United States › Virginia › Buchanan County COUNTY
Buchanan County Virginia · 18,492 residents (2025 est.) · 503 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Buchanan County is a county of 19,415 people in Virginia. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 11% of adults. The median age is 47.8, about 9 years above the US median. Households here earn about 54% less than in Virginia as a whole. Owners hold 83% of the housing stock. The typical home is worth $94,900, having more than doubled since 2000.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 47.8
US median: 38.9
Less educated
11% 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 26,978 in 2000
18,492 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 47 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 38.8 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
18K 22K 25K 29K 33K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Buchanan County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $42,886
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $22,213 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $12,788 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 10.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 23.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.454 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 13.2%
Professional, scientific, technical 5.2%
Public administration 3.4%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.5%
Transportation & warehousing 1.1%
Education & health services 0.5%
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$94,900
+22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$743
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $336 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 82.9% in 2000
16.9% rent
from 22.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.39 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 19.2% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 30.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.3 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 96.4%(26,007)
Hispanic / Latino 0.5%(128)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 93.2%(18,095)
Hispanic / Latino 1.1%(213)
from 11 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 31 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 9 more ancestry groups with data from 8.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 52.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 3.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 24.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 81.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 11.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 9.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 40.5% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 47.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 16.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 22.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 7.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 30.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 11.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 57.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 76.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 92.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 98.4% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 0.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 30.1%(2,616)
Women 15+
Never married 19.9%(1,614)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 11.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 38.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 10.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 34.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 24.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 50.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 55.1% 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) 21.6%(171)
Share of the 790 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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Drill deeper
Places similar to Buchanan County Head to head
Compare Buchanan County to nearby counties BUCHANAN COUNTY VS
Dickenson County
Income $47,254 +10%
Home value $102,700 +8%
Population 13,236 −28%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BUCHANAN COUNTY VS
McDowell County
Income $31,559 −26%
Home value $50,000 −47%
Population 16,878 −9%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BUCHANAN COUNTY VS
Russell County
Income $50,012 +17%
Home value $120,600 +27%
Population 25,332 +37%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BUCHANAN COUNTY VS
Pike County
Income $44,312 +3%
Home value $112,000 +18%
Population 54,721 +196%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Buchanan County, Virginia? Buchanan County, Virginia has about 19,415 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Buchanan County, Virginia? The typical household in Buchanan County, Virginia earns about $42,886 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Buchanan County, Virginia expensive? In Buchanan County, Virginia, the median home is worth about $94,900, and the typical rent is about $743 a month.
How educated are people in Buchanan County, Virginia? About 11.5% of adults age 25 and over in Buchanan County, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Buchanan County, Virginia? About 25.2% of people in Buchanan County, Virginia live below the federal poverty line.
Has Buchanan County, Virginia grown since 1990? Yes, Buchanan County, Virginia has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 11,918 residents, a change of about -38 percent over that period.
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