Athens, GA vs Blacksburg, VA: cost of living compared
Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).
The short answer
- Overall, living costs in Blacksburg, VA and Athens, GA are within 1% of each other (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Athens works out to about $74,500 in Blacksburg, before taxes.
- Housing is 3.1% lower in Blacksburg, goods 0.5% higher and other services 0.1% lower, which roughly cancel out.
- Typical asking rent is $1,659 a month in Blacksburg and $1,776 in Athens, $1,404 a year less in Blacksburg (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $287,000 in Blacksburg and $367,000 in Athens.
- The gap is about where it was in 2019 (0.3%).
derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) and Zillow data. Based on an average household's spending; taxes not included. How we calculate.
Category by category
Both cities against the US average (100). The gap in each row is what matters for a move.
Overall prices are about the same in Athens and Blacksburg
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- Athens, GA
- Blacksburg, VA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Athens, GA | Blacksburg, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 93.3 | 92.7 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.8 |
| Housing (rents) | 76.8 | 74.4 |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 98.6 |
| Category | Athens | Blacksburg | Blacksburg vs Athens |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 93.3 | 92.7 | −0.7% |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.8 | +0.5% |
| Housing (rents) | 76.8 | 74.4 | −3.1% |
| Utilities | 89.3 | 88.1 | −1.3% |
| Other services | 98.7 | 98.6 | −0.1% |
| Typical asking rent | $1,776 | $1,659 | −6.6% |
| Typical home value | $367,000 | $287,000 | −21.9% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in Athens | $75,000 | $74,500 | −0.7% |
Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Rent and home values: Data Provided by Zillow Group, September 2026.
How the gap has changed since 2008
The price gap between Athens and Blacksburg has narrowed since 2008: 6.3 points then, 0.6 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- Athens, GA
- Blacksburg, VA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Athens, GA | Blacksburg, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 94.2 | 87.9 |
| 2009 | 94.3 | 87.4 |
| 2010 | 94.7 | 90.2 |
| 2011 | 94.4 | 90.6 |
| 2012 | 93.3 | 88.6 |
| 2013 | 93.4 | 92.0 |
| 2014 | 93.5 | 91.8 |
| 2015 | 92.9 | 91.5 |
| 2016 | 93.7 | 88.4 |
| 2017 | 93.8 | 88.7 |
| 2018 | 90.5 | 91.6 |
| 2019 | 90.6 | 90.9 |
| 2020 | 90.2 | 91.0 |
| 2021 | 94.4 | 92.0 |
| 2022 | 93.4 | 93.0 |
| 2023 | 93.5 | 90.9 |
| 2024 | 93.3 | 92.7 |
Goods
- Athens, GA
- Blacksburg, VA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Athens, GA | Blacksburg, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 97.2 | 93.1 |
| 2009 | 95.1 | 90.7 |
| 2010 | 96.7 | 95.9 |
| 2011 | 96.4 | 93.8 |
| 2012 | 96.2 | 90.6 |
| 2013 | 96.5 | 92.8 |
| 2014 | 96.7 | 91.1 |
| 2015 | 95.8 | 90.4 |
| 2016 | 96.5 | 92.0 |
| 2017 | 96.3 | 91.4 |
| 2018 | 95.6 | 95.6 |
| 2019 | 95.4 | 95.1 |
| 2020 | 95.2 | 95.2 |
| 2021 | 95.8 | 96.1 |
| 2022 | 95.0 | 95.5 |
| 2023 | 96.3 | 97.1 |
| 2024 | 96.3 | 96.8 |
Housing (rents)
- Athens, GA
- Blacksburg, VA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Athens, GA | Blacksburg, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 81.0 | 65.9 |
| 2009 | 86.8 | 76.4 |
| 2010 | 80.8 | 75.3 |
| 2011 | 76.4 | 77.4 |
| 2012 | 73.5 | 67.1 |
| 2013 | 73.6 | 77.4 |
| 2014 | 73.4 | 79.7 |
| 2015 | 70.8 | 77.9 |
| 2016 | 71.9 | 64.0 |
| 2017 | 76.0 | 73.7 |
| 2018 | 67.0 | 75.8 |
| 2019 | 69.7 | 74.4 |
| 2020 | 69.1 | 78.0 |
| 2021 | 79.5 | 73.0 |
| 2022 | 75.8 | 75.9 |
| 2023 | 77.9 | 67.5 |
| 2024 | 76.8 | 74.4 |
Utilities
- Athens, GA
- Blacksburg, VA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Athens, GA | Blacksburg, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 90.0 | 77.6 |
| 2009 | 88.6 | 80.7 |
| 2010 | 90.6 | 84.2 |
| 2011 | 94.2 | 84.6 |
| 2012 | 93.8 | 90.5 |
| 2013 | 93.9 | 86.5 |
| 2014 | 94.8 | 89.9 |
| 2015 | 93.6 | 93.3 |
| 2016 | 91.4 | 92.6 |
| 2017 | 89.9 | 91.5 |
| 2018 | 89.6 | 89.1 |
| 2019 | 91.8 | 90.9 |
| 2020 | 92.5 | 89.4 |
| 2021 | 90.7 | 86.2 |
| 2022 | 91.5 | 88.2 |
| 2023 | 87.4 | 88.3 |
| 2024 | 89.3 | 88.1 |
Other services
- Athens, GA
- Blacksburg, VA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Athens, GA | Blacksburg, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 98.1 | 95.1 |
| 2009 | 97.6 | 91.0 |
| 2010 | 99.7 | 94.5 |
| 2011 | 100.8 | 94.9 |
| 2012 | 100.8 | 97.9 |
| 2013 | 100.3 | 98.6 |
| 2014 | 100.1 | 99.0 |
| 2015 | 100.7 | 98.3 |
| 2016 | 101.9 | 96.2 |
| 2017 | 100.1 | 93.9 |
| 2018 | 97.5 | 98.0 |
| 2019 | 95.6 | 95.4 |
| 2020 | 95.2 | 95.1 |
| 2021 | 99.4 | 99.6 |
| 2022 | 99.5 | 99.6 |
| 2023 | 98.6 | 98.9 |
| 2024 | 98.7 | 98.6 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $1,659 in Blacksburg vs $1,776 in Athens
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- Athens, GA
- Blacksburg, VA
- United States
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (typical asking rent, all homes, smoothed), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Athens, GA | Blacksburg, VA | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $839 | – | $1,145 |
| Jun 2015 | $865 | – | $1,170 |
| Sep 2015 | $852 | – | $1,181 |
| Dec 2015 | $867 | – | $1,182 |
| Mar 2016 | $869 | – | $1,195 |
| Jun 2016 | $905 | – | $1,219 |
| Sep 2016 | $909 | – | $1,225 |
| Dec 2016 | $927 | – | $1,222 |
| Mar 2017 | $935 | – | $1,245 |
| Jun 2017 | $939 | – | $1,270 |
| Sep 2017 | $966 | – | $1,276 |
| Dec 2017 | $981 | – | $1,275 |
| Mar 2018 | $1,021 | – | $1,296 |
| Jun 2018 | $1,042 | – | $1,320 |
| Sep 2018 | $1,047 | $1,069 | $1,327 |
| Dec 2018 | $1,076 | $1,023 | $1,329 |
| Mar 2019 | $1,076 | $1,037 | $1,349 |
| Jun 2019 | $1,107 | $1,127 | $1,376 |
| Sep 2019 | $1,129 | $1,133 | $1,383 |
| Dec 2019 | $1,168 | $1,139 | $1,381 |
| Mar 2020 | $1,167 | $1,173 | $1,402 |
| Jun 2020 | $1,178 | $1,145 | $1,406 |
| Sep 2020 | $1,211 | $1,187 | $1,410 |
| Dec 2020 | $1,246 | $1,197 | $1,407 |
| Mar 2021 | $1,275 | $1,219 | $1,443 |
| Jun 2021 | $1,303 | $1,238 | $1,512 |
| Sep 2021 | $1,371 | $1,254 | $1,590 |
| Dec 2021 | $1,400 | $1,296 | $1,622 |
| Mar 2022 | $1,432 | $1,323 | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | $1,499 | $1,327 | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | $1,541 | $1,354 | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | $1,535 | $1,392 | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | $1,608 | $1,417 | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | $1,617 | $1,441 | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | $1,644 | $1,433 | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | $1,660 | $1,503 | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | $1,671 | $1,500 | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | $1,702 | $1,477 | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | $1,705 | $1,503 | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $1,712 | $1,546 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $1,716 | $1,550 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $1,718 | $1,531 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,735 | $1,596 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $1,747 | $1,598 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,768 | $1,597 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $1,754 | $1,586 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,776 | $1,659 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $287,000 in Blacksburg vs $367,000 in Athens
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- Athens, GA
- Blacksburg, VA
- United States
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (typical home value, middle tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Athens, GA | Blacksburg, VA | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $157K | $161K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | $159K | $163K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | $160K | $166K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | $163K | $167K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $165K | $168K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $167K | $168K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $169K | $169K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $170K | $171K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $173K | $171K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $177K | $172K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $181K | $174K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $185K | $176K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $188K | $178K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $192K | $181K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $197K | $183K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $202K | $184K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $207K | $186K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $211K | $190K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $214K | $192K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $219K | $196K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $225K | $199K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $229K | $202K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $236K | $208K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $248K | $215K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $260K | $222K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | $272K | $231K | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $283K | $237K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $294K | $241K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $311K | $250K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $323K | $258K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $324K | $260K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $323K | $259K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $325K | $260K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $332K | $266K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $339K | $268K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $344K | $269K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $349K | $270K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $355K | $275K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $355K | $274K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $358K | $276K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $360K | $279K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $359K | $277K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $361K | $278K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $364K | $281K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $367K | $285K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $367K | $287K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $367K | $287K | $366K |
More about each city
What this comparison leaves out
- Taxes. State and local income, sales and property taxes can change the result a lot, especially between states.
- Neighborhoods. These are metro-wide averages; a city center and its outer suburbs can differ by more than two metros do.
- Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider above if rent is a bigger share of your budget.
- Timing. BEA price levels are for 2024; Zillow figures are monthly and newer.