United States › Virginia › Galax CITY
Galax Virginia · 6,670 residents (2025 est.) · 8.24 sq mi
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The short version
Galax is a city of 6,726 people in Virginia. Households here earn about 58% less than in Virginia as a whole. The poverty rate is 31.1%, above the 12.5% national rate. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 19% of adults. The typical home is worth $141,300, having more than doubled since 2000. The median household earns $38,675, about 53% below the national median.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 42.9
US median: 38.9
Less educated
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 6,837 in 2000
6,670 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 826 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 39.8 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
6K 7K 7K 7K 7K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Galax Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $38,675
−25%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $28,236 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $17,447 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 14.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 18.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.532 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 3.3%
Public administration 1.4%
Transportation & warehousing 1%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.9%
Professional, scientific, technical 0.7%
Education & health services 0.3%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$141,300
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $62,900 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$743
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $346 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 66.2% in 2000
43.7% rent
from 6.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
2.34 people
+29%since 2009
from 1.81 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 21.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 44.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 3.7 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 81.2%(5,549)
Hispanic / Latino 11.1%(757)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 76.8%(5,165)
Hispanic / Latino 14.1%(950)
from 33 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 7 more ancestry groups with data from 11.1% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 60.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 3.6% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 12.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 76.6% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 11.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 11.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 3.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 52.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 77.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 15.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 33.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 4.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 16.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 21.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 15.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 63.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 87.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 87.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 87.2% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 11.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 15.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 39.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 10.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 21.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 23.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 7.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 51.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 43.7% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
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) 37.4%(177)
Gulf War (1990s) 38.3%(181)
Share of the 473 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.
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Galax, Virginia? Galax, Virginia has about 6,726 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Galax, Virginia? The typical household in Galax, Virginia earns about $38,675 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Galax, Virginia expensive? In Galax, Virginia, the median home is worth about $141,300, and the typical rent is about $743 a month.
How educated are people in Galax, Virginia? About 19.1% of adults age 25 and over in Galax, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Galax, Virginia? About 31.1% of people in Galax, Virginia live below the federal poverty line.
Has Galax, Virginia grown since 1990? Yes, Galax, Virginia has grown since 1990. The population has added about 56 residents, a change of about 1 percent over that period.
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