Prices Fork offers views of farmland and quick campus access
Prices Fork is a bucolic community set in the farmland west of Virginia Tech. More a suburb than its own defined town, it is often chosen by homebuyers for quiet atmosphere and proximity to campus, which allows those who live there to experience the best of both worlds. While the rolling hills and the flowing river impart a rural tone, it is not 10 minutes from the beating heart of one of Virginia’s most famous college towns. “It’s one of these small villages on the outskirts of Blacksburg that is mostly known for a school district,” says Realtor Darin Greear with Long and Foster, who has 21 years of experience in the area. “It’s a laid-back area, surrounded by farmland and close to good fishing spots. It’s what you’d call the more country-living side of Blacksburg.”
New development on the east side, while the west remains rural
Farmland surrounds Prices Fork, particularly on the west side of the community, where ranch-style homes, cottages and duplexes built in the 1990s are more common. On the east side of the area, closer to Blacksburg proper, prospective owners will be greeted by a changing skyline. “There are two new neighborhoods that either have been or are being built in Prices Fork,” says Realtor Peg Warren with Roots Realty Group. “Pretty much everything going in there are newer Modern Traditional builds, with that neo-farmhouse quality people are looking for now.” Townhouses in newer subdivisions cost between $350,000 and $565,000. Prices for single-family homes can range from $275,000 to $875,000, depending on square footage, build year and number of bedrooms.
Local schools earn strong marks, with Virginia Tech nearby
Prices Fork Elementary School receives a B-plus grade from Niche. The closest middle school is Blacksburg Middle, which also scores a B-plus. Blacksburg High was established in 1952 and earns an A. The school has earned the Virginia High School League’s award for excellence in athletics no less than 15 times, most recently in the 2020-21 school year. Blacksburg is also famous as the home of Virginia Tech, one of the top ten public universities in the country, according to the 2025 Wall Street Journal College Pulse ranking.
U.S. 460 and Interstate 81 are the closest regional highways
Prices Fork Road, the main road of the community, connects directly to the nearby city. “Most people commute into Blacksburg, whether to work or pick up groceries,” Greear says. This road converges with U.S. Route 460, which provides the most direct route to Interstate 81. LewisGale Hospital Montgomery, the closest medical center, is about 10 minutes southeast of the area.
A former schoolhouse now hosts a brewery and a modern restaurant
The old Prices Fork Elementary School building, located on the aptly named Memory Lane, now houses Moon Hollow Brewing Company and Feather Bone Provisions and Assembly, a chic modern eatery serving southern pub fare. The Food Lion on Hethwood Boulevard is the closest supermarket, and the nearest Walmart Supercenter is roughly 15 minutes away in Christiansburg.
Fishing at Tom's Creek or exploring Virginia Tech's gardens
Rural pastimes at nearby waterways reflect the atmosphere of Prices Fork. “It’s near the New River, so there’s lots of tubing and fishing,” Greear says. “There’s also Tom’s Creek nearby, a trout stream that’s regularly stocked.” Golfers can practice their drive at Cox’s Golf Driving Range, and residents can wander along the quarter-mile Old Fort Trail at Prices Park. In Blacksburg, folks can explore the Hahn Horticulture Garden on Virginia Tech's campus or play tennis and pickleball on the courts at Blacksburg Municipal Park.
