This report provides a brief review of demographic characteristics and trends in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area, and its constituent jurisdictions. Data are presented for the years 2009 and 2013, 5-year estimates from the American Community Survey. The MSA is comprised of Giles, Montgomery, and Pulaski County, as well as the city of Radford. Blacksburg and Christiansburg are the two largest towns in the MSA and are included in this report.
Demographic and Housing Characteristics in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area
1. Demographic and Housing Characteristics in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA Metropolitan
Statistical Area
Jacqueline N. Tkac
10.05.2015
Introduction
This report provides a brief review of demographic characteristics and trends in the Blacksburg-
Christiansburg-Radford, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area, and its constituent jurisdictions. Data are
presented for the years 2009 and 2013, 5-year estimates from the American Community Survey. Map 1
shows the boundaries of the MSA, which borders West Virginia to the north. The MSA is comprised of
Giles, Montgomery, and Pulaski County, as well as the city of Radford. Blacksburg and Christiansburg
are the two largest towns in the MSA and are included in this report.
Map 1. The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, Virginia MSA
2. Population, Housing and Household Characteristics
Table 1 presents total population, households and persons per household for 2013 and the percent change
from 2009 to 2013. As shown in the Table 1, Giles and Pulaski County both had a decrease in population
between 2009 and 2013. Radford City was the only locality with a decrease in households during 2009-
2013. Giles Co., Pulaski Co., and the Town of Blacksburg all had a decrease in persons per household
between years 2009 and 2013.
2013
Percent+Change+
200912013 2013
Percent+Change+
200912013 2013
Percent+
Change+20091
2013
B/C/R+MSA 227,528 4.4% 84,775 4.2% 2.7 0.2%
Giles+Co. 17,111 10.5% 7,167 3.3% 2.4 13.6%
Montgomery+Co. 94,910 6.5% 34,789 6.0% 2.7 0.5%
Pulaski+Co. 34,768 10.4% 14,875 1.2% 2.3 11.6%
Radford+City 16,705 4.0% 5,516 11.2% 3.0 5.3%
Blacksburg 42,864+++++++++++++++ 3.0% 13,408 3.2% 3.2 10.2%
Christiansburg 21,170+++++++++++++++ 11.1% 9,020 8.5% 2.3 2.4%
Sources:+2009+and+2013+American+Community+51Year+Estimate
Persons+Per+Household
Table 1. Population, Households and Persons Per Household, 2013
Population Households
Figure 1. Shows the population in the town of Blacksburg in the year 2013, separated into categories by
both gender and age.
10000# 8000# 6000# 4000# 2000# 0# 2000# 4000# 6000# 8000# 10000#
Under#5##
10#to#14##
20#to#24##
30#to#34##
40#to#44##
50#to#54##
60#to#64##
70#to#74##
80#to#84##
Figure 1. Blacksburg, Population Pyramid, 2013
Female#
Male#
3. Table 2 provides the number of owner and renter occupied housing units for 2013 and the ownership rate
for 2013 and 2009. Giles County and Pulaski County both had an increase in ownership rates between
2009 and 2013.
Owner Renter
Percent*Own,*
2013
Percent*Own,*
2009
B/C/R*MSA 47,519*************** 37,256*********** 20.9% 21.3%
Giles*Co. 5,442**************** 1,725************ 31.8% 30.6%
Montgomery*Co. 19,012*************** 15,777*********** 20.0% 20.6%
Pulaski*Co. 10,816*************** 4,059************ 31.1% 30.0%
Radford*City 2,546**************** 2,970************ 15.2% 16.5%
Blacksburg 4,107**************** 9,301************ 9.6% 10.3%
Christiansburg 5,596**************** 3,424************ 26.4% 28.0%
Sources:*2009*and*2013*American*Community*5NYear*Estimate
Table 2. Owner and Renter Occupied Housing, 2013
Table 3 provides the percent of housing units that were vacant in 2009 and 2013. Christiansburg, Radford
City, and Montgomery County all had an overall increase in their housing vacancy rates between 2009
and 2013.
2009 2013
B/C/R*MSA 11.1% 11.1%
Giles*Co. 15.0% 13.7%
Montgomery*Co. 9.3% 9.9%
Pulaski*Co. 14.5% 13.5%
Radford*City 13.0% 14.5%
Blacksburg 11.5% 10.2%
Christiansburg 6.7% 8.4%
Sources:*2009*and*2013*American*Community*5KYear*Estimate
Table 3. Housing Vacancy Rates, 2009 and 2013
4. Household type describes whether a housing unit is occupied by a family (two or more people who are
related by blood or marriage) or a non-family (persons living alone or two or more unrelated individuals
living together in a housing unit). Table 4 shows Pulaski County having the highest percentage of
Husband-Wife Family housing in the MSA, on the other hand Pulaski County is also the locality with the
highest percentage of people living alone.
Husband(Wife
Spouse0Not0
Present Live0Alone
Live0with0
Others
B/C/R0MSA 43.0% 12.3% 64.4% 35.6%
Giles0Co. 50.0% 17.3% 87.5% 12.5%
Montgomery0Co. 44.5% 10.6% 61.0% 39.0%
Pulaski0Co. 50.8% 17.4% 87.8% 12.2%
Radford0City 30.7% 12.9% 62.4% 37.6%
Blacksburg 29.8% 5.8% 45.5% 54.5%
Christiansburg 45.4% 15.4% 80.6% 19.4%
Source:0020130American0Community0Survey05(Year0Estimate
Family Non(Family
Table 4. Household Types, 2013
Table 5 displays the median family and non-family incomes for all reported jurisdictions in the MSA. As
shown in Table 5, Husband-Wife family dynamics had the highest median income in 2013. Males
typically seemed to do better when they lived alone in a non-family household, where as females seemed
to do significantly better living with others in a non-family home. In family homes, when the wife was
not present, and it was just the husband, that situation had a better median income in most cases according
to this data.
Husband(Wife
Wife-not-
Present
Husband-not-
Present Live-Alone
Live-with-
Others Live-Alone
Live-with-
Others
B/C/R-MSA $74,003 $38,399 $25,978 $29,640 $21,987 $18,717 $29,789
Giles-Co. $65,919 $42,760 $32,826 $24,047 $35,395 $17,411 $38,929
Montgomery-Co. $76,778 $48,470 $24,571 $30,370 $22,337 $21,650 $21,556
Pulaski-Co. $62,228 $34,038 $27,385 $29,572 $21,637 $19,203 $38,021
Radford-City $73,255 $31,198 $20,385 $17,066 $21,250 $15,688 $18,868
Blacksburg $99,173 $18,105 $29,423 $29,707 $16,241 $18,231 $17,205
Christiansburg $74,750 $53,354 $20,081 $36,238 $64,423 $26,589 $50,000
Source:--2013-American-Community-Survey-5(Year-Estimate
Table 5. Median Incomes, 2013
Family Non(Family,-Male Non(Family,-Female
5. Table 6 provides unemployment and poverty rates for the total of all ages and for selected age groups. As
shown in Chart 1, the coefficient of determination is .05, which means the two variables do not have a
strong correlation at all, or a strong linear relationship. This means that 5% of the variance in one variable
can be predicted from the other. In other words, the correlation between the unemployment rates and
poverty rates are random and nonlinear.
Unemployment*
Rate Poverty*Rate
B/C/R*MSA 4% 22%
Giles*Co. 4% 13%
Montgomery*Co. 3% 22%
Pulaski*Co. 5% 13%
Radford*City 4% 31%
Blacksburg 4% 35%
Christiansburg 2% 13%
Source:**2013*American*Community*Survey*5JYear*Estimate
Table 6. Unemployment and Poverty, 2013
Chart 1. Shows linear relationship between poverty rate and unemployment rates throughout the MSA.