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 population of Radford is very well educated relative to most cities and towns in the nation, where the average community has 21.84% of its adult population holding a 4-year degree or higher: 37.93% of adults in Radford have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree.
The per capita income in Radford in 2022 was $26,815, 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 $107,260 for a family of four. However, Radford contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
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, Irish, German, Italian, and Scottish.
The most common language spoken in Radford is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Chinese.
