COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Wise County

Virginia · 39,573 residents · 403 sq mi

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The short version

Wise County is a county of 39,573 people in Virginia. Households here earn about 41% less than in Virginia as a whole. About 9% of adults have finished a four-year degree. 76% of homes are owner-occupied. The typical home is worth $43,600. 21.6% of people here live below the federal poverty line.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Mid-age

median age 33.8

US median: 33.0

Less educated

9% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

Stable housing

home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

39,573

−1%vs 2000

vs 40,123 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

33.8

−10%vs 2000

vs 37.8 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

403 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202435K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 56.1%(2,426)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 97.1%(2,825)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 148.2%(3,227)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 198.7%(3,434)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 246.9%(2,730)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3414.8%(5,862)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4414.8%(5,862)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 5411.2%(4,423)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 649.1%(3,585)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 747.8%(3,077)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 844.4%(1,735)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1%(387)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$19,594

−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $26,149 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$9,392

−34%vs 2000

vs $14,271 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

21.6%

+1.6 ptsvs 2000

vs 20.0% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$43,600

+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $53,700 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$302

+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $353 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

76.4%

+1.1 ptsvs 2000

vs 75.3% in 2000

23.6% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic96.4%(38,681)

Black1.8%(708)

Hispanic / Latino0.7%(292)

Asian0.3%(118)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic97.7%(38,651)

Black1.7%(679)

Hispanic / Latino0.4%(143)

Asian0.4%(162)

Other0.2%(81)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican1%(337)

Puerto Rican0.2%(66)

Central American0.1%(44)

Spaniard0.1%(23)

Nicaraguan0.1%(22)

Panamanian0%(13)

South American0%(10)

Peruvian0%(10)

Cuban0%(9)

Dominican0%(9)

Salvadoran0%(9)

Asian origin

Chinese0.1%(25)

Asian Indian0.1%(24)

Vietnamese0%(17)

Thai0%(14)

Korean0%(3)

Ancestry

American20.9%(7,411)

English14.7%(5,216)

Irish13%(4,609)

German8.2%(2,918)

Scottish2%(704)

Scotch-Irish1.9%(683)

Italian1.1%(376)

Dutch0.7%(240)

French0.6%(228)

Norwegian0.5%(171)

Polish0.4%(145)

Welsh0.4%(130)

+ 24 more ancestry groups with data

Subsaharan African0.3%(121)

British0.3%(106)

Hungarian0.2%(71)

Arab0.2%(66)

Lithuanian0.1%(51)

Austrian0.1%(47)

Portuguese0.1%(38)

West Indian0.1%(36)

Finnish0.1%(35)

Swedish0.1%(33)

Moroccan0.1%(24)

Iranian0.1%(24)

Russian0.1%(22)

Lebanese0.1%(20)

Swiss0.1%(20)

Ukrainian0.1%(20)

Nigerian0%(13)

Armenian0%(11)

Syrian0%(10)

Belgian0%(8)

Latvian0%(5)

Ethiopian0%(5)

Jamaican0%(5)

Croatian0%(4)

RANKED:Largest American population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest German population · Largest Scottish population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

8.6%

−2.3 ptsvs 2000

vs 10.8% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

52.1%

−10.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 62.5% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

3.0%

−1.0 ptsvs 2000

vs 4.1% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

18.9 min

+13%vs 2000

vs 16.7 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married34%(5,377)

Married50.9%(8,048)

Widowed3.8%(603)

Divorced11.3%(1,784)

Women 15+

Never married23.8%(3,364)

Married51.4%(7,263)

Widowed12.1%(1,708)

Divorced12.8%(1,803)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

6.5%

−8.1 ptssince 2013

from 14.6% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

42.8%

−4.2 ptssince 2020

from 47.0% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

12.1%

+0.1 ptssince 2020

from 12.0% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

26.8%

−0.3 ptssince 2020

from 27.1% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

33.8%

+9.4 ptssince 2020

from 24.4% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

4.5%

+1.2 ptssince 2020

from 3.3% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

53.5%

−5.5 ptssince 2020

from 59.0% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

57.5%

+9.5 ptssince 2020

from 48.0% 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)22.2%(445)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)26.1%(524)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era38%(762)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War3.2%(65)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0%(0)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,007 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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