Dickenson County, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Dickenson 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 averageLess healthy than 92% of counties in Virginia
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 95% of counties in Virginia
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 5 least educated counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Dickenson County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,730 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 41.2 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.36% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.8 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,934 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Dickenson County declined by 14.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 13,730 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Dickenson County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.1% of residents. That is 2.6 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,406 17.5% -3.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,614 19.0% -3.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,170 23.1% +2.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,015 22.0% +5.4 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 48.8% of the people living in Dickenson County and men 51.2%.
- Women 48.8% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 51.2% Virginia 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Dickenson County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Dickenson County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Dickenson County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,837 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.54% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.3% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Dickenson County is about 50% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Dickenson County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $204,673 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $737 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.1% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Dickenson County is about 23.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $737 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Dickenson County spend about 54 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 225 hours, about 9.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Dickenson County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 27.0 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 54.0 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 225 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,972 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.4% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,413 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 815 | 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 Dickenson 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
Dickenson County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Dickenson County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.0% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.24 | 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
Dickenson County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Dickenson County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.6 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.6% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 26.9% | 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).
Dickenson County, VA Compared With Nearby Counties
Dickenson County, VA is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 13,730 residents against a local median of 35,431. The measure that sets Dickenson County, VA apart most is median home price: $204,673, more than 5 times the local median of $37,374.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 27.0 min against a local median of 20.1 min, 34% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 34% above the local median it puts Dickenson County, VA at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves sit within $35,593 of each other on median home price, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Dickenson County, VA, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Dickenson County, VA has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dickenson County, VA | 13,730 | $46,837 #3/4 | $204,673 #1/4 | 27.0 min #4/4 |
| Wise County, VA | 35,431 | $53,154 | $64,936 | 18.4 min |
| Russell County, VA | 25,530 | $50,007 | $37,374 | 26.1 min |
| Pike County, KY | 56,725 | $44,332 | $29,344 | 20.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Dickenson County, Virginia.
How many people live in Dickenson County, Virginia?
About 13,730 people live in Dickenson County, Virginia, in 5,934 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 46.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
Is Dickenson County, Virginia urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Dickenson County, Virginia has 41 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 48% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Dickenson County, Virginia an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.4 times the median household income ($204,673 against $46,837), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $737 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Dickenson County, Virginia?
Unemployment in Dickenson 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 Dickenson County, Virginia?
11.0% of adults in Dickenson 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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