Living here
Christiansburg or Blacksburg?
Two neighboring towns in Montgomery County, side by side: homes, taxes, town services, schools and how you get between them. Just the facts.
At a glance
- $0.95Christiansburg real estate tax per $1002026, inside town limits, county rate included
- $1.07Blacksburg real estate tax per $1002026, inside town limits, county rate included
- 8.34 miBetween the towns on the Huckleberry TrailChristiansburg Recreation Center to downtown Blacksburg
- Christiansburg and Blacksburg are neighboring towns in Montgomery County, linked by U.S. 460, fare-free Blacksburg Transit buses and the Huckleberry Trail.
- Christiansburg is the county seat and has the county's main shopping district. Blacksburg is home to Virginia Tech's main campus.
- Both towns' public schools are run by Montgomery County Public Schools.
Side by side
| Christiansburg | Blacksburg | |
|---|---|---|
| Population, 2020 Census | 23,348 | 44,826 |
| Population estimate, July 1, 2025 | 22,442 | 45,104 |
| Owner-occupied homes (2020-2024) | 60% | 36% |
| Median value, owner-occupied homes (2020-2024) | $252,600 | $446,300 |
| Mean travel time to work (2020-2024) | 18.1 minutes | 14.8 minutes |
| Buses | Blacksburg Transit, fare-free | Blacksburg Transit, fare-free |
Census figures cover each town's limits. Home values in the Census survey are owners' estimates gathered over five years, so they trail current sale prices.
Taxes, side by side
| Christiansburg | Blacksburg | |
|---|---|---|
| Town real estate tax, per $100 | $0.14 | $0.26 |
| Town tax on vehicles | $0.45 per $100, plus a $32 license fee | None; the county taxes vehicles |
| Town tax due | December 5 | June and December |
Both towns sit inside Montgomery County, so every home also pays the county's $0.81 per $100, and every car the county's $2.55. On a home assessed at Christiansburg's median sale price of the last 12 months, $317,250, the yearly real estate bill would be about $3,014 inside Christiansburg and $3,395 inside Blacksburg. The property tax guide covers due dates and the 2027 reassessment.
Homes in Christiansburg right now
107 homes are for sale in Christiansburg today, at a median asking price of $359,900. By type, they are 76% houses and 23% townhomes.
This site covers Christiansburg. For the same numbers in Blacksburg, see the Blacksburg housing market on blacksburg.realestate.
Town services
Inside its limits, each town provides water, sewer and trash pickup. A few differences buyers notice:
- Recreation. Christiansburg's Recreation Center is free to join for town residents and town real estate taxpayers, and the Town runs an indoor Aquatic Center.
- Shopping. The county's big shopping district is in Christiansburg: Uptown Christiansburg, Spradlin Farms, the Christiansburg Marketplace and the stores around them. See the shopping centers.
- County offices. Christiansburg is the county seat: the courthouse, where deeds are recorded, and the county government center are here.
- The university. Virginia Tech's main campus is in Blacksburg. See living in Christiansburg and working at Virginia Tech.
Getting between them
By car. U.S. 460 is a limited-access highway from I-81 at Exit 118, by Christiansburg, to the Virginia Tech campus, about 8.5 miles to the Prices Fork Road exit for downtown Blacksburg.
By bus. Blacksburg Transit's Two Town Trolley runs between Blacksburg and Christiansburg's shopping district, with a stop at LewisGale Hospital Montgomery. Every BT ride is fare-free.
By bike or on foot. The paved Huckleberry Trail runs from the Christiansburg Recreation Center to its trailhead by the library in downtown Blacksburg.
Schools in each town
Montgomery County Public Schools runs the public schools in both towns. The address decides the assignment, so confirm any home with MCPS.
| Level | Christiansburg addresses | Blacksburg addresses |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Christiansburg Primary and Christiansburg Elementary (one zone), Falling Branch | Gilbert Linkous, Harding Avenue, Kipps, Margaret Beeks, Price's Fork |
| Middle | Christiansburg Middle | Blacksburg Middle |
| High | Christiansburg High | Blacksburg High |
Which Christiansburg neighborhoods are zoned for which school is in the schools guide.
Questions, answered
Does Christiansburg or Blacksburg tax cars?
The Town of Christiansburg does: inside its limits, vehicles pay a town personal property tax and a license fee on top of the county's vehicle tax. The Town of Blacksburg taxes real estate only, so cars there pay the county tax alone.
How far is Christiansburg from Blacksburg?
They are next-door towns. U.S. 460 links I-81 Exit 118, by Christiansburg, with downtown Blacksburg and the Virginia Tech campus, and the Huckleberry Trail links the Christiansburg Recreation Center with downtown Blacksburg.
Do Christiansburg and Blacksburg share a school system?
Yes. Montgomery County Public Schools runs the public schools in both towns. Each town has its own elementary, middle and high schools, and the address decides the assignment.
Sources
Every fact here that is not a market number comes from an official or primary source below, checked on the date shown. Market numbers come from listing and sales data. Something out of date? Tell us.
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Blacksburg town, Christiansburg town and Montgomery County, Virginia
- Montgomery County Commissioner of the Revenue: current tax rates for 2026
- Town of Christiansburg: tax rates
- Town of Christiansburg: motor vehicle license fees
- Town of Blacksburg: tax rates
- Town of Blacksburg: taxes
- Town of Christiansburg: community profile
- Town of Christiansburg: Recreation Center
- Town of Christiansburg: new residents
- Town of Blacksburg: new residents
- Montgomery County Clerk of Circuit Court: deeds and land records
- Virginia Tech: directions to Virginia Tech
- Blacksburg Transit: Christiansburg service (the Explorer, Go Anywhere and the Two Town Trolley)
- Blacksburg Transit: fare information
- Blacksburg Transit: TTH, Two Town Trolley Hospital route and stops
- Town of Christiansburg: Huckleberry Trail
- Virginia Passenger Rail Authority: New River Valley project
- Virginia Tech News: New River Valley breaks ground on passenger rail (May 2, 2025)
- Montgomery County Public Schools: school contact information
- Montgomery County Public Schools: attendance zone map (School Maps Online)