Blacksburg metro area ranked No. 7 Most Secure Small City

Montgomery County, Virginia – The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metropolitan statistical area is one of the safest places to live in America, according to Farmers Insurance. The Los Angeles-based insurance company recently ranked the area No. 7 on its list of the Top 20 Most Secure Small Cities of 2013. The list, in its nineth year, identifies the most secure small metro areas in the U.S. based on safety and security statistics.

The Farmer Insurance rankings are based on the findings of a study conducted by quality of life expert, Bert Sperling. The study examined over one hundred metropolitan areas - with populations less than 150,000 - using several indicators, including economic stability, crime, extreme weather, risk of natural disasters, housing depreciation, foreclosures, air quality, environmental hazards, life expectancy, motor vehicle fatalities, and employment numbers.

"Our most secure metropolitan areas are islands of security in our challenging times," said Bert Sperling in a press release from Farmers Insurance. “Although each metropolitan area is different, they all possess a desirable combination of factors (jobs, low crime rates, housing, climate, health, reduced levels of natural disasters) that make these some of the best places to live in the United States.”

The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metro area has three previous appearances on the Top 20 list. The area, known locally as the New River Valley, includes the counties of Montgomery, Pulaski, Giles and Floyd.  Since 2010, the area has climbed from No. 19 to No. 7 on the list. The area’s highest ranking came in 2006, when it debuted at No. 3.

The Farmer Insurance accolade isn’t the first time that that the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metro area has been recognized for its safety and security.  Bloomberg Businessweek and Homes.com ranked Blacksburg the best place in the U.S. to raise a family/kids in 2011 and 2012; respectively. Both cited the area’s low crime rate as one of the factors that contributed to its No. 1 ranking.

The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metro area has also received third-party accolades for job growth, an important factor used in assessing an area's economic security.  Since 2012, the area has been ranked the No. 5 Best Small City for Job Growth by Forbes, No. 5 Top City for Job Growth by CNBC, No. 29 Best Place for Jobs by NewGeography, and No. 2 American City Adding Jobs by 24/7 Wall Street.  Christiansburg was also recently ranked the No. 10 Best Place in Virginia for Job Seekers by NerdWallet.

About Us

Montgomery County, Virginia - home of Virginia Tech and the towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg - is a progressive, technology-driven community with an abundance of outdoor amenities. The Montgomery County Economic Development Department actively supports the startup, retention and expansion of companies in Montgomery County as well as the recruitment of new businesses to the community.  To learn more, visit www.YesMontgomeryVA.org.