New River Valley, VA – Throughout 2020, the New River Valley was frequently recognized for its outstanding lifestyle amenities, business growth, and educational opportunities. The region is truly a premiere destination to live, work, and do business. Below is a list of just a few of the accolades won in 2020 by the counties, city, towns, and universities that comprise Virginia’s New River Valley.
High Quality of Life
- Pulaski is the #1 most affordable place to live in Virginia according to HomeSnacks.net.
- Pulaski is also the #2 most affordable place to buy a home in Virginia according to SmartAsset.com.
- Blacksburg was ranked among the Top 100 Small Cities/Towns in the U.S. by BestCities.org.
- LendingTree rated the New River Valley as the fourth best metro area for homeownership in Virginia.
Abundant Outdoor Amenities
- Floyd was voted the Top Tiny Adventure Town for 2020 by readers of Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine.
- The Cascades was listed among the Top 5 Scenic Family Hikes in Virginia by the Virginia Tourism Corporation.
- Pete Dye River Course was ranked 19th best golf course in Virginia by the Virginia Golf Ratings Panel.
Expanding and Developing Businesses
- The Virginia Chamber of Commerce recognized Harmonia Holdings Group on its 2020 “Fantastic 50” list, a ranking of the 50 fastest-growing companies in Virginia.
- Volvo Trucks North America’s 2019 expansion in Pulaski County was ranked third on a list of top projects in Virginia by Area Development magazine.
- Virginia Tech ranked #25 on the list of top undergraduate schools for entrepreneurship by The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine.
Educating Tomorrow’s Talent
- Exelaration’s was ranked the #3 tech and engineering internship in the U.S. for 2021 by Vault.
- MCPS recognized as a “School Division of Innovation” by Virginia Board of Education for expanding information technology education and opportunities in the K-12 curricula.
- Blacksburg High School was ranked 30th among 386 public high schools in Virginia by U.S. News & World Report.
Top Tier Colleges & Universities
- Virginia Tech was ranked #3 Best College Campus in America by Niche.com.
- Radford University was ranked the #33 Southern Regional University by U.S. News and World Report.
- The Princeton Review listed Virginia Tech as the 7th most loved college in the country.
- Conde Nast Traveler listed Virginia Tech among the 50 most beautiful college campuses in America.
Explore more accolades won by NRV counties, city, towns, and universities here.
Correction:
September 1, 2021: This blog post was corrected to reflect that Pete Dye River Course was ranked #19 in the top 50 golf courses in Virginia for 2020. A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the course was ranked #18.
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.
