Ran into a couple from Baltimore during brunch at Oddfellas Cantina over the weekend. They were, of course, looking for property to buy in Floyd County.

“I’m curious,” the husband asked. “How does one make a living here?”

I had to laugh.

“You don’t,” I replied. “If making a living is your primary concern, you might want to try Ashville.”

Later, when repeating the discussion with Oddfellas owner Rob Neukirch, we concluded that those who consider making money a primary concern might make a mistake moving to Floyd County.

The majority of newcomers to the county are people who made a living elsewhere and now seek a place to live off the earnings of that previous life. Those who have not yet made thier nest egg might want to rethink locating here.

I hear a number of people bemoaning the fact that they can’t make a living in Floyd. Well, doh, that’s not news. The county’s employers are few and far between and most of them have waiting lists for their jobs. Surveys show at least three-quarters of the county’s working residents commute to Roanoke, the New River Valley or Carroll and Grayson counties for their jobs.

It’s been that way for the past 30 years and it is not about to change anytime soon.