Blacksburg named No. 1 place for families, again

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Montgomery County, Virginia – Homes.com has ranked Blacksburg the No. 1 Best City to Raise a Family. The national real estate website cited a great educational base and plenty of economic opportunities as reasons for Blacksburg receiving the top spot.  Blacksburg ranked ahead of 2) Raleigh, NC ; 3) Plano, TX; 4) Tampa, FL; 5) Boston, MA; 6) Rochester, MN; 7) Pocatello, ID; 8) Phoenix, AZ; 9) Honolulu, HI; and 10) Lincoln, NE.

The complete write up about Blacksburg by Homes.com is provided below.

“In 2011, Business Week named Blacksburg the “Best Place in the U.S. to Raise Kids.” Home to Virginia Tech, Moog Inc. and the National Weather Service, Blacksburg has a great educational base as well as plenty of economic opportunities. The city is known for its affordable living costs, low crime rates and exceptional schools. Blacksburg is brimming with family-friendly amenities and features a community center with an indoor pool and a nine-hole municipal golf course.”

Montgomery County, Virginia - home to Virginia Tech and the towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg - is a progressive, technolgoy-driven community with an abundance of outdoor amenities (Read More).  The Homes.com accolade adds to the growing list of recognitions received by the community and the greater New River Valley region, including: 

• Blacksburg named a "Top 10 College Town for 2012" by Livibility.com (2012)
• Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metro ranked the 32th “Best Small Place for Business and Careers” (2012)
• Area Development Magazine names the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA a "Leading Location for 2012." The metro ranked ranked 6th within the South-Atlantic Region and 64th nationally out of 365 MSAs
• Southern Living facebook fans vote Blacksburg the "Best College Town in the South" (2011)
• Bloomberg Businessweek names Blacksburg the "Best Place in the U.S. to Raise Kids" (2011)
• NAMM Foundation designates Montgomery County Public Schools a “Best Community for Music Education” for fourth consecutive year (2011)
• Sporting News names Blacksburg the 57th “Best Sports City” in America (2011)
• Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metro named 4th “Top Metro by Number of Projects” (2011)
• Bleacher Report ranks Lane Stadium - home of Virginia Tech Hokie Football - the18th "Top Stadium in the Country" (2011)
• Aquatics International Magazine designates the Christiansburg Aquatic Center one of 13 "World-Class Aquatics Facilities" (2011)
• Blue Ridge Country Magazine names several Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA outdoor amenities to its 2011 "Blue Ridge Outdoor Bucket List," including: New River Junction (tubing), Appalachian Trail (hiking), New River Trail State Park (biking) and the New River (canoeing/kayaking)

To view a comprehensive listing of community accolades, visit Accolades.YesMontgomeryVA.org.

About Us

The Montgomery County, Virginia Economic Development Department's mission is to improve the quality of life throughout Montgomery County, including Blacksburg and Christiansburg, by encouraging positive economic growth that 1) creates meaningful career opportunities, 2) expands the commercial tax base, and 3) protects our enviable way of life. Learn More