Big Stone Gap is a city of 5,162 people in Virginia. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 16% of adults. 26.2% of people here live below the federal poverty line. That trails the Virginia median by roughly 41%. The foreign-born share is 2%. The typical home is worth $163,000, having more than doubled since 2000.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $54,581, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
16% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 34%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Big Stone Gap
What changed most since 1990
Adults with a bachelor's degree12.4% → 15.8%(+3.4 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Black share5.2% → 16.2%(+11.0 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts
Poverty rate17.0% → 26.2%(+9.2 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts
Its weight in Wise County
Big Stone Gap's population equals 15% of Wise County's. Its number of people who work from home equals 6.2% of the county's. Its number of households without a car equals 19% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)32.9%(95)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)30.4%(88)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era31.1%(90)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.4%(7)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 289 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Big Stone Gap, decade by decade
Big Stone Gap population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
4,748
$44,305
$108,963
12.4%
15.9
2000
4,856
$39,319
$121,322
16.4%
15.7
2010
5,614
$41,376
$136,664
17.3%
44.4
2020
5,254
$48,383
$154,171
19.5%
46.7
2024
5,162
$54,581
$163,000
15.8%
48.2
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
