Population 1,159 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Blackwater
Household size in Blackwater
| Period | Blackwater | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.70 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.90 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.65 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.73 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.02 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Blackwater average 2.73 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is bigger than in Virginia overall, where it has 2.62 people.
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 Blackwater
| Period | Blackwater | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.1 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.4 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.5 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.3 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.8 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 46.3, Blackwater is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 Blackwater
| Period | Blackwater | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.0% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.3% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.3% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in Blackwater (12.3%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Virginia overall (10.7%).
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 Blackwater
Renters in Blackwater
| Period | Blackwater | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.9% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.3% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.6% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 21.6% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +9.7 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Blackwater is largely a place of homeowners: only 21.6% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 76.6% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 9.7 points from 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Blackwater
| Period | Blackwater | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.2% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 39.1% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 34.8% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.7% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 22.7% of the housing in Blackwater, 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.
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 Blackwater
| Period | Blackwater | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1964 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1965 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +15 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Blackwater was built around 1979, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in Virginia overall, where the median home dates to 1984.
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 Blackwater
| Period | Blackwater | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $433 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $587 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $426 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $716 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$283 | +$600 | +$606 |
The median renter in Blackwater pays $716 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 17.7% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Blackwater
Bachelor's degrees in Blackwater
| Period | Blackwater | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.8% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.4% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.3% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +17.6 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Blackwater: 23.3% 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 Blackwater
| Period | Blackwater | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 73.5% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 72.3% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 72.8% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 79.3% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.7 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in five adults in Blackwater never finished high school, well above the national share: only 79.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
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 Blackwater
| Period | Blackwater | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.8% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.2% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.3% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | +4.6 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Blackwater runs well above the national rate: 9.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 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).
Blackwater 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackwater | 2.73 | 46.3 | 12.3% | 21.6% | 22.7% | 1979 | $716 | 23.3% | 79.3% | 9.3% |
| Woodway | 2.49 | 38.5 | 17.3% | 23.2% | 13.3% | 1979 | $749 | 4.2% | 78.2% | 4.2% |
| Willis | 2.13 | 64.2 | 2.7% | 20.8% | 47.3% | 1974 | $661 | 11.1% | 76.9% | 18.3% |
| Pennington Gap | 2.35 | 42.7 | 18.9% | 34.8% | 17.6% | 1976 | $748 | 10.6% | 77.2% | 9.9% |
| Kyles Ford | 2.12 | 61.2 | 5.7% | 21.1% | 44.9% | 1976 | $682 | 11.1% | 78.9% | 16.1% |
| Independence | 1.90 | 53.3 | 5.1% | 16.9% | 21.6% | 1991 | $736 | 10.6% | 86.8% | 12.9% |
| Dryden | 2.07 | 50.4 | 13.7% | 15.7% | 21.5% | 1985 | $714 | 21.2% | 87.6% | 9.3% |
| Jonesville | 2.49 | 45.1 | 8.7% | 36.5% | 16.7% | 1979 | $680 | 21.1% | 89.8% | 12.6% |
| Duffield | 2.36 | 44.4 | 12.1% | 23.1% | 22.0% | 1978 | $667 | 12.4% | 75.8% | 2.8% |
| Eidson | 2.09 | 42.1 | 24.7% | 23.3% | 29.8% | 1991 | $818 | 11.0% | 91.1% | 1.9% |
| Fraleytown | 2.31 | 50.6 | 9.4% | 23.5% | 18.3% | 1968 | $720 | 9.9% | 72.8% | 13.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Rebecca, GA · Batson, TX · Kiker, GA · Hamrick, NC · Hatcher, WV · Roosevelt, MI · Inchelium, WA · Richwood, MN · Kettle River, MN · Rosalia, 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 Blackwater. 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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