Blacksburg MSA Ranked No. 1 Leading Location Mid-Sized Metro in Virginia
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2015
Montgomery County, VA
Economic Development Department
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Montgomery County, VA - The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metropolitan statistical area (MSA) ranked No. 1 leading location for mid-sized metros in Virginia by Area Development magazine. Among 373 MSAs studied, the Blacksburg MSA ranked No. 1 in Virginia of the mid-sized metropolitan areas.
Published by Area Development, the "Leading Locations" study looked at prime work force, economic strength, year-over-year growth, and recession-busting attributes to determine its rankings. The fifth year "Leading Locations" rankings appeared in the Q2 2015 issue.
Area Development used 21 economic indicators to determine which U.S. cities were creating jobs and nurturing sustainable economic development out of the 373 MSAs in the United States that were studied. The rankings were split into three lists based on population, including less than 160,000 (small cities), 160,000 to 600,000 (mid-sized cities), and over 600,000 (big cities).
The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA, know locally as the New River Valley (NRV), has a population of over 160,000 and encompasses the City of Radford, Montgomery County, Pulaski County, Giles County, and Floyd County. The area is designated an MSA by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget due to its high degree of economic and social integration.
Rankings of the Leading Location Mid-Sized Metros in Virginia
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City
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State
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Rank (in Mid-Sized Metros for Virginia)
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Population (2010 Census)
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Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford
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VA
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1
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162,958
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Charlottesville
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VA
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2
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201,559
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Roanoke
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VA
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3
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308,707
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Lynchburg
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VA
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4
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252,634
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Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol
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TN-VA
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5
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309,544
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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.