CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

37.13° N · 80.50° W · GEOID 5163190

Plum Creek

Montgomery County, Virginia · part of the Blacksburg, VA metro

Limited data population under 5,000, core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_home_value

VirginiaPlum Creek, VAPlum CreekPlum Creek

The short answer

Plum Creek is home to 1,068 people. Median household income is $41,603 a year and median rent is $1,169 a month, 33.7% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). That is above the usual 30% line for cost burden. The median home is valued at $304,600, about 7.3x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,169
14% below the median place
Median household income
$41,603
48% below the median place
Median home value
$304,600
5% below the median place
Unemployment
2.9%
40% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Plum Creek

  • After the median rent, and with prices for everything else adjusted to the US average, the median household has about $28,600 a year left, less than in 98% of the 1,875 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 176 Virginia places.
  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent rose 11.1% a year while household income rose 2.2%, so rent outran pay by more than in 97% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 195 Virginia places.
  • The median rent takes 33.7% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 98% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 195 Virginia places.
  • The median home is worth 7.3 years of the median household's income, more than in 94% of places its size.
  • Owning with a mortgage costs only about $233 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 81% of places its size.
01

Moving to Plum Creek

Montgomery County loses about 8.3 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in4,514
Moved out5,020
Net−506

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Radford city, VA262314−52
Roanoke city, VA142156−14
Floyd County, VA117166−49
Giles County, VA126141−15

Within Virginia, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within VirginiaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$60K
Leavers$61K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Montgomery County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
12.7% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Montgomery County report $59,900 a year in income on average; those leaving, $60,700.
Income you would need
$46,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,169 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,402 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $304,600.
Getting to work
18 minutes each way on average; 14.0% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Chestertown, MD matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Moved here in the past year1
12.7%
121% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people6
-8.3
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasurePlum CreekAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure12.7%121% above
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure-8.3below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$59,88015% below
Income of households moving out6County figure$60,65014% below
02

What it costs to live here

Rent to income is 33.7%, 65% above the median place.

Plum Creek33.7%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$46,760
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
33.7%
65% above the median place
Home price to income
7.3x
93% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
33%
over the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$29,000
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Plum Creek, $1,169 a month, and local prices for everything else (96.5 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Plum Creek.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Plum Creek? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,402
25% below the median place
Median year built1
1967
1% below the median place
Property tax rate1
0.7%
19% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasurePlum CreekAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,16914% below
Rent to income133.7%65% above
Property tax rate10.7%19% below
Home price to income17.3x93% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure92.78% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,34017% below
Property tax paid (median)1County figure$2,24931% below
Median home value1County figure$304,6005% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure3.3%3% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure46.3%10% below
Homeownership160.9%8% below
Renters paying 30%+1County figure52.2%3% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,40225% below
Vacant homes1County figure13.6%93% above
Median year built119671% below
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Median household income1
$41,603
48% below the median place
Income per person1
$27,092
32% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasurePlum CreekAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$41,60348% below
Income per person1$27,09232% below
Unemployment1County figure2.9%40% below
Average annual pay5County figure$62,0856% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure2.1%43% below
Jobs5County figure43,87471% below
Poverty rate115.8%47% above
Mean commute1County figure18 min27% below
Works from home1County figure14.0%12% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 0.0%, below the median place (median 6.4%).

No health insurance1
0.0%
below the median place (median 6.4%)
Homes with broadband1
78.8%
15% below the median place
Household size1
2.2
13% below the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasurePlum CreekAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population11,0686646th largest
Median age134.312% below
Bachelor's or higher1County figure48.8%52% above
High school or higher189.6%3% below
Household size12.213% below
Born abroad1County figure9.5%8% above
No health insurance10.0%below (median 6.4%)
Homes with broadband178.8%15% below
05

Life in Plum Creek

75 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents18.7 +84%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars19.2 −8%
Shops30.8 +2%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.0 −2%
Doctors' offices and clinics19.4 −4%
Child care centers2.2 −4%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Students per teacher10
12.8
17% below the median place
Public schools10
23
156% above the median place
Public school students10
9,461
93% above the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasurePlum CreekAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools10County figure23156% above
Public school students10County figure9,46193% above
Students per teacher10County figure12.817% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure19.28% below
Shops per 10k7County figure30.82% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure4.02% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure19.44% below
Child care centers per 10k7County figure2.24% below
Parks per 10k818.784% above
Playgrounds per 10k80.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k80.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k80.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k80.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails80.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi80.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings9County figure75above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Heat wave risk is 2.4, 97% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Plum Creek. Larger places are fetched first.

Heat wave risk12
2.4
97% below the median place
Good air days13
94.4%
38% above the median place
Natural hazard risk12
47.5
49% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasurePlum CreekAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high11County figure84°F4% below
January average low11County figure25°F2% below
Average temperature11County figure54°F2% below
Annual precipitation11County figure42.6 in3% below
Natural hazard risk12County figure47.549% below
Hurricane risk12County figure57.119% below
Tornado risk12County figure23.771% below
Wildfire risk12County figure37.040% below
Heat wave risk12County figure2.497% below
Median air quality index13Metro figure3714% below
Good air days13Metro figure94.4%38% above
08

Plum Creek in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 35% of the median income in 2030, up from 34% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,169/mo (2024)$1,530/mo$1,250 to $1,860/mo+4.6%
Median household income$41,603 (2024)$52,000$43,500 to $61,000+3.7%
Median home value$110,900 (2023)$161,000$114,000 to $228,000+5.5%

The median home would be worth 3.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.7 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Plum Creek

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Chestertown, MD$1,206$54,346Compare
Westwood, MI$1,233$58,205Compare
Johnson City, TN$1,023$57,254Compare
Cincinnati, OH$1,001$52,909Compare
Cincinnati, OHJohnson City, TNWestwood, MIChestertown, MDPlum Creek, VAPlum CreekChestertownWestwoodJohnson CityCincinnatiChestertownWestwoodJohnson CityCincinnati

Common questions

Is Plum Creek a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. After the median rent, and with prices for everything else adjusted to the US average, the median household has about $28,600 a year left, less than in 98% of the 1,875 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 176 Virginia places. Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent rose 11.1% a year while household income rose 2.2%, so rent outran pay by more than in 97% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 195 Virginia places. On cost, space and class size it scores 1 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Plum Creek expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 33.7% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $304,600.

What salary do you need to live in Plum Creek?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $46,760 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Plum Creek?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Chestertown, MD, Westwood, MI, Johnson City, TN and Cincinnati, OH.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  9. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  10. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  11. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  12. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  13. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Plum Creek with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Plum Creek itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/plum-creek-virginia

Citytistics. “Plum Creek, Virginia.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/plum-creek-virginia/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.