Blacksburg–Christiansburg–Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area | ||
|---|---|---|
| Blacksburg–Christiansburg–Radford, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area | ||
 Burruss Hall atVirginia Tech | ||
 Map of Blacksburg–Christiansburg–Radford Area
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| Country |  United States | |
| State |  Virginia | |
| Largest city | Blacksburg | |
| Other cities | -Christiansburg -Radford | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | |
TheBlacksburg–Christiansburg–Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area[1] is aMetropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) as defined by theUnited StatesOffice of Management and Budget (OMB) located in theNew River Valley of SouthwestVirginia. As of the2020 census, the MSA had a population of 181,863 (a greater than 11.6 percent rise from the 2010 census population of 162,958).[2]
The MSA is dominated by the presence ofVirginia Tech andRadford University. The area, known as the New River Valley (or NRV), has experienced tremendous growth in the last twenty years and continues to be among the fastest growing areas in Virginia. It is bordered by theAllegheny Mountains to the North and theBlue Ridge Mountains to the South, with theNew River flowing through the valley itself. The central communities in the area consist of twotowns and onecity; state law draws a sharp distinction between cities, which are completely separate from counties, and towns, which are contained within counties.Blacksburg, the larger of the towns, is home to Virginia Tech, whileRadford, the only city in the group, is home to Radford University.Christiansburg, a town which lies between Blacksburg and Radford, is the Montgomery County county seat and home to a branch of theNew River Community College as well as hundreds of stores and restaurants and a historic downtown.
Note: Since a state constitutional change in 1871, all cities inVirginia areindependent cities that are not located in any county. The OMB considers these independent cities to be county-equivalents for the purpose of defining MSAs in Virginia.
Three counties and one independent city are included in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.[3]
As of thecensus[4] of 2000, there were 151,272 people, 58,443 households, and 34,881 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 91.24%White, 4.34%African American, 0.18%Native American, 2.44%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 0.50% fromother races, and 1.28% fromtwo or more races.Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.29% of the population.
The median income for a household in the MSA was $31,446, and the median income for a family was $44,478. Males had a median income of $32,377 versus $22,605 for females. Theper capita income for the MSA was $17,184.
