The beautiful Blacksburg area demonstrates that college towns are the best bargain in U.S. real estate--the ideal mix of low prices, culture, fun and high-tech growth. This small college town seems like so many other small towns: slow pace, peaceful neighborhoods, reasonable cost of living, and beautiful scenery.
With a population hovering around 40,000 and moderate seasonal temperatures, Blacksburg was last year named a top 20 retirement town by Blue Ridge County Magazine, and the eighth best place to live in the nation and the very best in the mid-Atlantic by Men's Journal Magazine.
But Blacksburg refuses to simply rest on its laurels. This past year, as part of the National Citizens Survey--a nationwide endeavor to understand residents' concerns at the local level--respondents in Blacksburg gave the highest ratings to their town's appearance, openness, and acceptance, as well as its many cultural opportunities. Blacksburg also fulfills one of the most important community characteristics that retirees consider before relocating to an area: its low crime rate. Indeed, 91 percent of town residents reported they feel safe in their neighborhoods, and Blacksburg overall received a rating of 75 (out of 100) as a good place to live.
Without a doubt, Blacksburg is a friendly town--especially downtown among its more than 160 businesses and restaurants--and residents like that it's so easy to meet people and to see these people out and about, one of the reasons Blacksburg was cited last year in Gerald Sweitzer and Kathy Field's 50 Best Small Southern Towns. The surrounding countryside is equally exciting and naturally beautiful, prompting Outside Magazine to name Blacksburg a top 10 "dream town" for outdoors enthusiasts.
The university's presence, which brings approximately 26,000 students to town, guarantees a variety of cultural activities and sporting events; in fact, The Sporting News ranked Blacksburg 61 out of 375 as a "best sports city." And even with many of the attractions of a larger city, Blacksburg can still boast of low taxes, relatively low humidity, and low-stress traffic. Add to all of this the number of services that directly target the town's increasing number of retirement-age residents, such as accessible health care, enhanced public care services, and convenient public transportation, and Blacksburg tops many a list of favorite destinations, even among non-Hokies.
Schools
Blacksburg is dominated economically and demographically by the presence of Virginia's largest university, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (better known as ''Virginia Tech'').
Private Schools
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Blacksburg Christian School
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Dayspring Chrn Academy
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Gateway Christian Academy
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Tall Oaks Montessori School
Top 5 Private Employers
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Virginia Tech
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Montgomery County Schools
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ATK – Alliant Techsystems
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Federal Mogul
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Northrop Grumman Poly. Scientific
Top 5 Fastest Growing Companies
Source: Virginia Employment Commission
