Howard-Bell-Feather House · National Register of Historic Places
Riner’s story
144 years in pictures
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1882Riner is settled
RinerVA
A town of 1,038, settled in 1882. Public schools that outperform most of Virginia.
Guerrant House · Photo: Skye Marthaler · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,038
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$343K
+4.3% in a year
Household income
$106K
median
Median age
42.3
years
Jobs based here
118
A commuter town
Is Riner a good place to live?
Riner’s best subject grade is an A− for schools; its weakest is a D for walkability. On walkability, just 28 of Virginia’s 372 towns do worse. Riner’s trail density is 3.2 miles per square mile, where Virginia’s towns sit at 0.7 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Riner has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Guerrant House and Howard-Bell-Feather House. Riner has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Riner stand out
Where Riner beats most towns.
Montgomery County Public Schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Auburn Elementary | PK–5 | 544 |
| Auburn Middle | 6–8 | 309 |
| Auburn High | 9–12 | 393 |
SchoolsA−
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
32 measures vs. Virginia
7 better24 too close to call1 worse
| Widest gap | Riner | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.5% | 13.1% |
HealthB+
Healthier than 70% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Natural hazardsB+
Low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Small town
1,038 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Riner grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Riner is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.3 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →SchoolsA−Open →HealthCarilion New River Valley Medical Center 4 miles awayB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 30% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →Jobs & income$106K median household incomeBOpen →Cost of livingC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Riner: who provides what
Riner is unincorporated, so Montgomery County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerAppalachian Power17.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRiner Community water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesMontgomery CountyMontgomery County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Virginia you can register online until 11 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 11 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMontgomery General RegistrarMontgomery County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code2414924149 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Riner.
SchoolsA−
On state tests, Riner’s schools beat 79% of Virginia districts
Its public schools are run by the Montgomery County Public Schools. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Auburn High, with 393 students.
79%of VA districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 544 | C+ |
| Auburn HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 393 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
With 0.3 jobs for every working resident, most of Riner’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Riner for work: only 2% work in town. Jobs based in Riner grew to 118 in 2023, 29 more than in 2013. Riner’s average trip to work is 23 minutes, against 27 minutes in Virginia’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns.
2%work in town
| Riner | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $106,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.7% | 4.9% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.8% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Riner2%
Christiansburg21%
Blacksburg17%
Roanoke8%
Radford7%
11 mi
median commute distance
118
jobs based in Riner
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 9% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
Riner stands out in Virginia and nationally, with fewer of its adults who sleep under 7 hours
29% of Riner adults sleep under 7 hours. Riner beats the Virginia average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 16% of Riner adults binge drink.
70%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Riner | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 36% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 34% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 22% | 23% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 12% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Virginia
7 better24 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Riner | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.5% | 13.1% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8% | 10.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.4% | 7.7% |
Carilion New River Valley Medical Center
4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Riner
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities.
30risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesDrought
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Riner, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Riner has chilly winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Riner is 83°F.
22″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–46°
Spring41–65°
Summer59–81°
Fall42–66°
Oct 23
typical first frost
Apr 19
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Virginia overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (23% statewide); children under 18 are 28% of residents (22% statewide). 12% of residents are 65 or older in Riner. 38% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 42% across Virginia.
42.3median age · VA 39
| Riner | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 12% | 16% | 18% |
| Median age | 42.3 years | 38.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 38% | 44% | 29% |
RinerVirginiaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
20%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma0%
High school22%
Some college27%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate16%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 43% and 71% women
The Census survey reached too few of Riner’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±14 points. Across Virginia, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Riner | VA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 20.3% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.8% | 13.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16.5% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.6% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.4% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 5.8% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.6% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0% | 8.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.5% | 23.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 26.6% | 17.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.2% | 7.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.8% | 23.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.8% | 18.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
HousingCost of living grade C+
Homes in Riner are worth about $343K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Riner home is worth about $343,000, up 4.3% in a year, 17% below the Virginia typical home.
$343KZillow home value
Typical home value
Riner$343K
Virginia$412K
+4.3%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 931 acres
4.8 mi
of trails · 3.2 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 21 attractions →Appalachian Trail and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Riner. Close and well known come first.
Big draw20 mi Park & preserveAppalachian Trail3.0M visitors a year
15 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
11 mi Stadium & arenaLane Stadium
21 mi LakeMountain Lake
31 mi MuseumVirginia Museum of Transportation
31 mi MuseumTaubman Museum of ArtSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Appalachian Trail: Paulba. Original uploader was Paulbalegend at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Lane Stadium: User:B, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mountain Lake: Rolfmueller, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Virginia Museum of Transportation: Warfieldian, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Taubman Museum of Art: O Palsson, CC BY 2.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Riner
17pages on Riner
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of Riner
Radford UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Radford7.7 mi$12,548 in-state tuitionEdward Via College of Osteopathic MedicineUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Blacksburg9.4 miNew River Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Dublin14.3 mi$4,979 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Riner residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Riner for work
Where Riner’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
118jobs based in Riner
2%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
2 places in Riner on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Riner
Census-designated place in Virginia, United States
Riner is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2020 Census was 1,196. Riner had its beginnings in 1808 when a sawmill was put into operation. The town was first called Old Forks, and then later Five Forks and Five Points. It was known primarily as Auburn from about 1850 until 1882. The U.S. post office was the reason that the name of the village was changed from Auburn to Riner in 1882. Between the establishment of the original U.S. Post office in the community in the 1871-73 congressional session and 1882 there was no postmaster in the town, and the mail was distributed at the local store by the proprietor Major Lawrence. The citi…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,080 ft
- ZIP code
- 24149
Questions about Riner
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Riner, VA a good place to live?
Public schools that outperform most of Virginia.
Is Riner, VA expensive?
That is 5.2 years of the area's median household income ($65,839 across the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.