Blacksburg is a medium-sized town located in the state of Virginia. With a population of 45,485 people and 13 associated neighborhoods, Blacksburg is the 23rd largest community in Virginia. Blacksburg real estate is some of the most expensive in Virginia, although Blacksburg house values don't compare to the most expensive real estate in the U.S.Blacksburg is a decidedly white-collar town, with fully 92.27% of the workforce employed in white-collar jobs, well above the national average. Overall, Blacksburg is a town of professionals, service providers, and sales and office workers. There are especially a lot of people living in Blacksburg who work in teaching (23.73%), food service (10.07%), and sales jobs (9.08%). Also of interest is that Blacksburg has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US. A relatively large number of people in Blacksburg telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 17.19% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes. Because Blacksburg has a very large number of students who are 18 years or older and in college, it is thought of as a college town. This has a major influence on local Blacksburg lifestyle, entertainment, and culture in general. Life in Blacksburg is very much tied to the academic calendar: when students return from the summer break in the fall, one will notice them out and about, buying groceries, out with friends, and generally getting re-acquainted with each other. In Blacksburg people study hard and play hard, and there is ample opportunity to do both. Compared to the rest of the country, citizens of Blacksburg spend much less time in their cars: on average, their commute to work is only 16.65 minutes. This also means that noise and pollution levels in the town are less than they would otherwise be. A lot of people in Blacksburg take the bus for their daily commute. For the size of the town, the number of people who use public transportation is quite high. For many people in Blacksburg, this fills their need for low-cost transportation.If knowledge is power, Blacksburg is a pretty powerful place. 69.74% of the adults in Blacksburg have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns. The per capita income in Blacksburg in 2022 was $29,454, which is lower middle income relative to Virginia and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $117,816 for a family of four. However, Blacksburg contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. Blacksburg also has one of the higher rates of people living in poverty in the nation, with 42.77% of its population below the federal poverty line.Blacksburg is a very ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Blacksburg home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Blacksburg residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Blacksburg include German, English, Irish, Italian, and Polish. The most common language spoken in Blacksburg is English. Other important languages spoken here include Chinese and Spanish.
