Blacksburg, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Blacksburg, VA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
A
Health Above average
-
F
Income Well below average
-
A
Education Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Blacksburg | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 36,350 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1833.6 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.17% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 21.0 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,572 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Blacksburg grew by 13.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 36,350 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Blacksburg is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 67.5% of residents. That is 46.2 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 24,550 67.5% +46.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,259 11.7% -10.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,630 7.2% -13.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,305 6.3% -10.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Virginia, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 44.7% of the people living in Blacksburg and men 55.3%.
- Women 44.7% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 55.3% Virginia 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Blacksburg
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Blacksburg has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | Blacksburg | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,999 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.35% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Blacksburg is about 50% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Blacksburg | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $383,446 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,372 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 33.8% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Blacksburg is about 23.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,372 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Blacksburg spend about 25 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 104 hours, about 4.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Blacksburg | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.5 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 24.9 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 104 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,221 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 18.6% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,986 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,190 | 1,531 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Blacksburg is 12 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in Virginia.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Blacksburg has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Blacksburg | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.4% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.50 | 2.52 | 2.53 |
Health
Blacksburg has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Blacksburg | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.7 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.6% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 13.1% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Blacksburg, Virginia.
What is the population of Blacksburg, Virginia?
About 36,350 people live in Blacksburg, Virginia, in 10,572 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 21.0, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 16 years.
Is Blacksburg, Virginia mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Blacksburg, Virginia has 1,834 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 21 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Blacksburg, Virginia an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 8.2 times the median household income ($383,446 against $46,999), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,372 a month takes about 35% of the median household's income, above the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Blacksburg, Virginia?
Unemployment in Blacksburg, Virginia is only 3.3%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →