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Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP

Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA

Cost-of-living indicators for Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.

92.7
Overall RPP
#219
of 387 metros
74.4
Rents RPP
$108K
$100K national buys

Blacksburg ranks #219 of 387 U.S. metros by cost, and its overall price index has risen 4.8 points since 2008.

  • rising since 2008
  • similar cost to Yuma

The verdict

Blacksburg costs less than 57% of U.S. metros, an overall index of 92.7, 7.3% below the national average, with rents the biggest swing at 74.4.

bottom 43%
by overall cost, nationwide
96.8
goods RPP, tradable items
88.1
services RPP, labor-priced

A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $107,863 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $92,710.

RPP History (2008-2024)

The cost of living has been trending upward, increasing by 4.8 points over this period. The largest single-year move was in 2013, when the index jumped 3.5 points from the year before.

Blacksburg overall RPP, 2008-2024

Every year on record, national average = 100

Up 4.8 pts
8688909294 20082024 87.9 92.7 ▲ +5.4%
Year Overall
2008 87.9
2009 87.4
2010 90.2
2011 90.6
2012 88.6
2013 92.0
2014 91.8
2015 91.5
2016 88.4
2017 88.7
2018 91.6
2019 90.9
2020 91.0
2021 92.0
2022 93.0
2023 90.9
2024 92.7

Latest BEA release change

What changed from 2023 to 2024

Blacksburg's overall RPP rose +1.8 points, from 90.9 in 2023 to 92.7 in 2024. The largest category movement was rents, changing from 67.5 to 74.4. This is a relative change against the national benchmark, not a household's dollar bill.

Compare every metro's latest release change → Follow this metro's annual update feed

Salary Equivalent

A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:

$92,710

in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA purchasing power

$50,000 nationally
$46,355
$75,000 nationally
$69,533
$125,000 nationally
$115,887
$150,000 nationally
$139,065
$200,000 nationally
$185,420

Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.

Affordability score

C
59/100

How far the median local paycheck goes here, combining income and housing cost

Purchasing power
Not reported
Housing affordability C
59th percentile

A weighted composite (60% purchasing power, 40% housing affordability) percentile-ranked against every other tracked metro; a missing input redistributes its weight rather than deflating the score. Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 (income) + BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost). Vintages differ by design; see methodology.

Housing-led affordability profile

How Blacksburg's cost structure works

Housing is the strongest affordability offset in Blacksburg: rents index at 74.4, the component furthest below the national benchmark. That does not make every local expense low, but it is the clearest explanation for the metro's overall RPP of 92.7.

Across all reported metros, the closest component-profile matches are Yuma, AZ, Greensboro-High Point, NC, Fayetteville, NC. They resemble Blacksburg across goods, services, and rents together, so they are stronger structure peers than a place selected only because its overall RPP happens to be nearby.

Across 2008-2024, Blacksburg's overall index has risen by 4.8 points. This is a relative price-level history, not a prediction or a personal affordability recommendation; pair it with current local wages and housing options before making a decision.

Blacksburg vs every U.S. metro

Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution

93 Bottom 43% higher than 43% of 387 US metros

80–84: 3 US metros (1%). Below this entry. 84–88: 48 US metros (12%). Below this entry. 88–92: 94 US metros (24%). Below this entry. 92–96: 97 US metros (25%). This entry sits in this band. 96–100: 55 US metros (14%). Above this entry. 100–104: 54 US metros (14%). Above this entry. 104–108: 17 US metros (4%). Above this entry. 108–112: 14 US metros (4%). Above this entry. 112–116: 5 US metros (1%). Above this entry. 116–120: 0 US metros (0%). Above this entry. This metro 80 120 every US metro, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024

Blacksburg cost breakdown

BEA RPP by category, 100 = national average

RPP

What this shows Blacksburg's cost structure is housing-led: rents at 74.4 depart furthest from 100, while services sits at 88.1. This is a rent-sensitive profile, not a claim that every local expense moves together.

Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities As of 2024

Goods vs. housing, where Blacksburg's cost comes from

Metros near Blacksburg's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.

Crosshairs sit at the group median (goods 93.7, rents 72.7). Blacksburg is pricier than its peers on both housing and goods. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024. 2×2 strategic matrix plotting 7 entities by Goods RPP (tradable items) → (X) and Rents RPP (housing) → (Y), with a crosshair dividing the plot into four quadrants. Pricier on bothMore housing-ledMore goods-ledCheaper on both 92949698100102 657075808590 Goods RPP (tradable items) → Rents RPP (housing) → BlacksburgYumaChampaignDaytonSlidellUticaSpringfield
Crosshairs sit at the group median (goods 93.7, rents 72.7). Blacksburg is pricier than its peers on both housing and goods. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Read the chart as text
  • Blacksburg (Blacksburg, this metro): goods RPP 96.8, rents RPP 74.4
  • Yuma: goods RPP 96.2, rents RPP 73.8
  • Champaign: goods RPP 93.6, rents RPP 71.6
  • Dayton: goods RPP 93.6, rents RPP 72.7
  • Slidell: goods RPP 93.7, rents RPP 85.4
  • Utica: goods RPP 99.7, rents RPP 66.1
  • Springfield: goods RPP 93.6, rents RPP 71.6

Price Index Summary

Overall

92.7

Below avg

Goods

96.8

Below avg

Services

88.1

Cheap

Rents

74.4

Cheap

VA-relative analysis

Services prices places Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA toward the bottom of VA's metros

Among the 9 VA metros PlainCost tracks with reported services prices data, Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA ranks #8 - the 11th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide rank above: it compares Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA only against its own state's metros, not the full US field.

Goods prices
#1 of 9
22nd percentile in VA
Services prices
#8 of 9
11th percentile in VA
Rent prices
#7 of 9
22nd percentile in VA

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "more expensive is worse", see the national comparison above for direction context. This is a comparison within VA only, not a livability score.

Nationwide metros with similar overall cost or rent prices

Two BEA RPP-derived peer sets for Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA: nearest metros by overall regional price parity and by rents RPP. These are cross-state neighborhoods, not the in-state metro list below.

Similar overall RPP

Nearest metros by overall regional price parity (92.7 here).

Yuma, AZ RPP 92.7 Champaign-Urbana, IL RPP 92.7 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH RPP 92.7 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA RPP 92.7

Similar rents RPP

Nearest metros by rents regional price parity (74.4 here).

Oshkosh-Neenah, WI Rents 74.4 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI Rents 74.2 Greensboro-High Point, NC Rents 74.5 Casper, WY Rents 74.2 Baton Rouge, LA Rents 74.2 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI Rents 74.6 Monroe, MI Rents 74.6 Green Bay, WI Rents 74.7

Other VA Metros

Charlottesville, VA 99.1 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC 97.9 Richmond, VA 97.9 Winchester, VA-WV 96.5 Harrisonburg, VA 94.9 Roanoke, VA 93.6

View all VA metros → Cheapest in VA → Most expensive in VA →

Metros with Similar Cost of Living

These metros have an overall RPP closest to Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA's index of 92.7.

Showing the 6 closest of 387 metro areas tracked nationally.

Yuma, AZ 92.7 Champaign-Urbana, IL 92.7 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH 92.7 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA 92.7 Utica-Rome, NY 92.7 Springfield, IL 92.7

Decision peers

Metros with a similar cost mix

These metros are closest to Blacksburg's combined goods, services, and rents profile. They may not have the same overall RPP, but their price pressures are shaped in a similar way.

Yuma, AZ Goods 96.2 · Services 87.8 · Rents 73.8 Greensboro-High Point, NC Goods 96.6 · Services 89.1 · Rents 74.5 Fayetteville, NC Goods 96.6 · Services 87.8 · Rents 73.1 Sebring, FL Goods 96.2 · Services 86.8 · Rents 73.5 Jacksonville, NC Goods 96.6 · Services 87.2 · Rents 72.1 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI Goods 94.2 · Services 87.7 · Rents 74.6
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Compare to Other Metros

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Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive metro rankings, salary negotiation with RPP data, and step-by-step comparison walkthroughs.

What this means for Blacksburg

How to read Blacksburg's cost of living before a move, a job offer, or a budget.

  • Budget to local prices, not headline pay, a $100K national salary spends like about $107,863 in Blacksburg. Salary calculator
  • Start with rents: it indexes at 74.4, the largest departure from the national benchmark in this metro's BEA cost mix. Compare it with the other components before treating the overall RPP as a complete household budget.
  • Compare Blacksburg head-to-head against a specific destination before you decide. Compare metros

RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark for the data year shown, not a live market quote. Pair it with current local wages and housing costs before deciding.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 92.7, meaning it is 7.3% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 96.8, services at 88.1, and rents at 74.4. It ranks #219 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.

What salary do I need in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA to match $100K nationally?

To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $92,710 in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA. Conversely, $100K earned in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA has the purchasing power of $107,863 at the national average.

How expensive is rent in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

Rents in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA are indexed at 74.4, which is 25.6% below the national average. This makes the area relatively affordable for renters.

Is Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA getting more expensive?

From 2008 to 2024, Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA's overall cost index changed by +4.8 points (from 87.9 to 92.7). The cost of living has been trending upward.

What costs the most in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

The priciest category in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA is goods at 96.8, 3.2% below the national average, still the highest of the three categories. The most affordable category is rents at 74.4, 25.6% below average.

What metros have a similar cost of living to Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Yuma, Champaign-Urbana, Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA's 92.7.

Data sources

Related

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Data sourced from official public datasets, Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Statistical Area (2024), index where national average = 100. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCost. See our methodology for details.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.