Population 5,030 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Blue Ridge
Household size in Blue Ridge
| Period | Blue Ridge | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.44 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.47 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.61 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.61 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.17 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Blue Ridge average 2.61 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Household size has climbed from 2.44 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the center and smallest in the southeast.
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 Blue Ridge
| Period | Blue Ridge | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.7 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.5 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.3 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 47.5 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.8 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Blue Ridge skews older: half of its residents are older than 47.5, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 43.7, mirroring the country. Only 15 of the 243 Virginia cities with 5,000+ people are older.
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 Blue Ridge
| Period | Blue Ridge | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.9% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.5% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.5% of households in Blue Ridge, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 0.6 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Blue Ridge has a lower share of single-parent households than the great majority of 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 Blue Ridge
Renters in Blue Ridge
| Period | Blue Ridge | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 8.1% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 9.1% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Blue Ridge is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 9.1% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 37.9% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. The renter share is down 0.7 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 Blue Ridge
| Period | Blue Ridge | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.7% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.8% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Blue Ridge as nationally: 9.8%, against 9.6%. Vacancy has risen 3.5 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 Blue Ridge
| Period | Blue Ridge | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1981 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1981 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Blue Ridge was built around 1982, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (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 Blue Ridge
| Period | Blue Ridge | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $801 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $739 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $774 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,183 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$381 | +$600 | +$606 |
Rent in Blue Ridge runs $1,183 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $381 a month from 2006–10, a 48% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 32.7% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southwest and lowest in the east.
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 Blue Ridge
Bachelor's degrees in Blue Ridge
| Period | Blue Ridge | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.4% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.2% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.8% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.0% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.7 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Blue Ridge: 24.0% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 9.7 points, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the southeast.
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 Blue Ridge
| Period | Blue Ridge | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.5% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.2% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.6% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.5% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.1 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Blue Ridge is above the national rate: 93.5% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 9.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Blue Ridge
| Period | Blue Ridge | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.8% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.8% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.1% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Blue Ridge has been strong: just 3.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Blue Ridge 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Ridge | 2.61 | 47.5 | 6.5% | 9.1% | 9.8% | 1982 | $1,183 | 24.0% | 93.5% | 3.4% |
| Laymantown | 2.57 | 44.0 | 7.8% | 6.4% | 8.4% | 1978 | $1,070 | 31.4% | 98.1% | 1.5% |
| Nace | 2.60 | 51.1 | 6.3% | 18.1% | 15.6% | 1978 | $1,008 | 20.1% | 89.4% | 0.8% |
| Cloverdale | 2.38 | 51.6 | 11.2% | 23.6% | 12.4% | 1984 | $949 | 31.1% | 92.4% | 1.0% |
| Montvale | 2.24 | 50.3 | 7.8% | 17.4% | 12.9% | 1984 | $933 | 16.7% | 79.4% | 1.7% |
| Troutville | 2.58 | 47.5 | 6.4% | 18.2% | 10.6% | 1988 | $1,230 | 32.2% | 94.7% | 2.6% |
| Daleville | 2.78 | 49.4 | 4.2% | 20.1% | 7.7% | 1997 | $1,720 | 35.0% | 93.2% | 3.8% |
| Vinton | 2.35 | 41.4 | 18.8% | 25.9% | 6.1% | 1974 | $919 | 23.0% | 90.7% | 2.8% |
| Thaxton | 2.45 | 44.6 | 9.5% | 12.6% | 9.0% | 1986 | $862 | 17.5% | 92.0% | 4.5% |
| Lithia | 2.69 | 49.9 | 10.5% | 20.4% | 13.7% | 1988 | $1,000 | 23.5% | 95.3% | 2.8% |
| Hollins | 2.37 | 42.7 | 9.6% | 36.3% | 6.3% | 1977 | $1,204 | 26.0% | 93.2% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Dawson Springs, KY · South Barrington, IL · Johnson, AR · Jefferson, NC · Slocomb, AL · Jefferson, MA · Daniels, WV · Jefferson, IA · Danville, NH · Jay, OK
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 Blue Ridge. 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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