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.

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.

Local starting points

Home-buying activity

In 2025, lenders financed 148 home purchases in Radford, at a median mortgage of $235,000. 68% of new mortgages were purchases rather than refinances.

About 26% of mortgage applications were denied. Source: federal HMDA mortgage data (2025).

Jobs & hiring

A sample of what's open right now at New River Valley-area employers (on-site & remote):

• GIFT SHOP REPRESENTATIVE · Carilion Clinic, Christiansburg, Virginia
• Scribe - Carilion Orthopedic Surgery · Carilion Clinic, Blacksburg, Virginia
• Software Engineer II - Fleet Enablement & Insights · Torc Robotics, Ann Arbor, MI, Blacksburg, VA, Fort Worth, TX
• Healthcare Administrative Associate - Giles Medical Office Building · Carilion Clinic, Pearisburg, Virginia
• Physical Therapist Assistant- Home Care · Carilion Clinic, Radford, Virginia

See all open roles & the RBTC job board →

Commute & how people work

About 5% of Radford workers work from home and the typical commute runs 18 min.

How long the commute is, share of commuters

How people get to work, share of workers

Check drive times from a specific address →

Compare commutes across New River Valley →

Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-year (2024). County-wide figures, not a specific address.

Schools

Radford City Public Schools reports a 92% on-time graduation rate, with 72% passing Math and 84% passing Reading on Virginia SOL assessments (VDOE School Quality Profile).

Radford City Schools →

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 0 restaurants & cafes and 0 grocery stores. The town center is car-dependent (0 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 0 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

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
  TakeoutCuisine: Chicken
• Domino's, 1700 East Main Street, Radford, VA 24141
  TakeoutCuisine: Pizza
• Hardee's, 7353 Lee Highway, Radford, VA 24141
  TakeoutCuisine: Burgers
• McDonald's, 7484 Lee Highway, Radford, VA 24141
  TakeoutCuisine: Burgers
• Papa John's, 1200 Tyler Avenue, Radford, VA 24141
  TakeoutCuisine: Pizza
• Subway, 7397 Peppers Ferry Boulevard, Radford, VA 24141
  TakeoutCuisine: Sandwiches

Shops & retail

• Dollar General, 1220 Tyler Avenue
• The Sportsman
  YelpGoogle Maps
• Verizon, 7347 Peppers Ferry Boulevard, Radford, VA 24141

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy

Hotels & lodging

• Comfort Inn & Suites, 2331 Tyler Road, Christiansburg, VA 24073
  YelpGoogle Maps
• 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
  YelpGoogle Maps

Banks

• Truist

Auto services

• Advance Auto Parts, 7361 Peppers Ferry Boulevard, Radford, VA 24141
• O'Reilly Auto Parts
• Motor Mile Chevrolet Buick, 1500 Tyler Avenue, Radford, VA 24141

Churches & faith communities

• First Baptist Church
  Baptist
• Zion Hill Baptist Church
  Baptist
• 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
  YelpGoogle Maps
• The Sportsman
  YelpGoogle Maps
• Exxon

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.

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

Cost of living

Who lives here

Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates.

Risk

Source: FEMA NFHL (approx, area-weighted)

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 Public 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).

How long is the commute in Radford?

The average commute for Radford workers is about 18 minutes, and 56% get to work in under 20 minutes. County-wide Census figures, not a specific address.

Can I work remotely from Radford?

About 5% of Radford workers already work from home. Glo Fiber launched in Radford in late 2025 alongside Comcast/Xfinity, so remote work is well covered for a small city.

Nearby area guides

Keep exploring New River Valley with nearby area guides.

Moving from out of state?

See your tax and cost-of-living savings if you're moving from out of state:

Compare costs in the moving guide →