Scott County, Virginia Income Statistics
Scott County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Scott County Well below averageLess wealthy than 77% of counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Scott County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $46,320 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $49,945 | $68,139 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 2.5% | 4.3% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 4.6% | 18.3% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 2.7% | 17.7% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Scott County is about 50% lower than in Virginia. Income has been growing slower in Scott County (2.5%/yr) than in Virginia (4.3%/yr).
About 5% of adults in Scott County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Virginia average of 18%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Scott County, Virginia grew by 39.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $46,320 in 2024. That's an average of about 2.5% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Scott County
| Metric | Scott County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.548 | 0.544 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $58,432 | $78,585 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $49,917 | $62,626 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 14.6% | 20.3% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Scott County, it is 0.548, about the same as Virginia's 0.544, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there, and about the same as the US's 0.552, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there.
Men's income is about 17% more than women's income in Scott County, Virginia. Over a 35-year career, a 17% wage gap accumulates to roughly $298,025 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Scott County, Virginia has narrowed from about 27% to 15% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 34% in 2018. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $2,264 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Scott County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 2.8% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 5.8% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 27 | 23 | 22 |
Approximately 229 people are unemployed in Scott County, Virginia.
The average commute time in Scott County is 27 minutes, longer than the 23 minutes in Virginia.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Scott County, Virginia has fallen from 6.9% to 2.8% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 9.5% in 2013.
Scott County, VA Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Scott County, VA is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 21,488 residents against a local median of 97,112. Where Scott County, VA breaks from the counties next to it is unemployment, sitting 56% below the local median of 6.4% at 2.8%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Income growth tells the same story from another angle: 2.5%/yr against a local median of 4.8%/yr, 47% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: unemployment runs ahead of the neighbourhood while income growth runs behind it, so Scott County, VA is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 3.5% on unemployment, so Scott County, VA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Scott County, VA has the lowest unemployment of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County, VA | 21,488 | $46,320 #5/5 | 2.5%/yr #5/5 | 2.8% #1/5 | 0.548 #3/5 |
| Wise County, VA | 35,431 | $53,154 | 4.9%/yr | 8.2% | 0.556 |
| Sullivan County, TN | 160,624 | $59,119 | 4.7%/yr | 5.4% | 0.532 |
| Washington County, TN | 136,261 | $62,668 | 4.5%/yr | 4.7% | 0.550 |
| Hawkins County, TN | 57,964 | $57,329 | 5.4%/yr | 7.3% | 0.534 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Scott County, Virginia has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Virginia, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Scott County, Virginia.
How Rich Is Scott County, Virginia?
Scott County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $46,320, about 50% lower than the Virginia average of $93,527.
How fast is household income rising in Scott County, Virginia?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Scott County, Virginia rose 40%, from $33,161 to $46,320. Over the same years, income here lagged behind Virginia as a whole: +40% against +55%.
What was the median household income in Scott County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Scott County, Virginia was $45,128, up 1% from $44,625 in 2022. The Virginia median that year was $91,420.
What was the median household income in Scott County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Scott County, Virginia was $41,682. By 2024 it had risen 11% to $46,320.
How strong is the job market in Scott County, Virginia?
Unemployment in Scott County, Virginia is only 2.8%, well below the Virginia rate of 4.1%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What is the Gini coefficient in Scott County, Virginia?
The Gini coefficient in Scott County is 0.548. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is almost the same as the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed about as equally as in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Scott County, Virginia?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Scott County, Virginia has narrowed from about 27% to 15% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 34% in 2018. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $2,264 since 2009.
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