Buchanan County, VA

County

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2020 Population

21,374

1.9% 1-year decline

US Senator

Mark Warner

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tim Kaine

Democratic Party

2020 Median Age

47.6

1.71% 1-year increase

2020 Poverty Rate

24.9%

12.2% 1-year decrease

2020 Median Household Income

$34,302

7.34% 1-year growth

2020 Median Property Value

$69,500

3.87% 1-year decline

About

In 2020, Buchanan County, VA had a population of 21.4k people with a median age of 47.6 and a median household income of $34,302. Between 2019 and 2020 the population of Buchanan County, VA declined from 21,788 to 21,374, a −1.9% decrease and its median household income grew from $31,956 to $34,302, a 7.34% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Buchanan County, VA are White (Non-Hispanic) (94.7%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (2.48%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (0.791%), American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (0.777%), and Other (Hispanic) (0.585%).

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

The largest universities in Buchanan County, VA are Appalachian School of Law (97 degrees awarded in 2020) and Appalachian College of Pharmacy (71 degrees).

In 2020, the median property value in Buchanan County, VA was $69,500, and the homeownership rate was 79.8%.

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.

Population & Diversity

Buchanan County, VA is home to a population of 21.4k people, from which 99% are citizens. As of 2020, 1.62% of Buchanan County, VA residents were born outside of the country (346 people).

In 2020, there were 38.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (20.2k people) in Buchanan County, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 531 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 169 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

99%

2020 Citizenship

99.2%

2019 Citizenship

As of 2020, 99% of Buchanan County, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2019, the percentage of US citizens in Buchanan County, VA was 99.2%, 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)
20.2k ± 71
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
531 ± 146
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
169 ± 150

0.795%

Hispanic Population

170 people

0.795% of the people in Buchanan County, VA are hispanic (170 people).

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

Foreign-Born Population

1.62%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

346 people

1.76%

2019 Foreign-Born Population

383 people

As of 2020, 1.62% of Buchanan County, VA residents (346 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.5%. In 2019, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Buchanan County, VA was 1.76%, 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
379 ± 161
Gulf War (2001-)
183 ± 91
Korea
133 ± 101

Buchanan County, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.07 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Buchanan County, VA employs 6.35k people. The largest industries in Buchanan County, VA are Retail Trade (1,047 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (945 people), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (667 people), and the highest paying industries are Wholesale Trade ($54,600), Public Administration ($52,986), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting ($51,010).

Employment

Occupations

6.35k

2020 Value

± 606

−0.921%

1 Year decline

± 12.7%

From 2019 to 2020, employment in Buchanan County, VA declined at a rate of −0.921%, from 6.41k employees to 6.35k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Buchanan County, VA, are Sales & Related Occupations (734 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (625 people), and Installation, Maintenance, & Repair Occupations (573 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 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

6.35k

2020 Value

± 606

−0.921%

1 Year decline

± 12.7%

From 2019 to 2020, employment in Buchanan County, VA declined at a rate of −0.921%, from 6.41k employees to 6.35k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Buchanan County, VA, are Retail Trade (1,047 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (945 people), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (667 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

$36,452

Median earning men ± $3,144

$25,295

Median earning women ± $4,195

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2020 are Public Administration ($59,668), Wholesale Trade ($56,250), and Manufacturing ($47,188).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2020 are Public Administration ($45,213), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($34,861), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($31,813).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

8.45%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between May 2020 and May 2021

As of May 2021, there are 145M people employed in Virginia. This represents a 8.45% increase in employment when compared to May 2020.

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

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

Mixed freight
$37.3B
Electronics
$28.7B
Machinery
$25.6B

In 2020, the top outbound Virginia product (by dollars) was Mixed freight with $37.3B, followed by Electronics ($28.7B) and Machinery ($25.6B).

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

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Virginia.

$325B

2020 Value in Virginia

$612B

Projected 2050 Value in Virginia

88.1% growth

In 2020, total outbound Virginia trade was $325B. This is expected to increase 88.1% 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 $25B, followed by Maryland with $18.9B and Pennsylvania and $13.2B.

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.

Senators 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 Representatives 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 2020, universities in Buchanan County, VA awarded 168 degrees. The student population of Buchanan County, VA in 2020 is skewed towards women, with 168 male students and 182 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Buchanan County, VA are White (105 and 64%), followed by Black or African American (27 and 16.5%), Asian (17 and 10.4%), and Unknown (7 and 4.27%).

The largest universities in Buchanan County, VA by number of degrees awarded are Appalachian School of Law (97 and 57.7%) and Appalachian College of Pharmacy (71 and 42.3%).

The most popular majors in Buchanan County, VA are Pharmacy (71 and 42.3%), Law (49 and 29.2%), and Other Legal Professions & Studies (48 and 28.6%).

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 2020, 0.823% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.842% 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 2020 were High School or Equivalent (1.66M), Some college (1.42M), and Bachelors Degree (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 $69,500 in 2020, which is 0.302 times smaller than the national average of $229,800. Between 2019 and 2020 the median property value increased from $72,300 to $69,500, a 3.87% decrease. The homeownership rate in Buchanan County, VA is 79.8%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.4%.

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 $34,302. In 2020, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Buchanan County, VA was Census Tract 106 with a value of $45,101, followed by Census Tract 104 and Census Tract 101, with respective values of $44,700 and $36,196.

Property

$69,500

Median Property Value 2020

±$6,640

$6,602

Median Property Taxes

±$498

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

79.8%

Homeownership

2020

71%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2020

In 2020, 79.8% of the housing units in Buchanan County, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 77.3%.

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 104
Census Tract 101

In 2020, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Buchanan County, VA was Census Tract 106 with a value of $45,101, followed by Census Tract 104 and Census Tract 101, with respective values of $44,700 and $36,196.

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.

$34,302

Median Household Income

± $3,605

8.27k

Number of Households

± 658

In 2020, the median household income of the 8.27k households in Buchanan County, VA grew to $34,302 from the previous year's value of $31,956.

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.

0.478

2020 Wage GINI in Virginia

0.479

2019 Wage GINI in Virginia

In 2020, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.478 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.181% decline from 2019 to 2020, 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 2020

Drove Alone (83.2%)
Carpooled (8.21%)
Worked At Home (2.83%)

In 2020, 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 (2.83%).

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 (26.9 minutes). Additionally, 3.13% 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

24.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Buchanan County, VA (5.09k out of 20.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.8%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 45 - 54 and then Males 25 - 34.

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

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

90% of the population of Buchanan County, VA has health coverage, with 29.1% on employee plans, 21.1% on Medicaid, 27.3% on Medicare, 8.83% on non-group plans, and 3.71% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in Virginia was $7,556 in 2014. This is a 3.42% increase from the previous year ($7,306).

Primary care physicians in Buchanan County, VA see 3537 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.37% decrease from the previous year (3586 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 5251 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 3001 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

COVID-19

Daily New Cases by Date

Showing data at the state level for Virginia. Hospitalization data for some states may be delayed or not reported.

Y-Axis

This chart shows the number of COVID-19 daily new cases by date in Virginia, as a 7-day rolling average, compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases.

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Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,537 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Buchanan County, VA

Primary care physicians in Buchanan County, VA see an average of 3,537 patients per year. This represents a 1.37% decrease from the previous year (3,586 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.

Community Mobility

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

This chart presents movement trends over time in the state of Virginia across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.

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Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2020, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 17.8% under 18 years, 17.4% between 18 and 34 years, 42.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

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

Uninsured People

10%

Uninsured

29.1%

Employer Coverage

21.1%

Medicaid

27.3%

Medicare

8.83%

Non-Group

3.71%

Military or VA

Between 2019 and 2020, the percent of uninsured citizens in Buchanan County, VA declined by 19.3% from 12.4% to 10%.

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 2021, 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.

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2021, 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 36.3% in Buchanan County, VA.

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

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