City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Blacksburg | Madison | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,237/mo | $1,201/mo | 3.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $387,700 | $327,100 | 18.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $42,012 | $118,132 | 64.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.3 | 97.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 90.1 | 87.2 | 3.3% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 99.2 | 97.8 | 1.4% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.5 | 96.1 | 1.4% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Blacksburg, you'd need $99,967 in Madison to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Blacksburg and Madison have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Blacksburg, you'd need about $79,973 in Madison to keep the same standard of living.