Alleghany County, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Alleghany County, VA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 78% of counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Alleghany County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,859 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 33.1 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.87% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 47.2 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,383 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Alleghany County grew by 19.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 14,859 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Alleghany County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 23.3% of residents. That is 6.8 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,639 17.8% -3.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,498 16.8% -5.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,436 23.1% +2.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,465 23.3% +6.8 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Virginia, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.8% of the people living in Alleghany County and men 49.2%.
- Women 50.8% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 49.2% Virginia 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Alleghany County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Alleghany County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Alleghany County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,586 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.54% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.3% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Alleghany County is about 41% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Alleghany County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $66,874 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $765 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 82.3% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Alleghany County is about 7.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $765 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Alleghany County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 151 hours, about 6.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Alleghany County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.1 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.2 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 151 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,676 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.8% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,992 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 497 | 1,531 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Virginia:
Lexington city (10.6 min), Covington city (12.2 min), Norton city (13.1 min).
Slowest:
Amelia County (43.7 min), Craig County (41.3 min), Buckingham County (41.3 min).
The average commute time in Alleghany County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in Virginia.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Alleghany County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Alleghany County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.3% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.27 | 2.52 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Virginia:
Falls Church city (0.6), Arlington County (0.6), Alexandria city (0.5).
Lowest:
Greensville County (0.2), Lunenburg County (0.2), Buchanan County (0.2).
Health
Alleghany County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Alleghany County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.8 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.8% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.2% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Virginia:
Falls Church city (0.8), Arlington County (0.8), Fairfax County (0.8).
Lowest:
Emporia city (0.7), Petersburg city (0.8), Galax city (0.8).
Alleghany County, VA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Alleghany County, VA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alleghany County, VA | 14,859 | $55,586 #2/3 | $66,874 #3/3 | 18.1 min #1/3 |
| Botetourt County, VA | 34,003 | $81,753 | $186,363 | 22.4 min |
| Greenbrier County, WV | 32,386 | $48,009 | $110,000 | 21.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Alleghany County, Virginia.
How many people live in Alleghany County, Virginia?
About 14,859 people live in Alleghany County, Virginia, in 6,383 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 47.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
Is Alleghany County, Virginia mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Alleghany County, Virginia has 33 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 38% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Alleghany County, Virginia an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.2 times the median household income ($66,874 against $55,586), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $765 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Alleghany County, Virginia?
Unemployment in Alleghany County, Virginia is only 2.3%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Alleghany County, Virginia?
14.3% of adults in Alleghany County, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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