Population 1,355 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Big Island
Household size in Big Island
| Period | Big Island | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.37 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.50 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.48 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.31 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Big Island is a place of small households, averaging 2.31 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Big Island
| Period | Big Island | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.5 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.6 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 51.9 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 47.0 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.5 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Big Island skews older: half of its residents are older than 47.0, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 45.5 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Big Island
| Period | Big Island | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.4% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.6% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.8% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Big Island: 3.8% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Big Island
Renters in Big Island
| Period | Big Island | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.0% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.7% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +7.7 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 22.7% of households in Big Island rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About half of owners (49.3%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Big Island
| Period | Big Island | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.3% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.7% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.9% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.9% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Big Island than nationally: 11.9%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Big Island
| Period | Big Island | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Big Island are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Big Island
| Period | Big Island | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $615 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $576 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $793 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $789 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$174 | +$600 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Big Island costs $789 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 23.6% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Big Island
Bachelor's degrees in Big Island
| Period | Big Island | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.6% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.2% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.4% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.5% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.9 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Big Island: 25.5% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Big Island
| Period | Big Island | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 76.6% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.1% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.4% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.7% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +18.0 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Big Island: 94.7% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Big Island
| Period | Big Island | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.5% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.8% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.6% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.8% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Big Island has been low: just 0.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Big Island compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Island | 2.31 | 47.0 | 3.8% | 22.7% | 11.9% | 1980 | $789 | 25.5% | 94.7% | 0.8% |
| Major | 2.38 | 43.6 | 6.1% | 15.7% | 20.9% | 1982 | $826 | 31.2% | 89.7% | 1.2% |
| Waugh | 3.23 | 44.5 | 8.0% | 3.5% | 15.4% | 1999 | $1,202 | 47.6% | 93.2% | 2.6% |
| Sedalia | 2.24 | 49.2 | 3.8% | 21.8% | 13.0% | 1979 | $805 | 24.5% | 93.9% | 0.6% |
| Naola | 2.43 | 51.8 | 8.9% | 2.7% | 25.3% | 1992 | $1,152 | 40.1% | 78.8% | 0.0% |
| Coleman Falls | 3.36 | 43.3 | 7.9% | 3.8% | 13.8% | 2000 | $1,210 | 48.9% | 95.7% | 3.0% |
| Charlemont | 2.22 | 52.8 | 2.5% | 23.9% | 5.8% | 1981 | $846 | 22.6% | 95.2% | 0.0% |
| Coltons Mill | 2.28 | 47.6 | 3.6% | 23.0% | 11.4% | 1980 | $785 | 24.8% | 94.7% | 0.7% |
| Naturl Br Sta | 2.46 | 51.8 | 3.1% | 2.4% | 29.3% | 1954 | $880 | 8.9% | 79.7% | 2.5% |
| Natural Bridge Station | 2.35 | 52.2 | 4.6% | 11.2% | 25.1% | 1958 | $1,001 | 12.0% | 82.1% | 3.1% |
| Pedlar Mills | 2.30 | 53.4 | 9.2% | 8.6% | 17.2% | 1980 | $1,250 | 33.7% | 93.1% | 4.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Shutesbury, MA · Primghar, IA · Roosevelt, MN · Roosevelt, NJ · Seligman, AZ · Egan, LA · Edgar Springs, MO · East Springfield, PA · East Ellijay, GA · Odessa, WA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Big Island. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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