Blacksburg MSA remains No. 1
best-performing small metro in Virginia

Montgomery County, Virginia - For the second consecutive year, the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metro is the No. 1 best-performing small metro in Virginia. The ranking is based on the 2014 Best-Performing Cities Index from the Milken Institute – an economic think tank. The report examined how well U.S. metropolitan areas are creating and sustaining jobs and economic growth.

Nationally, the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metro area ranked No. 28 among 179 metros in the U.S. with populations of 260,000 or less. Over the past three years, the area has consistently ranked in the top 18 percent of best-performing small metros in the county, ranking No. 21 in 2013 and No. 32 in 2012.

The 2014 Milken Institute Best-Performing Cities Index ranks 200 large and 179 small, U.S. metropolitan areas based on job, wage and salary, and technology growth. The indicators are intended to provide insight into the underlying structural performance of regional economies.

Known locally as the New River Valley, the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metro area is designated a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget due to its high degree of economic and social integration. The area has a population of over 180,000 and encompasses the counties of Montgomery, Pulaski, Giles, and Floyd.

In 2014, eight businesses announced plans to invest $117 million and create 520 new jobs in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metro area, according to data from the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.  That includes several projects in Montgomery County, including expansions by Wolverine Advance Materials, TORC Robotics and LUNA Innovations as well as the announcement that Italy-based InMotion was establishing its first U.S. manufacturing operations in Blacksburg.

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.