Bedford, VA

Census Place

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2024 Population
7,724
US Senator
Mark Warner
Democratic Party
US Senator
Tim Kaine
Democratic Party
2024 Median Age
44.6
2.29% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
12.2%
40.2% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$70,288
47.4% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$222,500
15.5% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
3,420
13.2% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Bedford, 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.

98.9% of the residents in Bedford, VA are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Bedford, VA was $222,500, and the homeownership rate was 69.2%.

Most people in Bedford, VA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 20.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Bedford, VA was 3 cars per household.

United StatesVirginiaBedford County, VALynchburg, VAVirginia's Region 2000 (North)--Bedford, Amherst, Appomattox Counties & Bedford City PUMA, VA

Population & Diversity

Bedford, VA is home to a population of 7.72k people, from which 98.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.45% of Bedford, VA residents were born outside of the country (189 people).

In 2024, there were 5.68 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (6.12k people) in Bedford, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.08k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 208 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.9%
2024 Citizenship
98.2%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.9% of Bedford, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Bedford, VA was 98.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Bedford, VA
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    6.12k ± 425
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    1.08k ± 375
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    208 ± 136
1.28%
Hispanic Population
99 people

In 2024, there were 5.68 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (6.12k people) in Bedford, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.08k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 208 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

1.28% of the people in Bedford, VA are hispanic (99 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Bedford, VA as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Virginia.
Most Common Origin
  1. El Salvador
    107,827 ± 8,012 people
  2. India
    97,961 ± 7,641 people
  3. Mexico
    63,695 ± 6,173 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Virginia was El Salvador, the natal country of 107,827 Virginia residents, followed by India with 97,961 and Mexico with 63,695.

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Foreign-Born Population

2.45%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
189 people
3.12%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
209 people

As of 2024, 2.45% of Bedford, VA residents (189 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Bedford, VA was 3.12%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    126 ± 73
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    83 ± 73
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    76 ± 73

Bedford, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.52 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Bedford, VA.

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Economy

The economy of Bedford, VA employs 3.42k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Bedford, VA were Health Care & Social Assistance (552 people), Manufacturing (493 people), and Retail Trade (417 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($115,500), Utilities ($89,091), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($88,409).

Employment

Occupations

3.42k
2024 Value
± 493
13.2%
1 Year growth
± 18.4%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Bedford, VA grew at a rate of 13.2%, from 3.02k employees to 3.42k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Bedford, VA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (518 people), Management Occupations (324 people), and Installation, Maintenance, & Repair Occupations (307 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Bedford, VA.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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

3.42k
2024 Value
± 493
13.2%
1 Year growth
± 18.4%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Bedford, VA grew at a rate of 13.2%, from 3.02k employees to 3.42k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Bedford, VA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (552 people), Manufacturing (493 people), and Retail Trade (417 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Bedford, VA, though some of these residents may live in Bedford, VA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$45,534
Median earning men ± $6,929
$38,623
Median earning women ± $4,629

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($131,058), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($87,614), and Wholesale Trade ($72,630).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($54,057), Public Administration ($51,447), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($41,509).

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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.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Kamala Harris with 51.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Other (0.905%).

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

Voting results are not available for Bedford, VA. Showing the available data for Virginia.
2024 Election Results
  1. Kamala Harris (51.8%)
    Democratic Party
  2. Donald J. Trump (46.1%)
    Republican Party
  3. Other (0.905%)
    Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Kamala Harris with 51.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Other (0.905%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Virginia for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Virginia

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.
Mark Warner
Senator from Virginia2
Assumed office on January 3, 2009
Tim Kaine
Senator from Virginia1
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.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Bedford, VA was $222,500 in 2024, which is 0.669 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $192,600 to $222,500, a 15.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Bedford, VA is 69.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Bedford, VA have an average commute time of 20.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Bedford, VA is higher than the national average, with an average of 3 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$222,500
Median Property Value 2024
±$19,246
$2,122
Median Property Taxes
±$324

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 Bedford, VA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

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Rent vs Own

69.2%
Homeownership
2024
69.7%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 69.2% of the housing units in Bedford, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 55.5%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$70,288
Median Household Income
± $12,886
3.07k
Number of Households
± 429

In 2024, the median household income of the 3.07k households in Bedford, VA grew to $70,288 from the previous year's value of $47,697.

The following chart displays the households in Bedford, 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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Bedford, VA is from Virginia.
0.472
2023 Wage GINI in Virginia
0.475
2022 Wage GINI in Virginia

In 2023, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.472 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.599% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (76.1%)
  2. Carpooled (10.9%)
  3. Worked At Home (7.69%)

In 2024, 76.1% of workers in Bedford, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.9%) and those who worked at home (7.69%).

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.

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Commute Time

20.3 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Bedford, VA have a shorter commute time (20.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.14% of the workforce in Bedford, VA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

3 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Bedford, VA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Bedford, VA have 3 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Bedford, VA (902 out of 7.41k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 6 - 11, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 25 - 34.

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

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.

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Health

91.8% of the population of Bedford, VA has health coverage, with 41.6% on employee plans, 20.4% on Medicaid, 15.4% on Medicare, 13.9% on non-group plans, and 0.444% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Virginia see 1,341 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,341 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1329 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 379 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.9% were men and 51.1% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.9% under 18 years, 18.6% between 18 and 34 years, 38.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 20% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.9% were men and 51.1% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

8.15%
Uninsured
41.6%
Employer Coverage
20.4%
Medicaid
15.4%
Medicare
13.9%
Non-Group
0.444%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Bedford, VA declined by 18.9% from 10.1% to 8.15%.

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

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