Buchanan County, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Buchanan 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.
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C
Health Below averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in Virginia
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D
Income Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in Virginia
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Buchanan County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,415 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 38.5 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -2.18% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.2 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,530 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Buchanan County declined by 17.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 19,415 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Buchanan County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 24.5% of residents. That is 4.1 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,420 17.6% -3.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,724 19.2% -3.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,758 24.5% +4.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,316 22.2% +5.7 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 49.5% of the people living in Buchanan County and men 50.5%.
- Women 49.5% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 50.5% Virginia 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Buchanan County
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Economy
Buchanan County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Buchanan County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $43,339 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.54% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Buchanan County is about 54% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Buchanan County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $99,903 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $743 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.1% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Buchanan County is about 11.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $743 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Buchanan County spend about 53 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 222 hours, about 9.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Buchanan County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.6 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 53.3 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 222 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,882 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.5% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 440 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 191 | 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 Buchanan County is 27 minutes, longer 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
Buchanan County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Buchanan County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.1% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.41 | 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
Buchanan County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Buchanan County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.2 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.9% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 27.5% | 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).
Buchanan County, VA Compared With Nearby Counties
Buchanan County, VA is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 19,415 residents against a local median of 25,530. Buchanan County, VA's median home price, at $99,903, runs 167% above the $37,374 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $81,850 on median home price, so Buchanan County, VA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Buchanan County, VA has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buchanan County, VA | 19,415 | $43,339 #3/4 | $99,903 #2/4 | 26.6 min #3/4 |
| Russell County, VA | 25,530 | $50,007 | $37,374 | 26.1 min |
| Pike County, KY | 56,725 | $44,332 | $29,344 | 20.1 min |
| Mingo County, WV | 22,544 | $37,935 | $111,194 | 30.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Buchanan County, Virginia.
How big is Buchanan County, Virginia by population?
About 19,415 people live in Buchanan County, Virginia, in 7,530 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 45.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
How densely populated is Buchanan County, Virginia?
Averaged over its land area, Buchanan County, Virginia has 39 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 45% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Buchanan County, Virginia?
The median home costs 2.3 times the median household income ($99,903 against $43,339), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $743 a month takes about 21% 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 Buchanan County, Virginia?
Unemployment in Buchanan County, Virginia is only 3.9%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Buchanan County, Virginia?
11.1% of adults in Buchanan County, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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