Quantitative Techniques Assignment 2_Luu_Fryling_Tate Final

8/12/2019 Quantitative Techniques Assignment 2_Luu_Fryling_Tate Final

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Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityMasters in Urban and Regional Planning

State of the Region Report: Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

October 11, 2011

Prepared by:Kelsey Fryling

Tiffany LuuLeslie Tate



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Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary& Introduction ……………………………………….. .2

2. Housing Section ……………………………………………………………….3 Table 1. Percentage of Occupied Units and Percentage of Vacant Units ……………….3 Table 2. Percentage Owner-Occupied and Renter Occupied ………………………........3 Table 3. Year Structure Built ……………………………………………………………...4 Graph 1. Year Structure Built …………………………………………………………….4 Graph 2. Median House Value ………………………………………………….………..4 Graph 3. Median Gross Rent …………………………………………………………........5 Table 4. Monthly Costs for Owner-Occupied Units (Percentage by Mortgage Status).6

3. Demographic Characteristics ………………………………………………..7 Table 1. Sex …………………………………………………………………………………7 Graph 1. MSA Trend of Total Population ………………………………………………..7 Table 2. Age ………………………………………………………………………………....8 Table 3. Educational Attainment for the Population 25 Years and Over ………………8 Table 4. Ethnicity …………………………………………………………………………..9 Graph 2. MSA Ethnicity Percentages 2010 ……………………………………………..10 Graph 3. Virginia Ethnicity Percentages 2010 …………………………………………10 Table 5. Relationship Status ……………………………………………………………...10 Table 6. Marital Status……………………………………………………………………11 Table 7. Households by Type ……………………………………………………………..11

4. Economic and Employment Conditions ……………………………………13 Table 1. Unemployment Rate, Age 16 and Over ………………………………………...13 Table 2. Unemployment, Age 16 and Over, During Recession …………………………13 Chart 1. Unemployment Rate (MSA and Virginia Comparison) ………………………14

Table 3. Industry Breakdown …………………………………………………………….15 Table 4. Median Household Income ………………………………………………………16 Table 5. Persons Below Poverty Level …………………………………………………….16 Table 6. Means of Transportation to Work ………………………………………………16

5. Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………...18

6. Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………19



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1. Executive Summary & Introduction

Executive Summary: The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA and Virginia have experienced comparable relative

growth in development in recent years as can be seen in similar percentages for the structures built in2005 or later.

The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA has a lower median house value and median gross rentvalue than the comparison area of Virginia.

Individuals with and without a mortgage in the MSA have experienced increases in monthly costs fromthe year 1990 to 2010. Virginia has a higher percentage of its home owners, with and withoutmortgages, paying higher monthly costs than the MSA in the year 2010.

Population in the MSA has seen an overall increase from 1990 to 2010 however population droppedfrom 151,859 in 2000 to 140,200 in 2005.

Virginia has a greater percentage of its population in the age bracket 30-54 when compared to the MSA,while the MSA has a larger percentage of its population in the 19-29 age range when compared to

Virginia. The MSA has experienced increases in diversity from 1990-2010. The state of Virginia has a larger percentage of non-Caucasians than the MSA. The majority of the population for both the MSA and thestate of Virginia is Caucasian.

The MSA has a higher percentage of nonfamily households than Virginia, as is expected in a collegetown.

The MSA has a higher unemployment rate than Virginia. The MSA has experienced increasing median household income from 1990-2010. However, the state of

Virginia’s median household income is $20,000 more than the MSA.

The MSA has experienced increasing percentages of those below the poverty level. The percentage ofthose below the poverty level for the MSA is twice that of Virginia.

Introduction:

The purpose of this regional report of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical

Area is to provide a review of housing, demographic, and economic trends within the MSA and in comparison

to the state of Virginia as a whole. This overview includes analysis of housing stock, home values, population

change, educational attainment, marital status, and employment conditions. The data for analysis in this reportwas primarily acquired through the U.S. Census Bureau website. In order to show trends within the MSA, the

housing, demographic, and economic characteristics have been examined for the years 1990, 2000, 2005, and

2010. Data for the MSA and state of Virginia are compared for the year 2010 to illustrate some of the unique

qualities of this particular region of Virginia.



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2. Housing Section

This section will address several housing stock characteristics of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radfordmetropolitan statistical area (MSA) including:

Total housing stock Percentage of occupied and vacant units Percentage of owner-occupied and renter-occupied units Age of housing stock Median value of housing stock Median monthly rent associated with renter-occupied units Monthly housing costs associated with owner-occupied units

Table 1. Percentage of Occupied Units and Percentage of Vacant Units

MSA Trend Virginia

1990 2000 2005 2010 2010Total Housing Units 55,104 62,721 67,563 69,941 3,368,674Percentage of Occupied Units 93.02% 93.18% 61.18% 89.30% 88.80%

Percentage of Vacant Units 6.98% 6.82% 38.82% 10.70% 11.20%Source: U.S. Census Bureau – Summary File 1

Table 1 shows that total housing units have steadily increased in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSAfrom 1990 to 2010. The trend for the percentage of occupied units and vacant units is relatively similar for theyears 1990, 2000, and 2010; however, the year 2005 demonstrates a significant decrease in the percentage ofoccupied units with a consequent increase in the percentage of vacant units. The MSA is representative of thestate of Virginia with regards to percentage of occupied and vacant units in the year 2010.

Table 2. Percentage Owner-Occupied and Renter Occupied

MSA Trend Virginia

1990 2000 2005 2010 VA 2010

Total Occupied Units 51,258 58,443 57,871 62,446 2,992,732Percentage Owner-Occupied 62.38% 61.60% 61.18% 64.30% 67.70%Percentage Renter-Occupied 37.62% 38.40% 38.82% 35.70% 32.30%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau – Summary File 1

Table 2 demonstrates that the majority of occupied housing units in the MSA and in the state of Virginia areowned as opposed to rented. The percentage of owner-occupied units in the MSA has experienced a minimaloverall increase of 1.92%; however, this percentage showed small decreases from 1990 to 2000 and 2000 to



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2005. When comparing the percentage of owner-occupied and renter occupied units in 2010 for the MSA andthe comparison area of Virginia, one can see that these values are similar with only a 3.4% difference.

Table 3. Year Structure BuiltMSA2010

VA2010

Built 2005 or later 7.5% 6.5%Built 2000 to 2004 5.6% 9.1%

Built 1990 to 1999 15.9% 16.0%

Built 1980 to 1989 14.1% 17.3%

Built 1970 to 1979 20.2% 16.7%

Built 1960 to 1969 11.7% 11.6%

Built 1950 to 1959 9.0% 9.7%

Built 1940 to 1949 6.6% 5.1%

Built 1939 or earlier 6.6% 8.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau- Summary File 3Source: U.S. Census Bureau-Summary File

Table 3 shows that the majority of the housing stock for both the MSA and the state of Virginia was built between 1960 and 1999 as represented by the numbers shown in red. The total percentage of houses builtwithin this time period for the MSA and the state of Virginia is 61.9% and 61.6% respectively. This chart alsodemonstrates similar percentages between the MSA (7.5%) and the comparison area of Virginia (6.5%) for thehousing stock built in 2005 or later, demonstrating that these two areas have experienced comparable relativegrowth in development in recent years.

Graph 1 is a visual representation of the information shown in Table 3.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau- Summary File 1

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

Built2005

orlater

Built2000

to2004

Built1990

to1999

Built1980

to1989

Built1970

to1979

Built1960

to1969

Built1950

to1959

Built1940

to1949

Built1939

orearlier

Graph 1. Year Structure Built

MSA 2010 VA 2010

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

$250,000

MSA1990*

MSA2000*

MSA2005

MSA2010

VA2010

$58,475$89,725

$116,400

$156,800

$249,100

Graph 2. Median House Value

Median House Value



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*The Blacksburg-Christiansburg- Radford region wasn’t classified as an MSA during the years 1990 and 2000. Therefore, the medianvalues used in the graph for those years are an average of the individual median house values for Montgomery County, Giles County,Radford City, and Pulaski County.

Graph 2 shows that median house value has risen steadily in the MSA from 1990 to 2010, experiencing anoverall increase of $98,325. Graph 1. also shows that median house value for the year 2010 for the comparisonarea of Virginia is $92,300 higher than the median house value for the year 2010 for the MSA. It is important tonote that Montgomery County is an outlier among the MSA with regards to median house value. For example,in the year 2000 the median house values for the individual counties included in the MSA was as follows:Montgomery County ($114,600), Giles County ($69,200), Pulaski County ($80,000), and Radford City($95,100). These numbers demonstrate a wide range between the different counties that constitute theBlacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau- Summary File 1*The Blacksburg-Christiansburg- Radford region wasn’t classified as an MSA during the years 1990 and 2000. Therefore, the mediangross rent values used in the graph for those years are an average of the individual median gross rent values for Montgomery County,Giles County, Radford City, and Pulaski County.

Graph 3 shows that median gross rent has risen steadily in the MSA from 1990 to 2010, experiencing an overallincrease of $403.50. Graph 3 also shows that median gross rent for the year 2010 for the comparison area ofVirginia is $359 higher than the median house value for the year 2010 for the MSA.

$0.00

$200.00

$400.00

$600.00

$800.00

$1,000.00

$1,200.00

MSA1990*

MSA2000*

MSA2005

MSA2010

VA2010

$346.50 $432.25

$579$750

$1,109

Graph 3. Median Gross Rent

Median Gross Rent



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Table 4. Monthly Costs for Owner-Occupied Units (Percentage byMortgage Status)

MSA Trend Virginia

1990 2000 2005 2010 2010Housing units witha mortgage: 13,865 17,336 21,495 23,578 1,458,444

Less than $300 9.19% 1.48% 2.30% 7.00% 0.30%$300 to $499 31.51% 12.47% 5.57% 2.90% 1.60%$500 to $699 27.56% 23.31% 15.85% 10.70% 3.80%$700 to $999 20.82% 30.80% 30.23% 24.20% 10.60%$1,000 to $1,499 8.40% 23.58% 31.99% 35.30% 23.30%$1,500 to $1,999 2.05% 6.20% 10.18% 13.90% 20.90%$2,000 or more 0.48% 2.16% 3.87% 12.30% 39.50%

Housing unitswithout a mortgage: 9,379 10,199 13,910 16,589 566,796

Less than $100 11.89% 4.03% 3.74% 3.00% 1.20%

$100 to $199 66.02% 43.62% 33.90% 11.40% 8.40%$200 to $299 19.03% 39.01% 37.37% 23.30% 18.70%$300 to $399 2.19% 9.26% 16.82% 29.50% 20.30%$400 or more 0.87% 4.08% 8.17% 35.40% 51.50%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau- Summary File 1

Table 4 shows the percentage of monthly costs according to different monetary ranges based on mortgagestatus for the MSA for the years 1990, 2000, 2005, and 2010 as well as for the comparison area of Virginia forthe year 2010. The two numbers in red in each column represent the highest percentage of people paying agiven monthly cost for those with a mortgage and those without a mortgage. The trend in the MSA

demonstrates an increase in monthly costs as the highest percentage of monthly costs with a mortgage movesfrom the $300 to $499 range in 1990 to the $1,000 to $1,499 range in 2010. The same is true for those withouta mortgage as the highest percentage of monthly costs moves from the $100 to $199 range in 1990 to the $400or more range in 2010.

Table 4 also shows that the highest percentage of monthly costs in the state of Virginia for the year 2010 is$2,000 or more for those with a mortgage and $400 or more for those without a mortgage. Even though theMSA and Virginia both have the highest percentage of monthly costs without a mortgage at $400 or more, onecan see that Virginia has a higher percentage of people paying at that level (51.5% for Virginia compared to35.4% for the MSA).



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3. Demographic Characteristics

The purpose of this portion of the report is to determine the demographic characteristics and trend of residents

within the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metropolitan statistical area (MSA), which includes:

Sex

Age Educational Attainment Ethnicity Marital Status Household Type

Table 1. SexMSA Trend Virginia

1990 2000 2005 2010 2010Total Population 140,715 151,859 140,200 161,768 8,024,617Percentage of Male 49.76% 50.60% 50.49% 49.63% 49.12%Percentage of Female 50.24% 49.40% 49.51% 50.37% 50.88%



Table 1 represents the total population of the MSA between 1990 and 2010 and Virginia in 2010. There wassteady growth in the total population between 1990 and 2000 in the MSA from 140,715 to 151,859. However,Graph 1 indicates that there was a sharp decrease in the total population from 151,859 in 2000 to 140,200 in

140,715

151,859

140,200

161,768

125,000

130,000

135,000

140,000

145,000

150,000

155,000

160,000

165,000

1990 2000 2005 2010

Graph 1. MSA Trend of Total Population

Total Population in Hundred Thousands



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2005, which is less than the total population in 1990. In 2010, there was significant growth in the total population to a total of 161,768. Throughout the years, there has been a fairly even distribution between malesand females within the MSA with only minor fluctuations. Similarly, the state of Virginia also had a nearly evenratio of males to females in 2010.

Table 2. AgeMSA Trend Virginia

1990 2000 2005 2010 201018 and Under 22.52% 25.70% 21.47% 24.55% 26.10%19-29 29.68% 23.97% 24.83% 24.20% 14.00%30-54 29.52% 30.78% 31.11% 28.18% 35.60%55-64 7.51% 8.46% 10.44% 10.82% 12.00%65 and Over 10.76% 11.10% 12.15% 12.25% 12.20%


Table 2 represents the age distribution in the MSA between the years of 1990, 2000, 2005, and 2010 and thestate of Virginia in 2010. The largest age group in 1990 was between the ages of 19 to 29; however, the largestage group in 2000, 2005 and 2010 was 30 to 54. The age group of 55-64 has consistently had the smallest

percentage of individuals in an age bracket throughout the years of 1990 to 2010 in the MSA. For the age brackets of 18 and under and 65 and over, the MSA and the state of Virginia had similar percentages of theseage groups in 2010. Conversely, the percentage of individuals in the 19 to 29 age bracket in the MSA in 2010had almost twice the percentage of Virginia. The MSA and the state of Virginia in 2010 held the highest

percentage for the 30 to 54 age bracket.

Table 3. Educational Attainment for the Population 25 Years and Over

MSA Trend Virginia

1990 2000 2005 2010 2010

Male Female Male Female

9th to 12th Grade, No Diploma 8.80% 1.25% 0.91% 0.73% 0.80% 0.73% 0.70%

High School Graduate (includes equivalency) 14.18% 16.45% 16.84% 13.97% 12.12% 12.22% 13.22%

Some College, No Degree 8.33% 3.56% 10.89% 10.19% 9.72% 9.17% 10.95%

Associate’s Degree 3.26% 0.77% 4.19% 2.80% 5.09% 2.83% 3.92%

Bachelor's Degree 6.51% 1.41% 10.03% 5.84% 9.72% 9.32% 10.74%

Graduate Degree or Professional Degree 5.93% 2.78% 9.91% 7.60% 6.79% 7.35% 6.82%


The MSA and Virginia contain a wide range of people who obtain different levels of education as indicated byTable 3. Throughout 1990, 2000, 2005, and 2010, the MSA has experienced greater educational attainment atall levels of education. In the years of 2005 and 2010 in the MSA, more people were graduating high schooland less people were dropping out of the 9 th to 12 th grade without a diploma. From 2005 to 2010, the MSA



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experienced a significant rise in the number of people who attained some college education with 10.89% tonearly 20%. Similarly, people with bachelor’s degrees more than doubled in 2010 in the MSA in comparison to1990. Females in particular in 2010 in the MSA tended to receive higher education in associate’s degrees and

bachelor’s degree. However, more men were likely to obtain a graduate degree or professional degree.

In comparison to the state of Virginia in 2010, the MSA held similar percentages for individuals not completinghigh school without a diploma, individuals graduating high school, and individuals receiving some college but

with no degree. Females were more likely in 2010 to receive an associate’s degree in the MSA than in Virginia.The tot al population of the MSA received more associate’s degrees than the state of Virginia. On the otherhand, Virginia had 20.6% of the population receive bachelor’s degrees while the MSA only had 15.56%. Onceagain, Virginia had more females graduating with a bachelor’s degree than males in 2010. Another similaritythe MSA and Virginia held in 2010 was the similar percentage of individuals who obtained graduate or

professional degrees. Ultimately, most people in the MSA and in Virginia were most likely to not drop out ofhigh school and graduate from high school, and females were more likely to obtain associate’s and bachelor’sdegrees than males.

Table 4. Ethnicity

MSA Trend Virginia1990 2000 2005 2010 2010

White 93.11% 90.51% 90.63% 90.09% 68.86%Black or African American 4.33% 4.28% 4.33% 4.32% 19.40%American Indian and Alaska Native 0.09% 0.16% 0.08% 0.03% 0.40%Asian, Native Hawaiian, and other PacificIslander 2.27% 2.45% 3.15% 3.69% 5.60%

Some other race 0.20% 0.12% 0.28% 0.60% 3.20%Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 0.84% 1.23% 1.35% 2.39% 7.85%


Table 4 depicts the ranges of ethnicities within the MSA throughout 1990 to 2010 and the state of Virginia in2010. Within the MSA, whites hold the greatest percentage of the population with over 90% in 1990, 2000,2005, and 2010. In Virginia, on the other hand, whites held only 68.86% of the population in 2010. Similarly,the percentage of African Americans in the MSA throughout 1990 to 2010 has remained relatively constanthovering over 4%. In contrast, the state of Virginia held nearly 20% of African Americans in 2010. Both theMSA throughout 1990 to 2010 and the state of Virginia in 2010 had less than 0.50% of American Indians andAlaskan Natives. The Asian, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander have seen a slow increase in the MSAfrom 2.27% in 1990 to 3.69% in 2010. Similarly, there has been a steady rise in the number of Hispanics orLatinos in the MSA growing from 0.84% in 1990 to 2.39% in 2010. However, Hispanics and Latinos heldnearly 8% of the population in the state of Virginia in 2010. Overall, the state of Virginia contains a wider rangeof ethnicities within its population in comparison to the MSA in 2010, but the MSA has shown steady increasesin ethnicities of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander and Hispanic or Latino populations.



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Graph 2 and Graph 3 show the disparate ranges of ethnicities between the MSA and Virginia in 2010. Whitesclearly dominate the MSA in 2010, whereas other ethnicities dwarf in comparison. Virginia in 2010 has agreater blend of ethnicities, but, like the MSA, whites seem to dominate the state with over half the population.

Table 5. Relationship StatusMSA Trend Virginia

1990 2000 2005 2010 2010

Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female

Never Married 35.73% 28.57% 20.35% 15.88% 20.31% 14.45% 46.20% 37.90% 34.20% 28%

Separated 1.54% 1.92% 0.77% 1.13% 0.19% 2.22% 1.30% 2.50% 2.30% 2.90%

Widowed 1.48% 9.09% 0.94% 5.03% 1.23% 4.85% 2.70% 9.10% 2.30% 8.70%

Divorced 4.47% 5.73% 3.53% 4.04% 3.27% 4.62% 8.20% 10.50% 8.50% 11.40%


Table 5 characterizes the marital status between males and females between the years of 1990 to 2010 in theMSA and in 2010 for the state of Virginia. Males and females seemed to have a steady decrease of never beingmarried from 1990 to 2005, but then this number soared to 46.20% of males never being married in 2010 withinthe MSA. In 2010, more males were likely to be never married than females in the MSA and in the state ofVirginia. Table 5 also illustrates that the MSA and the state of Virginia in 2010 has more females being

90%

4%0%4% 1% 2%

Graph 2. MSA Ethnicity Percentages2010

White

Black or African American

American Indian and Alaska Native

Asian, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander

Some other race

Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

65%

19%

0%5%

3%8%

Graph 3. Virginia EthnicityPercentages 2010

White

Black or African American

American Indian and Alaska Native

Asian, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander

Some other race

Hispanic or Latino (of any race)



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separated than males. Females were also more likely to become widowed in every year between 1990 and 2010within the MSA and in the state of Virginia. The percentage of widowed women seems to far outweigh the

percentage of men at each year of the MSA and in Virginia in 2010. This is especially true for the year 2010where the percentage of female widows was 9.10% in comparison to male widows of 2.70% in the MSA, andfemale widows was 8.70% in comparison to male widows with 2.3% in Virginia. The divorce rate has alsoshown steady increases in the MSA throughout 1990 to 2010, with 10.50% of females and 8.20% of malesaccounting for divorces in 2010. The percentages in 2010 for the MSA nearly double the percentages in

divorces for 1990, 2000, and 2005. Females in each year were also more likely to become divorced in the MSA,and the same can be said about the state of Virginia in 2010. Both the MSA and Virginia in 2010 held similar

percentages of nearly 20% of the population resulting in divorces.

Table 6. Marital StatusMSA Trend Virginia

1990 2000 2005 2010 2010Married 60.28% 47.57% 51.25% 40.80% 53.38%Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Table 6 indicates that the MSA has generally seen a decline in the number of marriages from 1990 to 201,despite the increase in marriages from 2000 to 2005. In relation to Virginia in 2010, the MSA has about 13%fewer marriages.

Table 7. Households by TypeMSA Trend Virginia

1990 2000 2005 2010 2010

Family Households: 3.32% 59.69% 55.69% 58.80% 67%M arr ied-couple famil y: 3.54% 47.57% 79.69% 43% 51%

with related children 24.23% 18.90% 32.33% 13.90% 20.60%Male Householder, no wife present 15.40% 3.39% 2.01% 3.90% 4.20%

with related children 0.69% 1.60% 1.65% 1.90% 2.00%Female Householder, no husband present 0.00% 8.73% 9.30% 11.90% 12.40%

with related children 2.01% 4.88% 16.70% 5.90% 7.00%Nonfamily Households 0.00% 13.64% 29.29% 41.20% 32.70%


Table 7 describes the households in the MSA throughout 1990 to 2010 and in the state of Virginia in 2010.Family households made up 58.50% in 2010 in the MSA while Virginia had 67% of family households. Therewere also more married-couple families in Virginia in 2010 than in the MSA. There was an increase in thenumber of married-couple families from 1990 with 3.54% to 79.69% in 2005, but this number decreases to 43%in 2010 for the MSA. Married-couple families in 2010 of the MSA had smaller percentage of related children inthe household than in Virginia in 2010. Similar percentages can be seen in Table 7 for male householders withno wife present and female householders with no husband present in 2010 between the MSA and in Virginia.



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Nonfamily households have shown steady increases in the MSA reaching 41.20% in 2010, while Virginia held32.70% of nonfamily households in 2010.



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4. Economic and Employment Conditions

This section focuses on summarizing the past and current economic trends in the newly formed Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The information compiled includes:

Unemployment rates Median household income

Persons below poverty level Occupation Means of transportation to work

Table 1: Unemployment Rate, Age 16 and OverMSA Trend Virginia

Percent Unemployment1990 2000 2005 2010 2010

6.18% 5.54% 6.01% 8.57% 7.70%Source: US Census Bureau

Table one displays the trend in the unemployment rate throughout the years in the targeted MSA along with the2010 rate for Virginia. The unemployment rate is calculated as the total level of unemployment divided by thetotal labor force. The unemployment rate in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA went down slightlyin 2000 from 1990, only to increase drastically up to a high of 8.57% in 2010. This increase in unemploymentin the area is not surprising considering the economic recession currently taking place. The rate ofunemployment in the MSA is about a percentage point higher than that of the state of Virginia in 2010. Thisindicates that the MSA is suffering a greater economic hardship from the recession than Virginia as a whole.

Table 2: Unemployment, Age 16 and Over, During RecessionMSA Trend

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010Total Unemployment 4,321 4,918 5,171 4,591 8,507 6,828Percent Unemployment 6.00% 6.53% 6.45% 5.70% 10.70% 8.57%

Source: US Census Bureau

Table two shows the trend of the unemployment rate in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA over theyears from 2005 to 2010. This table was included because the recession began over this time period and itdemonstrates how hard the MSA was impacted. The start of the recession is clearly marked by huge increase inunemployment between 2008 and 2009. The region recovers slightly in 2010, but the unemployment rate hasnot gone back down to what it was before the recession hit.



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This line graph compares unemployment in the MSA and the state of Virginia from 2005 to 2010. This is agood visual display of how the region dealt with the economic crisis in comparison to the state as a whole. Thisseems to show that the region is simply not doing as well as the state is economically. Virginia has a lowerunemployment rate throughout the time period and is more stable as well, showing less fluctuation. This may

be because the region is dependent on a smaller amount of industries that may have been more affected thanothers.

0.00%

2.00%

4.00%

6.00%

8.00%

10.00%

12.00%

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

U n e m p

l o y m e n t R a t e

Year

Chart 1: Unemployment Rate (MSA and VirginiaComparison)

MSA

VA



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Table 3: Industry Breakdown

MSA MSA Virginia Virginia

2005 2010 2005 2010

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, andmining

1.5% 0.6% 1.1% 1.1%

Construction 4.3% 4.7% 8.3% 6.6%

Manufacturing 14.3% 12.6% 9.1% 7.7%

Wholesale trade 2.4% 0.9% 2.6% 2.0%

Retail trade 8.9% 10.7% 11.7% 10.8%

Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 3.7% 3.0% 4.3% 3.9%

Information 3.9% 1.8% 3.0% 2.2%

Finance and insurance, and real estate and rentaland leasing

4.7% 3.3% 6.9% 6.5%

Professional, scientific, and management, andadministrative and waste management services

6.9% 8.2% 12.5% 14.5%

Educational services, and health care and socialassistance

31.6% 33.8% 18.8% 21.1%

Arts, entertainment, and recreation, andaccommodation and food services

8.4% 10.4% 7.5% 8.5%

Other services, except public administration 5.5% 5.2% 5.3% 5.2%

Public administration 4.0% 4.7% 8.9% 9.8%


This table gives a breakdown of jobs held in the different industries for the MSA and Virginia in 2010. Peopleworking in the MSA hold more jobs in manufacturing, educational services, health services, social services,food service, arts, entertainment, recreation, and accommodation than Virginia as a whole. Manufacturing isone of the industries hard hit by the recession (Bell, 2010). American companies have been shippingmanufacturing jobs overseas for many years and the recession only sped up that process. Those holding

manufacturing jobs in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA were at a much higher risk of losing their jobs than other workers. This may be where some of the blame lies for the higher unemployment rate in theMSA as compared to the state.



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Table 4: Median Household IncomeMSA Trend Virginia United States

1990* 2000* 2005 2010 2010 2010In Dollars $22,470 $31,446 $33,187 $40,127 $60,674 $50,046Source: US Census Bureau

*The Blacksburg-Christiansburg- Radford region wasn’t classified as an MSA during the years 1990 and 2000. Therefore, the medianhousehold income values used in the table for those years are an average of the individual median household income values for

Montgomery County, Giles County, Radford City, and Pulaski County.

This table displays the median household income for the MSA over the years and gives a comparison of theMSA in 2010 to the state of Virginia and the United States for that same year. Overall it appears that themedian incomes of households in the region are slowly increasing about on par with inflation and therefore thearea is not really increasing in wealth. The table also indicates that the MSA is somewhat poorer than bothVirginia and the rest of the country. Virginia’s median household income is ap proximately $20,000 higher thanthe MSA median income and the United States’ median household income is about $10,000 higher than theMSA median income. This indicates that Virginia must have some wealthier regions that offset poorer regionssuch as the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA to have a median income above the national average.

Most likely these would be the areas of northern and central Virginia which are known to be wealthier areas.

Table 5: Persons Below Poverty LevelMSA Trend Virginia

1990 2000 2005 2010 2010By Percentage 17.76% 18.16% 22.30% 22.20% 11.10%Source: US Census Bureau

Table five once again shows that the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA is a poor region. The povertylevel in the MSA is twice as high as the state’s level of poverty. Poverty has also been increasing since 1990 inthe MSA which is not a good sign for the region. Despite the increasing poverty, it does not look like therecession has yet drive too many more people into poverty as the percentage in poverty actually decreased by atenth of a percent between 2005 and 2010 when the recession took place. Poverty is determined by the CensusBureau by looking at the amount of people in a family and their ages and using a specific formula.

Table 6: Means of Transportation to WorkMSA Trend MSA % Virginia %

1990 2000 2005 2010 2010 2010Drove Alone 46,244 54,415 53,890 56,373 78.82% 77.14%Carpooled 2,660 7,365 5,700 7,742 10.82% 9.98%PublicTransit 965 1,248 728 1,327 1.90% 4.40%Walked 3,457 3,147 2,168 2,245 3.12% 2.70%


Transportation is an important aspect of the economy and it accounts for a lot of the energy use in the countrytoday. With the growing climate crisis, there has been increased emphasis on public and mass transportation.Table six compares four main methods of transportation to work: driving alone, carpooling, public transport,and walking. Driving alone is the primary method of transportation in both the MSA and in Virginia. This is



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probably pretty standard throughout the United States as it is primarily an independent automobile drivenculture. The largest difference between the MSA and Virginia exists within public transportation. This showsthat the MSA could perhaps place more emphasis on improving its mass public transportation system.



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5. Conclusion

Overall the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA is a generally poorer region of the state. Theeconomic section displays evidence for this conclusion in the higher unemployment rate, high level of poverty,and low median household income in the MSA as compared to Virginia. The housing section also backs up thisconclusion in the form of low median house values and median gross rent in the MSA as compared to the state.

Though the region performs lower than the state in several economic ways, it does share severalsimilarities as well. These include similar percentages of industry breakdown, means of transportation to work,educational attainment, sex ratio, year structure built, percentage of occupied and vacant units as well as

percentage of renter-occupied and owner occupied units.

Some ways that the region differs from the state include marital status, ethnic composition, and age breakdown. These differences do not necessarily have a negative connotation associated with them, but simplymake the region unique.



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6. Bibliography

Bell, A. (2010, February 11). Careers in crisis: three industries hit hardest by job losses . Retrieved fromhttp://financialedge.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0210/Careers-in-Crisis-Three-Industries-Hit-Hardest-By-Job-Losses.aspx

Census Bureau Home Page. (n.d.). Census Bureau Home Page . Retrieved October 11, 2011, from

http://www.census.gov/

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