Smyth County, VA

County

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2024 Population
29,420
US Senator
Mark Warner
Democratic Party
US Senator
Tim Kaine
Democratic Party
2024 Median Age
46.4
0.433% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
16.8%
1.71% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$49,883
6.45% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$139,600
11% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
11,844
1.28% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Smyth 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.

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

In 2024, the median property value in Smyth County, VA was $139,600, and the homeownership rate was 71%.

Most people in Smyth County, VA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Smyth County, VA was 2 cars per household.

United StatesVirginia

Population & Diversity

Smyth County, VA is home to a population of 29.4k people, from which 98.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.4% of Smyth County, VA residents were born outside of the country (412 people).

In 2024, there were 45.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (27.5k people) in Smyth County, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 598 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 499 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
98.7%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.9% of Smyth County, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Smyth County, VA was 98.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Smyth County, 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 Smyth County, VA
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    27.5k ± 99
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    598 ± 130
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    499 ± 131
2.14%
Hispanic Population
629 people

In 2024, there were 45.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (27.5k people) in Smyth County, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 598 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 499 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

2.14% of the people in Smyth County, VA are hispanic (629 people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County 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

1.4%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
412 people
1.53%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
452 people

As of 2024, 1.4% of Smyth County, VA residents (412 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 Smyth County, VA was 1.53%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    585 ± 139
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    391 ± 138
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    168 ± 82

Smyth County, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.5 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Smyth County, VA employs 11.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Smyth County, VA were Manufacturing (2,635 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,136 people), and Retail Trade (1,565 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($82,917), Finance & Insurance ($56,619), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($56,104).

Employment

Occupations

11.8k
2024 Value
± 708
−1.28%
1 Year decline
± 8.45%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Smyth County, VA declined at a rate of −1.28%, from 12k employees to 11.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Smyth County, VA, are Production Occupations (1,840 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,064 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (951 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Smyth County, 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

11.8k
2024 Value
± 708
−1.28%
1 Year decline
± 8.45%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Smyth County, VA declined at a rate of −1.28%, from 12k employees to 11.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Smyth County, VA, are Manufacturing (2,635 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,136 people), and Retail Trade (1,565 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Smyth County, VA, though some of these residents may live in Smyth County, 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

$47,188
Median earning men ± $2,520
$33,612
Median earning women ± $2,045

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($56,733), Wholesale Trade ($54,884), and Manufacturing ($54,351).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,333), Public Administration ($44,773), and Manufacturing ($42,814).

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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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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 45
    Other Services (except Public Administration)
  2. 43
    Retail Trade
  3. 34
    Retail Trade

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

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $147k
    Manufacturing
  2. $94.5k
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  3. $31.6k
    Retail Trade

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

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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 Smyth County, 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 Smyth County, VA was $139,600 in 2024, which is 0.42 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $125,800 to $139,600, a 11% increase. The homeownership rate in Smyth County, VA is 71%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Smyth County, VA have an average commute time of 22.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Smyth County, VA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 11.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Smyth County, VA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.94%.

Housing

Property

$139,600
Median Property Value 2024
±$10,003
$8,986
Median Property Taxes
±$590

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 Smyth County, VA the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

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Rent vs Own

71%
Homeownership
2024
68%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 71% of the housing units in Smyth County, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 70.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Smyth County, 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.
$49,883
Median Household Income
± $3,503
12.7k
Number of Households
± 752

In 2024, the median household income of the 12.7k households in Smyth County, VA grew to $49,883 from the previous year's value of $46,859.

The following chart displays the households in Smyth 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 $75k - $100k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Smyth County, 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 (82.8%)
  2. Carpooled (9.48%)
  3. Worked At Home (6.07%)

In 2024, 82.8% of workers in Smyth County, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.48%) and those who worked at home (6.07%).

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

22.2 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Smyth County, VA have a shorter commute time (22.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.64% of the workforce in Smyth County, VA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 11.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Smyth County, VA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.94%.

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

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Poverty & Diversity

16.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Smyth County, VA (4.83k out of 28.7k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Smyth County, VA is White, followed by Two Or More 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.

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Children in Poverty

In 2025, 19.5% of the children was living in poverty in Smyth County, VA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 8.5%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

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Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 203 in Smyth County, VA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 8.16 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

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Health

94.5% of the population of Smyth County, VA has health coverage, with 38.6% on employee plans, 23% on Medicaid, 20.7% on Medicare, 9.58% on non-group plans, and 2.66% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Smyth County, VA see 1,965 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,965 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1841 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 443 patients per year.

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

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,965 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Smyth County, VA

Primary care physicians in Smyth County, VA see an average of 1,965 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,965 patients).

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

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Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.6% under 18 years, 18% between 18 and 34 years, 39% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.4% 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

5.46%
Uninsured
38.6%
Employer Coverage
23%
Medicaid
20.7%
Medicare
9.58%
Non-Group
2.66%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Smyth County, VA grew by 2.92% from 5.3% to 5.46%.

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

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Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 75.4 in Smyth County, VA.

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

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, 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 40.7% in Smyth County, VA.

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

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Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 7.92% in Smyth County, VA.

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

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