I’m admittedly a week or so behind on this news, but it’s relevant nonetheless.

Earlier this month, Farmers Insurance named the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area one of the safest places in the country. The MSA, named the 7th safest place to live among small towns (population < 150,000 people), has been on the list before, showing stability throughout the region.

What’s it mean for real estate? The impact is pretty simple, people want to live where they feel they and their family can be safe – that’s a no-brainer. Demand drives value, and the area’s housing inventory benefits.

Search for New River Valley real estate here.

So how do you know if an area is safe? You might want to walk the area, both in the daytime as well as at night, and see how things feel. Is everything shut down, or are people out and about? And always contact the local police department in an area you’re considering – they’ll be able to provide you with records detailing arrest reports. You can also use CrimeMapping, but I can’t guarantee how accurate it is.