Tazewell County, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Tazewell 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 85% of counties in Virginia
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 78% of counties in Virginia
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 81% of counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Tazewell County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,616 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 76.3 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.12% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.0 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 16,289 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Tazewell County declined by 10.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 39,616 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Tazewell County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.8% of residents. That is 6.3 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,103 17.9% -3.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,408 18.7% -3.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,670 21.9% +1.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 9,050 22.8% +6.3 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 50.2% of the people living in Tazewell County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 49.8% Virginia 49.4%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Tazewell County
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Economy
Tazewell County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Tazewell County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,574 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.91% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Tazewell County is about 49% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Tazewell County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $184,376 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $794 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.4% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Tazewell County is about 19.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $794 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Tazewell County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 171 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Tazewell County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.5 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.0 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 171 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,299 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.0% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,471 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 844 | 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 Tazewell County is 21 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
Tazewell County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Tazewell County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.2% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.33 | 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
Tazewell County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Tazewell County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.3 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.6% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.7% | 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).
Tazewell County, VA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Tazewell County, VA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tazewell County, VA | 39,616 | $47,574 #3/3 | $184,376 #1/3 | 20.5 min #2/3 |
| Smyth County, VA | 29,374 | $49,886 | $24,100 | 18.6 min |
| Wyoming County, WV | 20,629 | $48,071 | $33,392 | 26.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Tazewell County, Virginia.
What is the population of Tazewell County, Virginia?
About 39,616 people live in Tazewell County, Virginia, in 16,289 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 45.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
How densely populated is Tazewell County, Virginia?
Averaged over its land area, Tazewell County, Virginia has 76 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Tazewell County, Virginia?
The median home costs 3.9 times the median household income ($184,376 against $47,574), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $794 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Tazewell County, Virginia?
Unemployment in Tazewell County, Virginia is only 3.8%, 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 Tazewell County, Virginia?
15.2% of adults in Tazewell 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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