Montgomery County, Virginia

Montgomery County is a county located in the Valley and Ridge area of the U.S. state of Virginia. As population in the area increased, Montgomery County was formed in 1777 from Fincastle County, which in turn had been taken from Botetourt County. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 99,721. Its county seat is Christiansburg, and Blacksburg is the largest town. Montgomery County is part of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metropolitan area. It is dominated economically by the presence of Virginia Tech, Virginia's third largest public university, which is the county's largest employer. Board of Supervisors The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors sets the annual budget and tax rates, enacts legislation governing the county and its citizens, sets policies and oversees their implementation. There are seven supervisors; one is elected from each of the seven geographic districts. Terms are four years; three or four seats are up for re-election each odd year. History Montgomery County was established on December 31, 1776, made from parts of Fincastle County, which was disbanded at this time and split into Montgomery, Washington, and Kentucky counties. Later, Montgomery lost land to form counties which now border it, including some counties which later formed West Virginia. The county is named for Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 while attempting to capture Quebec City, Canada. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 389 square miles (1,010 km2), of which 387 square miles (1,000 km2) is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2) (0.6%) is water. The western part of the county is in the New River watershed. Montgomery County is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, and it is identified as part of "Greater Appalachia" by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America. Adjacent counties and city Craig County - Northeast Giles County - Northwest City of Radford - West Pulaski County - Southwest Floyd County - South Roanoke County - East National protected area Jefferson National Forest (part) Major highways U.S. Bicycle Route USBR 76 enters Montgomery County from Radford and crosses the county for 27.9 miles to Roanoke County Demographics Racial and ethnic composition 2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 99,721. The median age was 27.5 years. 16.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 12.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 106.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 106.4 males age 18 and over. The racial makeup of the county was 79.7% White, 4.2% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 8.4% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.6% from some other race, and 5.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.7% of the population. 73.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 26.1% lived in rural areas. There were 38,026 households in the county, of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 27.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 41,134 housing units, of which 7.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 51.6% were owner-occupied and 48.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.6%. 2010 Census As of the 2010 United States census, there were 94,392 people living in the county. 87.6% were White, 5.4% Asian, 3.9% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.8% of some other race and 2.1% of two or more races. 2.7% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 2000 Census As of the 2000 United States census, there were 83,629 people, 30,997 households, and 17,203 families living in the county. The population density was 215 people per square mile (83 people/km2). There were 32,527 housing units at an average density of 84 per square mile (32/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.00% White, 3.97% Asian, 3.65% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 1.53% from two or more races. 1.58% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 30,997 households, out of which 25.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.80% were married couples living together, 7.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.50% were non-families. 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.87. In the county, the population was spread out, with 17.10% under the age of 18, 31.30% from 18 to 24, 25.60% from 25 to 44, 17.30% from 45 to 64, and 8.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.00 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 110.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $32,330, and the median income for a family was $47,239. Males had a median income of $33,674 versus $23,555 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,077. About 8.80% of families and 23.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.60% of those under age 18 and 8.80% of those age 65 or over. Politics Despite being in the Solid South, Montgomery County did not consistently back Democratic candidates in the 20th century, being consistently Republican due to Unionist sentiment in the area during the Civil War, though the presence of a major university in Virginia Tech helped make the county more competitive to the Democratic Party towards the end of that streak. It was a bellwether county, backing the national winner in every election from 1980 to 2008. In 2012, the county backed the losing candidate by a very narrow margin of 103 votes. It voted against Republican Donald Trump in all three of his runs. Climate Education Colleges and universities Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) Via College of Osteopathic Medicine New River Community College Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine Public High schools Montgomery County Public Schools: Auburn High School Blacksburg High School Christiansburg High School Eastern Montgomery High School Private High schools Dayspring Christian Academy Communities Towns Blacksburg Christiansburg Census-designated places Other unincorporated communities See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Montgomery County, Virginia References