Cost of living in Blacksburg research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Blacksburg is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Virginia, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Blacksburg is 107, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Blacksburg is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Blacksburg ranks as the #67 cheapest in Virginia out of 186.
Blacksburg ranks as the #3,867 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Blacksburg is $335,200.
The median income in Blacksburg is $43,804.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Blacksburg has an overall cost of living index of 107, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Virginia, Blacksburg has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Virginia's index of 102.
The standard of living in Blacksburg ranks as #67 most affordable out of the 186 places we measured in Virginia. By definition, that implies Blacksburg ranks as the #119 most expensive place in the Old Dominion.
For more reading on life in Blacksburg, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Blacksburg. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Blacksburg is 99.
The Groceries index in Blacksburg is 95.
The Health index in Blacksburg is 91.
The Housing index in Blacksburg is 136.
The Transportation index in Blacksburg is 91.
The Utilities index in Blacksburg is 88.
Living Expense | Blacksburg | Virginia | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 107 | 102 | 100 | |
Services | 99 | 102 | 100 | |
Groceries | 95 | 98 | 100 | |
Health | 91 | 102 | 100 | |
Housing | 136 | 107 | 100 | |
Transportation | 91 | 95 | 100 | |
Utilities | 88 | 102 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Virginia, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Blacksburg is $335,200.
The Median Rent in Blacksburg is $1,185.
The Median Income in Blacksburg is $43,804.
The Home Value To Income in Blacksburg is 7.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Blacksburg is 0.32x.
Statistic | Blacksburg | Virginia | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $335,200 | $295,500 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,185 | $1,326 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $43,804 | $80,615 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 7.7x | 3.7x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.32x | 0.2x | 0.2x |
Item | Blacksburg | Virginia |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $0.92 | $1.06 |
Movie | $9.96 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $13.78 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $13.38 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $36.03 | $39.05 |
Item | Blacksburg | Virginia |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.55 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.18 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.85 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.79 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $10.26 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.92 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $1.86 | $2.34 |
Item | Blacksburg | Virginia |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $82.63 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $107.12 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $93.5 | $99.13 |
Item | Blacksburg | Virginia |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.13 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $41.02 | $50.07 |
Item | Blacksburg | Virginia |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $130.92 | $167.67 |
Phone | $177.97 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Blacksburg. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Roanoke, VA has a cost of living index of 87, 0.8x Blacksburg.
Salem, VA has a cost of living index of 93, 0.9x Blacksburg.
Cave Spring, VA has a cost of living index of 98, 0.9x Blacksburg.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Blacksburg |
---|---|---|---|
Roanoke, VA | 99,578 | 87 | 0.8x |
Salem, VA | 25,335 | 93 | 0.9x |
Cave Spring, VA | 25,248 | 98 | 0.9x |
Christiansburg, VA | 23,174 | 94 | 0.9x |
Radford, VA | 16,205 | 91 | 0.9x |
Hollins, VA | 15,857 | 92 | 0.9x |
Martinsville, VA | 13,476 | 81 | 0.8x |
Pulaski, VA | 8,984 | 80 | 0.7x |
Vinton, VA | 8,039 | 85 | 0.8x |
Covington, VA | 5,716 | 78 | 0.7x |