Radford is a small town with a large college student population. Because of this, there is a real youthful, hip vibe to the place, and much of the life in the town is centered on the college. This has helped Radford to buck the trend of other small towns that have suffered declining populations over the past 20 to 30 years. Spending by students, and faculty and staff jobs, are a big part of the local economy.
Radford, while not large, also appears to be attractive to some younger, educated professionals, who help shape the character of the city.
The education level of Radford ranks among the highest in the nation. Of the 25-and-older adult population in Radford, 44.78% have at least a bachelor's degree. The typical US community has just 21.84% of its adults holding a bachelor's degree or graduate degree.
The per capita income in Radford in 2022 was $24,835, which is low income relative to Virginia, and lower middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $99,340 for a family of four. However, Radford contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. Radford also has one of the higher rates of people living in poverty in the nation, with 33.79% of its population below the federal poverty line.
Radford is a somewhat ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Radford home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Radford residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Radford include English, German, Irish, Italian, and Scots-Irish.
The most common language spoken in Radford is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Chinese.
