Forbes Ranks Blacksburg Among the Top 25 Best Places to Retire, Again

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NEW RIVER VALLEY, VA – For the third consecutive year, the Town of Blacksburg has been ranked among the “25 Best Places to Retire,” by Forbes.com. To compile its list of the 25 Best Places to Retire 2016, Forbes considered several factors in the survey, including overall cost of living and home prices, as compared to national averages, and general tax climates for retirees. The ranking included more than 500 communities nationwide.


Blacksburg: A college town (Virginia Tech) of 44,000 in southwestern tail of Virginia.


PROS:

  • Economically robust.
  • Median home price $230,000.
  • Above average air quality.
  • Low crime rate.
  • High Milken aging rank.
  • Somewhat walkable.

    • NOTES:

  • Cost of living 2% above national average.
  • Average state tax climate for retirees and doctors per capita.
  • Mild climate.
  • On list last year.

    • TRIVIA: Named two centuries ago for town’s founder.


    The full list of the Best 25 Places to Retire 2016 can be viewed at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/williampbarrett/2016/04/04/the-best-places-to-retire-in-2016/#512d9f1c703e


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    Virginia’s New River Valley: For those searching for an inspiring place to live and do business, Virginia’s New River Valley provides both an eclectic small town atmosphere and an innovative, collaborative business community with a loyal, highly skilled, and educated workforce. Offering the best of both worlds – magnificent mountains, cutting-edge research, arts, entertainment, and education – it’s A NATURAL FIT.


    Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.

    NRV ranked a top job destination for college graduates

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    Date:  March 8, 2016

    New River Valley, VA – In its first annual Employment Destinations Index, the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) ranked the most attractive places in the U.S. where young college graduates want to live and work. The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area, encompassing the entire New River Valley, ranked No. 20 in the nation among metro areas with populations less than 250,000.


    The 2015 Employment Destinations Index is based on eight economic and quality-of-life factors that AIER found to influence migration patterns of college grads ages 22-35 among 260 metro areas, large and small. A few of the factors contributing to the New River Valley’s high ranking included its favorable labor market conditions, affordable housing rents, ability to get around without a car, and density of people with a college degree.


    “With the Employment Destinations Index, we identify what captures young people’s imagination and entices them to test the waters in cities large and small,” said Rosalind Greenstein, director of research and education at AIER. “After making the economic decision to move, the young and educated are looking for places where they can have a meaningful work/life balance.”


    Virginia’s New River Valley has a desirable blend of economic opportunity and lifestyle amenities. The diverse mix of businesses, ranging from small startups to large international corporations, provide meaningful career opportunities. Unlike larger metro areas, its small town atmosphere cultivates social interaction and community engagement. The region’s mountain setting is also ideal for enjoying the outdoors, with superb greenways, nature trails and waterways.


    AIER also found that many of the destinations ranking at the top of the smallest metro group “benefited from the presence of a university that anchors economic activity, attracts companies relying on high-skill workers, inspires researchers and entrepreneurs to leverage networks, and supports a lively social scene.”


    Virginia’s New River Valley is no exception to this finding. The region benefits from not one, but two universities – Virginia Tech and Radford University – and an exceptional community college – New River Community College. These higher education institutions contribute to the cultural and social offerings of the region and provide a steady pipeline of talent for area companies to draw from. Virginia Tech, a top 40 research university, is also a major catalyst for the region’s technology sector and has produced numerous spinout companies through alumni, faculty and researchers.


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    Virginia’s New River Valley: For those searching for an inspiring place to live and do business, Virginia’s New River Valley provides both an eclectic small town atmosphere and an innovative, collaborative business community with a loyal, highly skilled, and educated workforce. Offering the best of both worlds – magnificent mountains, cutting-edge research, arts, entertainment, and education – it’s A NATURAL FIT.


    Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.

    NRV named Best of the Mountains, FloydFest

    Floyd Fest a “Hottest Musical Festival”

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    “[Floyd Fest is] Five days filled with music, plus outdoor adventure, brews and activities for kids. Set aside some time to go hiking and tubing down the nearby river…”

    Read more from Fox News or www.floyfest.com.

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    Virginia’s New River Valley: For those searching for an inspiring place to live and do business, Virginia’s New River Valley provides both an eclectic small town atmosphere and an innovative, collaborative business community with a loyal, highly skilled, and educated workforce. Offering the best of all worlds – magnificent mountains, cutting-edge research, arts, entertainment, and education – it’s A NATURAL FIT.

    Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.

    Christiansburg #26 Best Place to Start a Business in VA

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    Christiansburg #26 Best Place to Start a Business in VA

    “With plenty of incentives for both startups and existing businesses and a state corporate income tax rate among the lowest in the nation at 6%, Virginia’s business-friendly policies appear to…”

    NerdWallet analyzed 112 places in Virginia with a population of 5,000 or more. Eleven places with less than 500 businesses and 64 places that were missing data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners were excluded.

    Read more at NerdWallet.

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    Virginia’s New River Valley: For those searching for an inspiring place to live and do business, Virginia’s New River Valley provides both an eclectic small town atmosphere and an innovative, collaborative business community with a loyal, highly skilled, and educated workforce. Offering the best of all worlds – magnificent mountains, cutting-edge research, arts, entertainment, and education – it’s A NATURAL FIT.

    Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.

    courtesy of the Washingtonian Floyd County Resident wearing overalls plays the fiddle outside the Floyd Country Store

    Floyd Named a “Great Small Town Near DC”

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    Floyd, VA Named a Great Small Town Near DC”

    Yellow Great Small Towns Logo with houses and a comfortable feel. Given to Floyd County, VA a great small town near DC

    “On Friday nights in the one-stoplight town of Floyd, Virginia, bluegrass invades. Floyd’s population explodes as visitors convene outside the tidy brick storefronts on Locust Street to hear impromptu performances. The main action takes place inside…”

    Read more at the Washingtonian.

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    Virginia’s New River Valley: For those searching for an inspiring place to live and do business, Virginia’s New River Valley provides both an eclectic small town atmosphere and an innovative, collaborative business community with a loyal, highly skilled, and educated workforce. Offering the best of all worlds – magnificent mountains, cutting-edge research, arts, entertainment, and education – it’s A NATURAL FIT.

    Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.

    NRV Named a Top Metro by Site Selection Magazine

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    New River Valley, VA – The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metropolitan statistical area, known locally as the New River Valley, has been named a “Top Metro” for 2014 by Site Selection magazine. Among 132 metro areas with populations less than 200,000, the NRV ranked No. 4 (tie) nationally with nine new or expanding corporate facility announcements in 2014.


    Published by Conway Data Inc., Site Selection delivers expansion planning information to over 44,000 readers including corporate executives, site selection consultants, and real estate professionals. The annual “Top Metros” rankings appeared in the March 2015 issue.


    Site Selection used 2014 data from the Conway New Plant Database to examine new and expanding company growth in all 381 MSAs in the United States. The 2014 rankings were split into three Top 10 lists based on population, including less than 200,000, 200,000 to 1 million, and over 1 million.


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    Virginia’s New River Valley: For those searching for an inspiring place to live and do business, Virginia’s New River Valley provides both an eclectic small town atmosphere and an innovative, collaborative business community with a loyal, highly skilled, and educated workforce. Offering the best of both worlds – magnificent mountains, cutting-edge research, arts, entertainment, and education – it’s A NATURAL FIT.


    Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.

    Blacksburg Ranked No. 4 Happiest Town in America

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    Blacksburg has a reason to smile. Movoto Real Estate, a California based real estate website, recently included it on its list of the Top 10 Happiest Small Places in America. Among 391 communities evaluated, Blacksburg ranked No. 4 nationally and was the highest ranking place in Virginia. State College, PA – home of Penn State University – took home the No. 1 spot.


    To compile the list, Movoto evaluated 391 small places using data from the 2010 U.S. Census, 2012 FBI /Uniform Crime Report, and WalkScore.com. According to the site, small places are defined as areas with between 40,000 to 61,000 people.


    Laura Allan, Staff Writer for Movoto, had the following commentary regarding Blacksburg:


    Let’s take a moment to acknowledge that this is home to yet another fantastic college: Virginia Tech. From their stellar theater department to their often triumphant sports teams, Blacksburg gives local a lot to be thankful and smiley about. Of course, there are some pretty outstanding rankings as well. The third highest percent of people with incomes above $25,000, the 12th highest marriage rank, and the 10th highest home ownership are only a few of the major perks. The most impressive is the 17th lowest violent crime on our list, the lowest violent crime in our top 10. If you need something to laugh about, and maybe occasionally cry about, you can take in a show at the Lyric Theater, which is a pretty unique and classic experience. Of course, if you just want to spend a few bucks and satisfy your sweet tooth, there’s also Carol Lee Donuts.

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    Virginia’s New River Valley: For those searching for an inspiring place to live and do business, Virginia’s New River Valley provides both an eclectic small town atmosphere and an innovative, collaborative business community with a loyal, highly skilled, and educated workforce. Offering the best of both worlds – magnificent mountains, cutting-edge research, arts, entertainment, and education – it’s A NATURAL FIT.


    Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.

    Virginia's new river valley, new river valley, shopping, quality of life, town, downtown, shop local, small business

    NRV Ranked No. 7 Most Secure Small City in U.S.

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    New River Valley, VA – The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metropolitan statistical area, known locally as the New River Valley, 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.”

    Virginia’s New River Valley has three previous appearances on the Top 20 list. 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 New River Valley 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 New River Valley 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.


    Blacksburg Ranked No. 1 Best Place to Raise Kids

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    More than half the population of Blacksburg, Va., is Virginia Tech students, so it may be easy to mistake this town of 41,383 as just another college town. Yet this small community, between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains, also has the makings of a great place to raise children. Excellent schools draw many families to Blacksburg, which also has such amenities as a community center with sports, fitness, educational, and social activities; an indoor pool; and even a nine-hole, 54-acre municipal golf course.


    Read more at Bloomberg Businessweek.


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    Virginia’s New River Valley: For those searching for an inspiring place to live and do business, Virginia’s New River Valley provides both an eclectic small town atmosphere and an innovative, collaborative business community with a loyal, highly skilled, and educated workforce. Offering the best of both worlds – magnificent mountains, cutting-edge research, arts, entertainment, and education – it’s A NATURAL FIT.


    Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.