| Index | Blacksburg | Virginia | National |
| Cost of living | 119 | 111 | 100 |
| Groceries | 103 | 103 | 100 |
| Health care | 104 | 103 | 100 |
| Housing | 157 | 129 | 100 |
| Transportation | 102 | 105 | 100 |
| Utilities | 104 | 104 | 100 |
| Lifestyle & Entertainment | 100 | 103 | 100 |
| Household Items | 103 | 102 | 100 |
| Education & Childcare | 103 | 109 | 100 |
Are you thinking about relocating, but curious about the potential cost of living in Blacksburg? Is it more expensive or more affordable than average? Based on the most recent report, the cost of living in Blacksburg stands at 119, making it 19% higher than the national average. The cost of living directly affects the affordability of one's desired lifestyle. Knowing the cost of housing, transportation, groceries and other essentials in the new area allows people to gauge whether they can maintain their preferred standard of living.
Housing costs are a very significant part of the Blacksburg cost of living index and generally encompass a large percentage of take-home income. Unfortunately, in this area, the housing costs for both homes and rentals were 57.1% more than the average city. This includes things like home and rent prices, mortgage rates and insurance.
The real experts on a city are its residents. That's why we reached out to 7 locals to get their views on the cost of living in Blacksburg. We surveyed the residents and asked them if they felt like prices were affordable or out of reach. The results were as follows. 29% found it budget-friendly with decreasing prices, while 71% said it's simply not affordable as prices have continued to rise.
Is Blacksburg an affordable place to live? That's a valid question to ask when you're thinking about moving to a new city. After all, how much it costs to live somewhere can be a huge factor in your decision. Affordability can be broken down into 3 common categories. The cost of living index (we talked about it earlier), housing expenses and income levels all play a big role in figuring out if a place is affordable. For instance, in Blacksburg, the median home price is 73.4% higher than what most folks pay across the country, and monthly rent prices are 19% higher than the usual rates. Income levels in Blacksburg come in at $61,128, which is 24.8% lower than the national average.
Urbanization: Larger, urban centers, known for their wealth of amenities and strong employment prospects, often exhibit an elevated cost of living, primarily attributable to the heightened demand for services and residential relocation. Consequently, this scenario leads to elevated home prices and higher rental rates. In contrast, sparsely populated rural areas or regions characterized by diminished demand typically provide a more limited array of amenities and experience slower job market growth, resulting in a more affordable cost of living.
Transportation: If public transportation is limited or not available, residents may need to own and maintain vehicles, which can add to the cost of living. Gas, insurance, regular maintenance and potentially lease or finance payments will all need to be paid on a monthly basis. In Blacksburg, the transportation index is 2.3% higher than the national average.
Taxes: Areas with higher taxes, including sales taxes and income taxes, can contribute to a higher cost of living. Paying more tax for everyday household expenses like clothing and food will result in higher costs, as will paying a higher rate of income tax. The general sales tax rate in Blacksburg starts at 5.3% and the income tax rates start at 2%.
The Blacksburg cost of living data above is designed around a U.S. average baseline of 100, allowing for easy comparisons of relative living costs. Housing incorporates U.S. Census home price and rental data, while all other figures are AI-assisted estimates that account for regional price trends, climate, transportation dynamics, and common everyday expenses. These values are best used as directional city-to-city comparisons.
| Cost of living index | |
| Groceries index | |
| Health care index | |
| Housing index | |
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| Utilities index | |
| Lifestyle index | |
| Household index | |
| Educare index |
| Median Income | Per Year | Per Month | Max Budget (28% DTI) | Max Budget (36% DTI) |
| Owners | $182,717 | $15,226 | $4,263 | $5,482 |
| Renters | $32,149 | $2,679 | $750 | $965 |
| State | General Sales Tax | With Max Surtax |
| Virginia | 5.3% | 6% |
| State | Income Tax (Low) | Income Tax (High) |
| Virginia | 2% | 5.75% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Snowville, VA | 68 | 103 | 2.8% |
| New River, VA | 383 | 103 | 2.8% |
| Lafayette, VA | 840 | 103 | 2.8% |
| Parrott, VA | 311 | 103 | 2.8% |
| Plum Creek, VA | 1,092 | 90 | 10.0% |
| Blacksburg, VA | 45,402 | 119 | 19.1% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Sayreville, NJ | 45,370 | 125 | 25.1% |
| North Lauderdale, FL | 45,366 | 108 | 8.1% |
| Bountiful, UT | 45,323 | 120 | 19.8% |
| Burke, VA | 45,553 | 158 | 58.3% |
| Lombard, IL | 45,226 | 116 | 15.9% |
| Blacksburg, VA | 45,402 | 119 | 19.1% |
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