Buchanan County, VA

County

Add Comparison

2021 Population

20,615

3.55% 1-year decline

US Senator

Mark Warner

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tim Kaine

Democratic Party

2021 Median Age

47.8

0.42% 1-year increase

2021 Poverty Rate

25.2%

1.36% 1-year increase

2021 Median Household Income

$37,093

8.14% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$71,800

3.31% 1-year growth

About

In 2021, Buchanan County, VA had a population of 20.6k people with a median age of 47.8 and a median household income of $37,093. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Buchanan County, VA declined from 21,374 to 20,615, a −3.55% decrease and its median household income grew from $34,302 to $37,093, a 8.14% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Buchanan County, VA are White (Non-Hispanic) (94.4%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (2.3%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (1.21%), American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (0.81%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (0.383%).

None of the households in Buchanan County, VA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.3% of the residents in Buchanan County, VA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Buchanan County, VA are Appalachian School of Law (432348) (57 degrees awarded in 2021) and Appalachian College of Pharmacy (449922) (55 degrees).

In 2021, the median property value in Buchanan County, VA was $71,800, and the homeownership rate was 81.6%.

Most people in Buchanan County, VA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 27.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Buchanan County, VA was 2 cars per household.

Buchanan County, VA borders Pike County, KY, Dickenson County, VA, Russell County, VA, Tazewell County, VA, McDowell County, WV, and Mingo County, WV.

United States Virginia

Population & Diversity

Buchanan County, VA is home to a population of 20.6k people, from which 99.3% are citizens. As of 2021, 1.22% of Buchanan County, VA residents were born outside of the country (251 people).

In 2021, there were 41.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (19.5k people) in Buchanan County, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 474 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 249 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

99.3%

2021 Citizenship

99%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 99.3% of Buchanan County, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in Buchanan County, VA was 99%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Buchanan County, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Buchanan County, VA

White (Non-Hispanic)
19.5k ± 74
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
474 ± 122
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
249 ± 163

0.897%

Hispanic Population

185 people

0.897% of the people in Buchanan County, VA are hispanic (185 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Buchanan County, VA as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

1.22%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

251 people

1.62%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

346 people

As of 2021, 1.22% of Buchanan County, VA residents (251 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Buchanan County, VA was 1.62%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Buchanan County, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
313 ± 115
Gulf War (2001-)
210 ± 105
Gulf War (1990s)
206 ± 164

Buchanan County, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.49 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Buchanan County, VA employs 6.26k people. The largest industries in Buchanan County, VA are Retail Trade (1,064 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (877 people), and Educational Services (670 people), and the highest paying industries are Wholesale Trade ($56,932), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting ($56,064), and Utilities ($53,041).

Employment

Occupations

6.26k

2021 Value

± 653

−1.37%

1 Year decline

± 14.3%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Buchanan County, VA declined at a rate of −1.37%, from 6.35k employees to 6.26k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Buchanan County, VA, are Sales & Related Occupations (810 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (631 people), and Installation, Maintenance, & Repair Occupations (571 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Buchanan County, VA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Virginia (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

View Full Dashboard

Industries

Employment by Industries

6.26k

2021 Value

± 653

−1.37%

1 Year decline

± 14.3%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Buchanan County, VA declined at a rate of −1.37%, from 6.35k employees to 6.26k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Buchanan County, VA, are Retail Trade (1,064 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (877 people), and Educational Services (670 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Buchanan County, VA, though some of these residents may live in Buchanan County, VA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$38,813

Median earning men ± $2,190

$23,628

Median earning women ± $4,839

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Public Administration ($61,429), Wholesale Trade ($58,068), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($48,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Public Administration ($46,509), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($33,837), and Manufacturing ($33,339).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in Virginia. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Virginia.

View Full Dashboard

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

165
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
96
Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing
82
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Virginia to other states, or from other states to Virginia.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Virginia product (by dollars) was Mixed freight with $37.7B, followed by Electronics ($29B) and Machinery ($23.6B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Virginia products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Virginia.

$313B

2020 Value in Virginia

$612B

Projected 2050 Value in Virginia

95.3% growth

In 2020, total outbound Virginia trade was $313B. This is expected to increase 95.3% to $612B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Virginia trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Virginia to other states, or from other states to Virginia.

Most Common Trade Partners

In 2020, the top outbound Virginia domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was North Carolina with $26B, followed by Maryland with $18.5B and Pennsylvania and $12.4B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Virginia shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Buchanan County, VA went to Donald J. Trump with 83.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (15.9%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.442%).

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing the state of Virginia. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (83.5%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (15.9%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (0.442%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Buchanan County, VA for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Virginia

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Mark Warner

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2009

Tim Kaine

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing Virginia.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Virginia over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Virginia

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Virginia have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2021, universities in Buchanan County, VA awarded 112 degrees. The student population of Buchanan County, VA in 2021 is skewed towards women, with 163 male students and 167 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Buchanan County, VA are White (81 and 72.3%), followed by Black or African American (16 and 14.3%), Asian (6 and 5.36%), and Unknown (4 and 3.57%).

The largest universities in Buchanan County, VA by number of degrees awarded are Appalachian School of Law (432348) (57 and 50.9%) and Appalachian College of Pharmacy (449922) (55 and 49.1%).

The most popular majors in Buchanan County, VA are Law (57 and 50.9%) and Pharmacy (55 and 49.1%).

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Measure

In 2021, 0.836% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.859% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2021 were High School or Equivalent (1.68M), Bachelors Degree (1.44M), and Some college (1.41M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Buchanan County, VA was $71,800 in 2021, which is 0.293 times smaller than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $69,500 to $71,800, a 3.31% increase. The homeownership rate in Buchanan County, VA is 81.6%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Buchanan County, VA have an average commute time of 27.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Buchanan County, VA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Buchanan County, VA is $37,093. In 2021, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Buchanan County, VA was Census Tract 106 with a value of $51,607, followed by Census Tract 103 and Census Tract 104, with respective values of $50,183 and $40,588.

Property

$71,800

Median Property Value 2021

±$5,717

$6,071

Median Property Taxes

±$445

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Buchanan County, VA the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Buchanan County, VA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

81.6%

Homeownership

2021

74%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 81.6% of the housing units in Buchanan County, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 79.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Buchanan County, VA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 106
Census Tract 103
Census Tract 104

In 2021, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Buchanan County, VA was Census Tract 106 with a value of $51,607, followed by Census Tract 103 and Census Tract 104, with respective values of $50,183 and $40,588.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Buchanan County, VA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$37,093

Median Household Income

± $4,611

7.44k

Number of Households

± 638

In 2021, the median household income of the 7.44k households in Buchanan County, VA grew to $37,093 from the previous year's value of $34,302.

The following chart displays the households in Buchanan County, VA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Buchanan County, VA is from Virginia.

0.476

2021 Wage GINI in Virginia

0.478

2020 Wage GINI in Virginia

In 2021, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.476 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.381% decline from 2020 to 2021, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Virginia in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Virginia across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2021

Drove Alone (83.7%)
Carpooled (7.21%)
Other (3.15%)

In 2021, 83.7% of workers in Buchanan County, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.21%) and those who used some unspecified means to get work (3.15%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

27.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Buchanan County, VA have a longer commute time (27.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 2.59% of the workforce in Buchanan County, VA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Buchanan County, VA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Buchanan County, VA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Buchanan County, VA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

25.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Buchanan County, VA (4.98k out of 19.7k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 25 - 34, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Buchanan County, VA is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

91.7% of the population of Buchanan County, VA has health coverage, with 27.1% on employee plans, 24.6% on Medicaid, 26.9% on Medicare, 8.41% on non-group plans, and 4.66% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Buchanan County, VA see 4201 patients per year on average, which represents a 18.8% increase from the previous year (3537 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 5153 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 2945 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

4,201 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Buchanan County, VA

Primary care physicians in Buchanan County, VA see an average of 4,201 patients per year. This represents a 18.8% increase from the previous year (3,537 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Buchanan County, VA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 17.8% under 18 years, 17.2% between 18 and 34 years, 42.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

8.31%

Uninsured

27.1%

Employer Coverage

24.6%

Medicaid

26.9%

Medicare

8.41%

Non-Group

4.66%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Buchanan County, VA declined by 17.2% from 10% to 8.31%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Buchanan County, VA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2022, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was N/A in Buchanan County, VA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Buchanan County, VA.

Error: TypeError: measure_.at is not a function

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2022, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 38% in Buchanan County, VA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Buchanan County, VA.

Error: TypeError: measure_.at is not a function