Population 8,977 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Big Stone Gap
Household size in Big Stone Gap
| Period | Big Stone Gap | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.38 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.44 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.41 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.41 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Big Stone Gap run small, averaging 2.41 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has crept up from 2.38 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the north.
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 Stone Gap
| Period | Big Stone Gap | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.0 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.4 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.3 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.7 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.2 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Big Stone Gap skews a little older than the country: its median age is 41.7, against 40.1 nationally. That is in line with the rest of Virginia. The median age has dropped from 44.0 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose.
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 Stone Gap
| Period | Big Stone Gap | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.7% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.0% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.0% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.4% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Big Stone Gap than nationally: 14.4%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 4.7 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Big Stone Gap has a higher share of single-parent households than at least four in five Virginia cities.
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 Stone Gap
Renters in Big Stone Gap
| Period | Big Stone Gap | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.0% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 36.2% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.7% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.7% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.3 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in Big Stone Gap rent their homes (32.7%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 39.6% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the west; owners are most common in the south. The renter share is down 5.3 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Stone Gap
| Period | Big Stone Gap | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.6% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.6% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.7% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +6.9 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Big Stone Gap: 15.7% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy has risen 6.9 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 Stone Gap
| Period | Big Stone Gap | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Big Stone Gap run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1975 against 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1971 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the south, the oldest in the center.
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 Stone Gap
| Period | Big Stone Gap | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $485 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $642 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $654 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $823 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$338 | +$600 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Big Stone Gap costs $823 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $338 a month since 2006–10, up 70%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 24.0% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the south; the most affordable are in the northeast.
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 Stone Gap
Bachelor's degrees in Big Stone Gap
| Period | Big Stone Gap | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.4% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.1% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.7% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Big Stone Gap have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 10.7%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is down 2.7 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose. Of the 243 Virginia cities with 5,000+ people, only two have a lower share of college graduates.
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 Stone Gap
| Period | Big Stone Gap | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 71.3% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 72.9% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 76.3% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 78.6% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.3 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in five adults in Big Stone Gap never finished high school, well above the national share: only 78.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 7.3 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only seven of the 243 Virginia cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of high school graduates.
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 Stone Gap
| Period | Big Stone Gap | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.5% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.6% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.0% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 6.0%, unemployment in Big Stone Gap is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in Virginia as a whole (4.3%). 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 Stone Gap 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 Stone Gap | 2.41 | 41.7 | 14.4% | 32.7% | 15.7% | 1975 | $823 | 10.7% | 78.6% | 6.0% |
| Irondale | 2.80 | 40.2 | 5.0% | 23.9% | 7.4% | 1977 | $631 | 8.5% | 87.8% | 0.8% |
| Lower Exeter | 2.26 | 49.9 | 12.7% | 26.4% | 17.2% | 1971 | $766 | 11.8% | 76.2% | 12.0% |
| Oreton | 2.32 | 49.1 | 12.3% | 27.4% | 12.7% | 1987 | $714 | 17.6% | 90.7% | 2.8% |
| Appalachia | 2.34 | 46.2 | 14.4% | 23.6% | 21.8% | 1952 | $764 | 14.9% | 80.9% | 10.3% |
| Stonega | 2.40 | 43.7 | 15.5% | 21.9% | 24.8% | 1941 | $761 | 16.8% | 83.9% | 9.4% |
| Exeter | 2.25 | 50.1 | 12.7% | 26.0% | 17.6% | 1971 | $772 | 12.0% | 76.3% | 11.8% |
| Derby | 2.26 | 49.9 | 12.7% | 26.4% | 17.2% | 1971 | $766 | 11.8% | 76.2% | 12.0% |
| Cracker Neck | 2.40 | 48.6 | 7.0% | 27.9% | 31.3% | 1976 | $643 | 5.3% | 76.4% | 3.6% |
| Jasper | 2.16 | 49.9 | 9.1% | 23.8% | 12.4% | 1985 | $638 | 23.4% | 91.9% | 5.6% |
| Verdi | 2.25 | 45.6 | 7.4% | 15.1% | 27.2% | 1975 | $812 | 15.3% | 70.9% | 0.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Toano, VA · Wellington, OH · Cheviot, OH · Lakeville, MA · Lamesa, TX · Clarence Center, NY · Clayton, NJ · Clear Lake, IA · Clearwater Beach, FL · Clint, TX
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 Stone Gap. 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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