Buchanan County, VA

County

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2023 Population

19,857

1.92% 1-year decline

US Senator

Mark Warner

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tim Kaine

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

47.3

0.63% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

23.9%

5.29% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$42,216

6.63% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$91,400

7.66% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

5,796

3.24% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Buchanan County, VA had a population of 19.9k people with a median age of 47.3 and a median household income of $42,216. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Buchanan County, VA declined from 20,246 to 19,857, a −1.92% decrease and its median household income grew from $39,591 to $42,216, a 6.63% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Buchanan County, VA are White (Non-Hispanic) (95.7%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (2.36%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (0.69%), White (Hispanic) (0.534%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (0.443%).

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.

99.5% of the residents in Buchanan County, VA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Buchanan County, VA are Appalachian College of Pharmacy (449922) (60 degrees awarded in 2022) and Appalachian School of Law (432348) (40 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Buchanan County, VA was $91,400, and the homeownership rate was 82.1%.

Most people in Buchanan County, VA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 29.9 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 19.9k people, from which 99.5% are citizens. As of 2023, 0.614% of Buchanan County, VA residents were born outside of the country (122 people).

In 2023, there were 40.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (19k people) in Buchanan County, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 468 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 137 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.5%

2023 Citizenship

99.6%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.5% of Buchanan County, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Buchanan County, VA was 99.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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)
19k ± 108
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
468 ± 86
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
137 ± 74

1.02%

Hispanic Population

202 people

1.02% of the people in Buchanan County, VA are hispanic (202 people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Virginia.

Most Common Origin

El Salvador
107,605 ± 8,003 people
India
98,735 ± 7,670 people
Mexico
59,855 ± 5,986 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Virginia was El Salvador, the natal country of 107,605 Virginia residents, followed by India with 98,735 and Mexico with 59,855.

Foreign-Born Population

0.614%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

122 people

0.711%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

144 people

As of 2023, 0.614% of Buchanan County, VA residents (122 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Buchanan County, VA was 0.711%, 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
297 ± 122
Gulf War (2001-)
230 ± 122
Gulf War (1990s)
149 ± 109

Buchanan County, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.29 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Buchanan County, VA employs 5.8k people. The largest industries in Buchanan County, VA are Retail Trade (927 people), Educational Services (657 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (654 people), and the highest paying industries are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting ($59,485), Utilities ($59,191), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($58,162).

Males in Virginia have an average income that is 1.33 times higher than the average income of females, which is $69,674. The income inequality in Virginia (measured using the Gini index) is 0.475, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

5.8k

2023 Value

± 633

−3.24%

1 Year decline

± 15.6%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Buchanan County, VA declined at a rate of −3.24%, from 5.99k employees to 5.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Buchanan County, VA, are Sales & Related Occupations (724 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (694 people), and Installation, Maintenance, & Repair Occupations (462 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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

5.8k

2023 Value

± 633

−3.24%

1 Year decline

± 15.6%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Buchanan County, VA declined at a rate of −3.24%, from 5.99k employees to 5.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Buchanan County, VA, are Retail Trade (927 people), Educational Services (657 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (654 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

$44,501

Median earning men ± $3,132

$30,224

Median earning women ± $6,032

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Wholesale Trade ($67,644), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($57,238), and Manufacturing ($50,552).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($57,941), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($44,904), and Public Administration ($44,653).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.48%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.1M people employed in Virginia. This represents a 2.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.8%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

39
Transportation and Warehousing
32
Other Services (except Public Administration)
24
Retail Trade

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

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$137k
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
$24.8k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$17.7k
Manufacturing

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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 2022, universities in Buchanan County, VA awarded 100 degrees. The student population of Buchanan County, VA in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 134 male students and 148 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Buchanan County, VA are White (74 and 74.7%), followed by Black or African American (11 and 11.1%), Hispanic or Latino (6 and 6.06%), and Asian (4 and 4.04%).

The largest universities in Buchanan County, VA by number of degrees awarded are Appalachian College of Pharmacy (449922) (60 and 60%) and Appalachian School of Law (432348) (40 and 40%).

The most popular majors in Buchanan County, VA are Pharmacy (60 and 60%) and Law (40 and 40%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2022 there were 282 students enrolled in Buchanan County, VA, 47.5% men and 52.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 206 records, of which 52.9% were women and 47.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Pharmacy
60 degrees awarded
Law
40 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Professional Doctorate recipients in Buchanan County, VA was Pharmacy with 60 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Professional Doctorate from schools in Buchanan County, VA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Appalachian College of Pharmacy (449922)
60 degrees awarded
Appalachian School of Law (432348)
40 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Appalachian College of Pharmacy (449922) with 60 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2022, 46 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Buchanan County, VA, which is 0.852 times less than the 54 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 74 degrees mean that there were 6.73 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 11 degrees awarded.

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 2022, 0.884% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.904% 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 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.71M), Bachelors Degree (1.47M), and Some college (1.4M).

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 $91,400 in 2023, which is 0.301 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $84,900 to $91,400, a 7.66% increase. The homeownership rate in Buchanan County, VA is 82.1%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Buchanan County, VA have an average commute time of 29.9 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 $42,216. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Buchanan County, VA was Census Tract 106 with a value of $46,196, followed by Census Tract 103 and Census Tract 107, with respective values of $44,795 and $44,722.

In 2023, 13.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Buchanan County, VA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 1.89%.

Housing

Property

$91,400

Median Property Value 2023

±$10,679

$6,038

Median Property Taxes

±$472

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

82.1%

Homeownership

2023

70.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 82.1% of the housing units in Buchanan County, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 81.6%.

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 107

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Buchanan County, VA was Census Tract 106 with a value of $46,196, followed by Census Tract 103 and Census Tract 107, with respective values of $44,795 and $44,722.

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.

$42,216

Median Household Income

± $3,582

7.35k

Number of Households

± 630

In 2023, the median household income of the 7.35k households in Buchanan County, VA grew to $42,216 from the previous year's value of $39,591.

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.

0.475

2022 Wage GINI in Virginia

0.476

2021 Wage GINI in Virginia

In 2022, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.475 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.164% decline from 2021 to 2022, 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 2023

Drove Alone (83.2%)
Carpooled (8.21%)
Worked At Home (4.5%)

In 2023, 83.2% of workers in Buchanan County, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.21%) and those who worked at home (4.5%).

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

29.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Buchanan County, VA have a longer commute time (29.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 4.6% 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

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 13.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Buchanan County, VA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 1.89%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

23.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Buchanan County, VA (4.49k out of 18.7k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 25 - 34, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 35 - 44.

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

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.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 34.2% of the children was living in poverty in Buchanan County, VA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 5.1%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children 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

94.3% of the population of Buchanan County, VA has health coverage, with 28.3% on employee plans, 27.3% on Medicaid, 26.4% on Medicare, 7.06% on non-group plans, and 5.15% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Buchanan County, VA see 4123 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.86% decrease from the previous year (4201 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4954 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 2202 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.7% were men and 49.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

4,123 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Buchanan County, VA

Primary care physicians in Buchanan County, VA see an average of 4,123 patients per year. This represents a 1.86% decrease from the previous year (4,201 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 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.5% under 18 years, 17% between 18 and 34 years, 40.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 23.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.7% were men and 49.3% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.74%

Uninsured

28.3%

Employer Coverage

27.3%

Medicaid

26.4%

Medicare

7.06%

Non-Group

5.15%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Buchanan County, VA declined by 20.2% from 7.2% to 5.74%.

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 2023, 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.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, 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 39.6% in Buchanan County, VA.

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