Giles County, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Giles 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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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 70% of counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Giles County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,557 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 45.8 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.25% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.4 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,696 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Giles County declined by 3.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,557 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Giles County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.3% of residents. That is 2.8 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,856 17.3% -4.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,165 19.1% -3.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,850 23.3% +2.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,545 21.4% +4.9 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 51.3% of the people living in Giles County and men 48.7%.
- Women 51.3% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 48.7% Virginia 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Giles County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Giles County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Giles County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,311 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.37% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.1% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Giles County is about 28% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Giles County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $147,916 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $788 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.9% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Giles County is about 15.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $788 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Giles 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 | Giles 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 | $6,974 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 2.5% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,007 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,033 | 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 Giles 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
Giles County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Giles County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.8% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.45 | 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
Giles County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Giles County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.0 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.6% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.0% | 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).
Giles County, VA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Giles County, VA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giles County, VA | 16,557 | $67,311 #2/3 | $147,916 #2/3 | 27.0 min #3/3 |
| Pulaski County, VA | 33,685 | $63,216 | $122,130 | 20.5 min |
| Montgomery County, VA | 99,089 | $71,288 | $358,482 | 16.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Giles County, Virginia.
How many people live in Giles County, Virginia?
About 16,557 people live in Giles County, Virginia, in 6,696 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 45.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
How densely populated is Giles County, Virginia?
Averaged over its land area, Giles County, Virginia has 46 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 53% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Giles County, Virginia an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($147,916 against $67,311), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $788 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Giles County, Virginia?
Unemployment in Giles County, Virginia is only 2.1%, 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 Giles County, Virginia?
17.8% of adults in Giles County, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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