Blacksburg, VA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Virginia·Blacksburg

Montgomery County · Blacksburg-Christiansburg · population 45,452

Blacksburg, VA
Image: Wikipedia · Blacksburg, Virginia
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
65
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Blacksburg stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $423,763
1-year +2.1%
5-yr CAGR +4.2%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.3%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$424k$224k$296k$369k$441k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
76/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,855/mo$1,476$1,748$2,019202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent108118100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 19.0
Lean buy

At a 19.0 price-to-rent ratio, Blacksburg is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
60 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
60 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
52 · w16%
Rent YoY
65 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
66 · w10%
Long thesis

Blacksburg has held up across the cycle: home values at $423,763 with +4.2% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Blacksburg's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Blacksburg

Blacksburg is a city in Montgomery County, Virginia, with an estimated population of 45,452. It anchors the Blacksburg-Christiansburg metro area. The median home value in Blacksburg is $423,763 as of 2026-04, up 2.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.2% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Blacksburg average $1,855 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+2.9%). The composite momentum score is 65 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Quiet strength: +2.1% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Blacksburg (Wikipedia)

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.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Montgomery County right now.

NWS active alerts (VA)Virginia Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Montgomery County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Blacksburg

27 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Wyatt Farm$784,970+2.3%
2Jefferson Forest$645,459-2.8%
3Downtown$645,338+4.5%
4Miller Southside$634,426+7.3%
5Brush Mountain$609,653-0.8%
6Preston Forest$588,460-0.3%
7Laurel Ridge$586,442+0.4%
8Mountain View$566,221+4.1%
9Tom's Creek$557,671+1.3%
10Main/Patrick Henry$544,950+1.3%
11Northside Park$541,238-0.2%
12Apperson/Dickerson$510,203+3.3%
13Alleghany$504,770+4.7%
14Mount Tabor$472,241+3.6%
15Murphy$456,985+4.2%
16Grissom/Highland$431,895+2.9%
17McBride$427,296+3.6%
18Woodbine$425,172-1.1%
19Glade/Westover$416,582+2.1%
20Airport Acres$413,880+5.5%
21Hethwood$396,664+1.4%
22Bennett Hill/Progress$371,917+0.0%
23Downtown East$342,281+2.0%
24Farmview/Ramble$339,077+2.1%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Blacksburg

Winchester, VA64 · RisingPoquoson, VA66 · RisingLeesburg, VA65 · RisingWaynesboro, VA73 · Rising

Run the numbers for Blacksburg

ToolCan I afford Blacksburg?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Blacksburg rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Blacksburg to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolBlacksburg cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
47° / 27°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
87° / 65°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
205
~56% of year
Annual precip
44″ rain
14″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Moderate
Tornado
Low
Wildfire
Low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Blacksburg listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Blacksburg-Christiansburg area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
70%
Humid climate
Median household income
$87,200
Virginia state median
Top industries (state-level)
Government/DefenseTech (NoVa)Shipbuilding

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Cities similar to Blacksburg

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