100) — 97/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: Home of Virginia Tech, site of the 2007 campus shooting, one of the deadliest in U.S. history.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.