In order to allocate Congressional seats, electoral votes and federal funding, the U.S. Constitution calls for a census to be taken every ten years. The next one will be in 2010, the last one was done in 2000, and the first one was done in 1790 after the American Revolution.
While there are numerous other sources of data and ways to measure growth or changes between censuses, the decennial figures remain the best way to compare red apples to red apples. It is noted there is frequent debate about census figures and how accurate they may be, which makes perfect sense because it does affect political representation and federal allocations. Since people are so mobile today, it's a challenge for everyone to "freeze" long enough for noses to be counted and capturing information during each census. (Two other common sources which include demographic information on our region are the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service and the NRV PDC Data Book.)
The tiny spot made by a push-pin on a national map which denotes Montgomery County is the place we call home. Here is a comparison of similar data points for the county and towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg. Aggregate totals were reduced by town totals to denote actual numbers for unincorporated areas of the county.
Also, Virginia Tech's Fall 2007 full time enrollment is reported as 27,332. This population is concentrated in Blacksburg with 9,100 students living on-campus (not considered housing units) and 9,400 students living off-campus, and approximately 8,832 students dispersed throughout the area (so double counting may occur in some instances). VT, an entity separate and apart yet within Blacksburg and the county, also reports a total of 3,847 employees, including graduate assistants but excluding wage or hourly workers, as of Fall 2007.
The active registered voter list is only thrown in because of the upcoming presidential election.
Category |
County |
Bburg |
Cburg |
Totals |
9/2008 Active Registered Voters |
19,338 |
14,403 |
12,994 |
46,735 |
2000 Census Population |
27,109 |
39,573 |
16,947 |
83,629 |
2007 Census Estimates |
28,726 |
41,291 |
19,176 |
89,193 |
Age - Under 5 |
1,571 |
1,157 |
1,252 |
3,980 |
Age - Over 18 |
20,802 |
35,572 |
12,915 |
69,289 |
Age - Over 65 |
3,207 |
1,950 |
2,048 |
7,204 |
2000 Total Housing Units |
11,365 |
13,732 |
7,430 |
32,527 |
| 2006 ACS Housing Units |
35,432 |
N/A |
N/A |
35,432 |
2007 Estimated Housing Units |
36,063 |
N/A |
N/A |
36,063 |
2000 Owner Occupied Units |
8,340 |
4,003 |
4,747 |
17,090 |
2000 Renter Occupied Units |
2,402 |
9,159 |
2,346 |
13,907 |
2006 ACS Renter Occupied Units |
14,624 |
N/A |
N/A |
14,624 |
2000 Vacant Units |
623 |
570 |
337 |
1,630 |
2006 ACS Vacant Units |
3,236 |
N/A |
N/A |
3,236 |
2000 Census Median Home Value |
$101,600 |
$144,000 |
$114,500 |
$120,033 |
2006 ACS Median Home Value |
$179,000 |
N/A |
N/A |
$179,000 |
1999 Median Household Income |
$32,330 |
$22,513 |
$40,951 |
$32,330 |
| 2006 ACS Median Household Income |
$38,496 |
N/A |
N/A |
$38,496 |
1999 Median Family Income |
$47,239 |
$51,810 |
$47,428 |
$47,239 |
| 2006 ACS Median Family Income |
$58,747 |
N/A |
N/A |
$58,747 |
Individuals Below Poverty Level |
2,530 |
13,386 |
1,425 |
17,341 |
Disability Status |
5,321 |
3,340 |
2,801 |
11,462 |
Veterans |
2,827 |
1,575 |
1,695 |
6,097 |
ACS stands for American Community Survey, collected between regular
census dates. While it takes some time to compile and release each census, the 2010 results will provide another opportunity for comparing information that says a lot about our back yard.