Big Stone Gap, VA

Census Place

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2023 Population

5,193

0.536% 1-year decline

US Senator

Mark Warner

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tim Kaine

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

41.1

7.31% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

23.3%

41.7% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$51,059

3.05% 1-year decline

2023 Median Property Value

$169,900

4.23% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

1,421

16.3% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Big Stone Gap, VA had a population of 5.19k people with a median age of 41.1 and a median household income of $51,059. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Big Stone Gap, VA declined from 5,221 to 5,193, a −0.536% decrease and its median household income declined from $52,663 to $51,059, a −3.05% decrease.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Big Stone Gap, VA are White (Non-Hispanic) (74.4%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (19.4%), Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) (1.91%), Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) (1.25%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (1.08%).

None of the households in Big Stone Gap, 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 Big Stone Gap, VA are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Big Stone Gap, VA was $169,900, and the homeownership rate was 62%.

Most people in Big Stone Gap, VA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Big Stone Gap, VA was 3 cars per household.

United States Virginia Wise County, VA Big Stone Gap, VA LENOWISCO & Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commissions PUMA, VA

Population & Diversity

Big Stone Gap, VA is home to a population of 5.19k people, from which 99.5% are citizens. As of 2023, 1.89% of Big Stone Gap, VA residents were born outside of the country (98 people).

In 2023, there were 3.83 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (3.86k people) in Big Stone Gap, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.01k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 99 Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.5%

2023 Citizenship

99.5%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.5% of Big Stone Gap, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Big Stone Gap, VA was 99.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Big Stone Gap, VA

White (Non-Hispanic)
3.86k ± 264
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.01k ± 225
Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic)
99 ± 125

1.42%

Hispanic Population

74 people

1.42% of the people in Big Stone Gap, VA are hispanic (74 people).

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

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

El Salvador
107,827 ± 8,012 people
India
97,961 ± 7,641 people
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.

Foreign-Born Population

1.89%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

98 people

3.96%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

207 people

As of 2023, 1.89% of Big Stone Gap, VA residents (98 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Big Stone Gap, VA was 3.96%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
104 ± 75
Gulf War (2001-)
88 ± 55
Gulf War (1990s)
76 ± 87

Big Stone Gap, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.18 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Big Stone Gap, VA employs 1.42k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Big Stone Gap, VA were Health Care & Social Assistance (291 people), Accommodation & Food Services (244 people), and Educational Services (181 people), and the highest paying industries were Manufacturing ($102,841), Health Care & Social Assistance ($51,266), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($50,219).

Employment

Occupations

1.42k

2023 Value

± 356

−16.3%

1 Year decline

± 41.2%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Big Stone Gap, VA declined at a rate of −16.3%, from 1.7k employees to 1.42k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Big Stone Gap, VA, are Management Occupations (234 people), Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (205 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (195 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Big Stone Gap, VA.

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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

1.42k

2023 Value

± 356

−16.3%

1 Year decline

± 41.2%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Big Stone Gap, VA declined at a rate of −16.3%, from 1.7k employees to 1.42k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Big Stone Gap, VA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (291 people), Accommodation & Food Services (244 people), and Educational Services (181 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Big Stone Gap, VA, though some of these residents may live in Big Stone Gap, VA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$46,754

Median earning men ± $28,272

$23,611

Median earning women ± $23,874

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Manufacturing ($102,841), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($58,200), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($37,321).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($50,000), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($40,410), and Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodations & Food Services ($19,469).

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.

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

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Big Stone Gap, VA. Showing the available data for Virginia.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (51.8%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (46.1%)
Republican Party
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.

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

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 2023, 0.988% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.986% 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 2023 were High School or Equivalent (1.72M), Bachelors Degree (1.5M), and Some college (1.37M).

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 Big Stone Gap, VA was $169,900 in 2023, which is 0.56 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $163,000 to $169,900, a 4.23% increase. The homeownership rate in Big Stone Gap, VA is 62%, which is lower than the national average of 65%.

People in Big Stone Gap, VA have an average commute time of 19.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Big Stone Gap, VA is higher than the national average, with an average of 3 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$169,900

Median Property Value 2023

±$14,653

$1,059

Median Property Taxes

±$295

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

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

Rent vs Own

62%

Homeownership

2023

68.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 62% of the housing units in Big Stone Gap, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 49.4%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

The following map shows all of the places in Big Stone Gap, 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.

$51,059

Median Household Income

± $2,046

1.71k

Number of Households

± 374

In 2023, the median household income of the 1.71k households in Big Stone Gap, VA declined from $51,059 from the previous year's value of $52,663.

The following chart displays the households in Big Stone Gap, 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 $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Big Stone Gap, 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (76.7%)
Walked (8.11%)
Carpooled (7.62%)

In 2023, 76.7% of workers in Big Stone Gap, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (8.11%) and those who carpooled to work (7.62%).

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

19.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Big Stone Gap, VA have a shorter commute time (19.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.73% of the workforce in Big Stone Gap, VA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

3 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

23.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Big Stone Gap, VA (887 out of 3.81k 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 Females 6 - 11, followed by Males 25 - 34 and then Females 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Big Stone Gap, VA is White, followed by Black and Native American.

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

94.7% of the population of Big Stone Gap, VA has health coverage, with 30.3% on employee plans, 36.8% on Medicaid, 21% on Medicare, 6.19% on non-group plans, and 0.551% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Virginia see 1,341 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.28% increase from the previous year (1,324 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1329 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 411 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.1% were men and 52.9% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 27.2% under 18 years, 13.4% between 18 and 34 years, 36.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 23% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.1% were men and 52.9% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.27%

Uninsured

30.3%

Employer Coverage

36.8%

Medicaid

21%

Medicare

6.19%

Non-Group

0.551%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Big Stone Gap, VA declined by 32.5% from 7.81% to 5.27%.

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

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