Blacksburg, VA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Blacksburg, VA Summary

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 114, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Blacksburg is 1.1x higher than the national average.

  • Blacksburg ranks as the #73 cheapest in Virginia out of 190.

  • Blacksburg ranks as the #4,023 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Blacksburg is $408,581.

  • The median income in Blacksburg is $48,070.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
114
Blacksburg's Overall Cost Of Living
1.1x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Blacksburg, VA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Blacksburg has an overall cost of living index of 114, 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 110.

The standard of living in Blacksburg ranks as #73 most affordable out of the 190 places we measured in Virginia. By definition, that implies Blacksburg ranks as the #117 most expensive place in the Old Dominion.

For more reading on life in Blacksburg, check out:

73 out of 190
In Virginia
4,023 out of 6,489
In America

Blacksburg Cost Of Living Vs. Virginia

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 102.

  • The Groceries index in Blacksburg is 100.

  • The Health index in Blacksburg is 92.

  • The Housing index in Blacksburg is 153.

  • The Transportation index in Blacksburg is 90.

  • The Utilities index in Blacksburg is 93.

Living Expense Blacksburg Virginia National Average
Overall 114 110 100
Services 102 101 100
Groceries 100 99 100
Health 92 98 100
Housing 153 130 100
Transportation 90 94 100
Utilities 93 104 100
For more reading on cost of living around Virginia, check out:
Blacksburg Cost of Living Vs. VA

Blacksburg, VA Housing Cost Breakdown

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 2019-2023. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Blacksburg is $408,581.

  • The Median Rent in Blacksburg is $1,290.

  • The Median Income in Blacksburg is $48,070.

  • The Home Value To Income in Blacksburg is 8.5x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Blacksburg is 0.32x.

Statistic Blacksburg Virginia United States
Median Home Value $408,581 $404,962 $303,400
Median Rent $1,290 $1,514 $1,348
Median Income $48,070 $90,974 $78,538
Home Value To Income 8.5x 4.5x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.32x 0.2x 0.21x
$408,581
Median Home Value
$1,290
Median Rent
$48,070
Median Income

Blacksburg, VA Costs By Category

Detailed Blacksburg Services Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Blacksburg Virginia
Shampoo $1.72 $1.28
Movie $15.61 $12.13
Bowling $27.24 $18
Haircut $27.83 $24.26
Beauty Salon $59.17 $45.56

Detailed Blacksburg Groceries Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Blacksburg Virginia
Ground Beef $5.67 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.41 $1.57
Milk $4.83 $4.67
Potatoes $5.33 $4.93
Pizza $12.62 $12.09
Beer $11.14 $10.41
Toothpaste $4.1 $3.7

Detailed Blacksburg Health Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Blacksburg Virginia
Optometrist $130.89 $125.68
Doctor $159.79 $135.78
Dentist $125.44 $113.29

Detailed Blacksburg Transportation Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Blacksburg Virginia
Gasoline $3.51 $3.46
Tire Balancing $80.0 $59.92

Detailed Blacksburg Utilities Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Blacksburg Virginia
All Electricity $200.62 $193.99
Phone $184.83 $192.25

Blacksburg SnackAbility

8.5
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
6/10
Housing
8.5
Affordability
3
Diversity
8
Safety
8.5
Amenities
9
Education
9
Commute
10

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Blacksburg

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 94, 0.8x Blacksburg.

  • Cave Spring, VA has a cost of living index of 106, 0.9x Blacksburg.

  • Salem, VA has a cost of living index of 100, 0.9x Blacksburg.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Blacksburg
Roanoke, VA 98,677 94 0.8x
Cave Spring, VA 26,014 106 0.9x
Salem, VA 25,477 100 0.9x
Christiansburg, VA 22,820 100 0.9x
Hollins, VA 17,005 100 0.9x
Radford, VA 16,505 93 0.8x
Martinsville, VA 13,584 81 0.7x
Pulaski, VA 8,937 88 0.8x
Vinton, VA 8,038 95 0.8x
Covington, VA 5,671 85 0.7x

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