Living in Radford, Virginia
A small college town on a bend of the New River. Tax rates are among the lowest in the valley, and some houses sit right on the water.
$211,000
Median assessment
0.76
Tax per $100
92%
Grad rate
Somewhat walkable
Walkability
Housing market
Public assessments put a typical Radford home at median assessment $211,000, around 1,379 sqft, about $152/sqft. These are assessed values, not sale prices.
Recent sale records are sparse here, so this guide uses official assessment and property-characteristic signals where sale medians would be misleading. Treat it as a directional starting point, not an appraisal.
Local starting points
Home-buying activity
In 2024, lenders financed 137 home purchases in Radford, at a median mortgage of $225,000. 74% of new mortgages were purchases rather than refinances.
About 19% of mortgage applications were denied. Source: federal HMDA mortgage data (2024).
Jobs & hiring
A sample of what's open right now at New River Valley-area employers (on-site & remote):
- Massage Therapist- Hospice · Carilion Clinic, Radford, Virginia
- LPN OUTPATIENT - Urology · Carilion Clinic, Christiansburg, Virginia
- Class A CDL Company Driver - 1-5mo EXP Required - Dedicated - Dry Van - $70k per year - U.S. Xpress - Dedicated · U.S. Xpress - Dedicated, Dublin, Pulaski County
- Truck Driver Company - 1-5mo EXP Required - Dedicated - Dry Van - $70k per year - U.S. Xpress - Dedicated · U.S. Xpress - Dedicated, Dublin, Pulaski County
- Class A CDL Company Driver - 1-5mo EXP Required - Dedicated - Dry Van - $70k per year - U.S. Xpress - Dedicated · U.S. Xpress - Dedicated, Pulaski, Pulaski County
See all open roles & the RBTC job board →
Schools
Radford City Schools reports a 92% on-time graduation rate, with 72% passing Math and 84% passing Reading on Virginia SOL assessments (VDOE School Quality Profile).
Before you choose an address
- Which school is assigned to this exact address today?
- Are there specialty, magnet, or transfer programs with separate deadlines?
- What is the real commute or bus time during morning drop-off?
- Radford is its own city school division; verify city residency and enrollment requirements directly.
Check a specific address for nearby schools, commute, and services →
Compare school signals across New River Valley →
Amenities & walkability
Within a few miles you'll find about 39 restaurants & cafes and 9 grocery stores. The town center is somewhat walkable (27 walkable spots within a mile). Counts from OpenStreetMap.
Delivery & shopping apps
For everyday convenience, these are the clearest delivery-service signals we found for Radford.
- DoorDash: Available, Confirmed in Radford.
- Amazon Prime Same-Day: Check exact address, Amazon requires an exact delivery address, ZIP, item, and membership state.
- Amazon Prime One-Day: Check exact address, Amazon requires an exact delivery address, ZIP, item, and membership state.
- Amazon Prime Two-Day: Check exact address, Amazon requires an exact delivery address, ZIP, item, and membership state.
Exact delivery windows can vary by address, item, membership, restaurant hours, and driver availability. These checks use public service pages and do not log into private accounts.
Parks & the outdoors
Radford has roughly 13 parks, 1 dog parks, nearby, with easy access to Bisset Park, Wildwood Park, New River Trail. Park counts from OpenStreetMap; destinations are well-known local landmarks.
Public parks & trails include Bisset Park, McCoy Park, Montgomery County Park, Plum Creek Park, Public Boat Landing, Radford Army Ammunition Plant 2, Selu Conservancy, Wildwood Park. From county/city GIS.
Local rhythm
The university and hospital corridor shape weekday traffic, but the city still feels compact.
The New River, Bisset Park, and college events are the obvious weekend anchors.
Look closely at river proximity, older-home maintenance, and whether daily errands point to Fairlawn or Christiansburg.
University calendar weeks can make the city feel busier than its size suggests.
Local businesses
Use this as a daily-life snapshot: grocery stores, restaurants, cafes, and everyday places that help you picture a normal week in Radford. Owner-approved details appear when available.
Grocery & markets
- Food Lion, 1200 Tyler Avenue
- Walmart Supercenter, 7373 Peppers Ferry Boulevard, Fairlawn, VA 24141
- Food City
Restaurants
- Bojangles', 7455 Lee Highway, Radford, VA 24141
- Domino's, 1700 East Main Street, Radford, VA 24141
- Hardee's, 7353 Lee Highway, Radford, VA 24141
- McDonald's, 7484 Lee Highway, Radford, VA 24141
- Papa John's, 1200 Tyler Avenue, Radford, VA 24141
- Subway, 7397 Peppers Ferry Boulevard, Radford, VA 24141
Shops & retail
- Dollar General, 1220 Tyler Avenue
- Verizon, 7347 Peppers Ferry Boulevard, Radford, VA 24141
- The Sportsman
Pharmacies
Hotels & lodging
- Comfort Inn & Suites, 2331 Tyler Road, Christiansburg, VA 24073
- Econo Lodge Inn & Suites, 1501 Tyler Avenue, Radford, VA 24141
- La Quinta Inn Radford, 1450 Tyler Avenue, Radford, VA 24141
- Super 8 by Wyndham Radford VA, 1600 Tyler Avenue, Radford, VA 24141
- Tru by Hilton Radford, 2300 Tyler Road, Radford, VA 24073
Banks
- Truist
Auto services
- Advance Auto Parts, 7361 Peppers Ferry Boulevard, Radford, VA 24141
- O'Reilly Auto Parts
- Harvey's
Churches & faith communities
- First Baptist Church
- Zion Hill Baptist Church
- Church of God
- First Christian Church
- First Pentecostal Holiness Church
- Old Brick Church
Gas stations
- Speedway, 7455 Lee Highway, Radford, VA 24141
- Radford Travel Center, 2395 Tyler Road, Christiansburg, VA 24073
- Exxon
- The Sportsman
Convenience stores
- Speedway, 7455 Lee Highway, Radford, VA 24141
- 7-Eleven, 302 Tyler Avenue, Radford, VA 24141
Browse the full Radford directory, search businesses, parks & employers →
Business listings start from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL) and public local directories; owner-approved updates appear after review. Own or manage one? Claim or add your listing.
Newcomer resources
Government & towns
Schools & enrollment
Major employers
Parks & the outdoors
Pets & animal services
Community & events
Year-round, locals turn out for the Radford Highlanders Festival (October), RiverFest on the New River, Radford University arts & athletics.
Sports & recreation
From college athletics to local clubs, here is what to catch in and around Radford.
College athletics
- Radford Highlanders, NCAA Division I (Big South) · Dedmon Center · Year-round
Curated local teams and venues.
Major employers & institutions
The biggest workplaces in and around Radford: the universities, hospitals, plants, and offices that anchor the local economy.
Universities
- Radford University, ~1,800 jobs
Hospitals & health systems
- Carilion clinics
- Carilion Clinic Saint Albans Hospital, 36 beds
- Carilion New River Valley Medical Center
- Radford Health Clinic
Manufacturing & factories
- BAE Systems at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant
- Moog
- Motion Control System
- Radford Army Ammunition Plant
Government & public sector
- A. D. Covington Law
- Brumberg Wall Law
- Radford City Offices
- Radford City Public Schools
Major employers & offices
- Nippon Pulse America
Business & industrial parks
- Camrett Logistics
- Claytor Hydro Water Power Plant
- Radford Industrial Center
A starting list of the area's largest workplaces, compiled from public sources and OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL).
Healthcare
Local Carilion clinics; hospitals in nearby Christiansburg and Pulaski; Level I trauma in Roanoke (~50 minutes).
Check drive times to care from a specific address →
Internet & remote work
Glo Fiber launched in Radford in late 2025 alongside Comcast/Xfinity, so remote work is well covered for a small city.
Verify broadband at the address level →
Climate
New River corridor climate, similar to the rest of the NRV, with four seasons and cool winters.
Safety
A university city on the river: low violent crime. Safety varies block to block, so check current local crime data before you decide.
By the numbers
$966 /mo
Median gross rent
$52,791
Median household income
Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates.
Frequently asked questions
What are property taxes like in Radford?
Radford's real-estate tax rate is about $0.76 per $100 of assessed value (roughly 0.76% a year).
How are the schools in Radford?
Radford City Schools reports a 92% on-time graduation rate, with 72% passing Math and 84% passing Reading on Virginia SOL assessments.
Who are the major employers near Radford?
Major employers include Radford University (~1,800 jobs), Carilion clinics, Radford City Public Schools, BAE Systems at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant (nearby, major regional employer).
Where is the nearest hospital to Radford?
Local Carilion clinics; hospitals in nearby Christiansburg and Pulaski; Level I trauma in Roanoke (~50 minutes).
Compare nearby areas
Montgomery County
193 walkable spots in the amenity scan versus 27 here.
Pulaski County
0.74 per $100 assessed versus 0.76 here.
Giles County
Typical homes price around $177,000 versus $211,000 here.
Moving from out of state?
See your tax and cost-of-living savings if you're moving from out of state:
From San FranciscoFrom San Jose / Silicon ValleyFrom Los AngelesFrom San DiegoFrom SacramentoFrom New York City (Manhattan)From Brooklyn / QueensFrom Long IslandFrom Northern New JerseyFrom BostonFrom SeattleFrom Chicago
Local headlines
Compare costs in the moving guide →
Sources and freshness
How to read the data for Living in Radford.
- Last rebuilt 2026-06-23 from the latest records synced into this guide.
- 1 area uses assessed value because usable sale-price coverage is limited.
- Property and tax figures come from county/city parcel, sales, and assessor records.
- School metrics use Virginia Department of Education profiles when available.
- Amenity and business counts use OpenStreetMap, so hours and listings can change.
- Jobs, events, news, and business-directory layers are included only after their feeds or curated sources sync.
- Use these figures as planning estimates, then verify taxes, listings, and school details before making an offer.
Still choosing between Southwest Virginia markets?
This page is focused on New River Valley. Use the region split below to keep nearby towns, commute patterns, and local data straight.
Current guide
New River Valley
Where Virginia Tech, the New River, and the Blue Ridge all meet, with some of the lowest tax rates in the region.
Montgomery CountyRadfordPulaski CountyGiles CountyFloyd County
Companion guide
Roanoke Metro
A walkable small city with a Level I trauma center and miles of mountain greenway, for a lot less than the coast costs.
Roanoke CountyRoanoke CitySalem
Open Roanoke guide