Population 7,407 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Bluefield
Household size in Bluefield
| Period | Bluefield | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.58 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.29 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.22 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.26 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.32 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Bluefield are small: just 2.26 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.58, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only 21 of the 243 Virginia cities with 5,000+ people have smaller households.
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 Bluefield
| Period | Bluefield | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.6 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 46.5 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 48.0 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.5 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.8 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.5, Bluefield is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 41.6 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the east, the oldest in the southwest.
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 Bluefield
| Period | Bluefield | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.7% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.6% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.3% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in Bluefield (11.3%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 2.9 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Bluefield
Renters in Bluefield
| Period | Bluefield | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.9% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 22.1% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.7% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.7% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Bluefield own their homes; 30.7% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 61.6% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the northeast; owners are most common in the southwest. The renter share has risen 4.8 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Bluefield
| Period | Bluefield | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.8% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.7% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.4% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.6% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Bluefield than nationally: 11.6%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 3.2 points, as it has nationally.
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 Bluefield
| Period | Bluefield | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1961 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1964 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1964 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1966 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Bluefield is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1966, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1961 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the northwest. Only eight of the 243 Virginia cities with 5,000+ people have older homes.
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 Bluefield
| Period | Bluefield | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $596 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $574 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $654 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $869 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$273 | +$600 | +$606 |
The median renter in Bluefield pays $869 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $273 a month from 2006–10, a 46% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 29.8% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the southwest; 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 Bluefield
Bachelor's degrees in Bluefield
| Period | Bluefield | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.9% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.6% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.7% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.5% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Bluefield have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 23.5%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 1.7 points, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the northwest.
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 Bluefield
| Period | Bluefield | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.5% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.4% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.8% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.4% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.9 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Bluefield have finished high school as nationally: 89.4%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in Virginia as a whole (91.6%). The share with a diploma is up 7.9 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 Bluefield
| Period | Bluefield | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.9% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.3% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.9% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.4 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Bluefield than nationally: unemployment was 3.5%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 6.4 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. 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).
Bluefield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluefield | 2.26 | 45.5 | 11.3% | 30.7% | 11.6% | 1966 | $869 | 23.5% | 89.4% | 3.5% |
| St. Clair | 2.19 | 49.9 | 7.4% | 21.6% | 11.0% | 1967 | $943 | 25.3% | 93.5% | 3.2% |
| Falls Mills | 2.07 | 49.9 | 16.0% | 34.1% | 23.5% | 1960 | $637 | 9.1% | 86.1% | 9.7% |
| Brush Fork | 2.51 | 46.6 | 4.7% | 25.2% | 23.1% | 1981 | $922 | 14.5% | 84.8% | 2.8% |
| Nemours | 2.51 | 47.6 | 2.1% | 19.2% | 28.8% | 1969 | $876 | 10.8% | 87.1% | 0.2% |
| Boissevain | 2.27 | 44.5 | 14.8% | 14.3% | 31.4% | 1961 | $884 | 4.7% | 86.3% | 11.9% |
| Pocahontas | 2.20 | 42.7 | 9.3% | 7.2% | 36.1% | 1964 | $917 | 3.5% | 85.1% | 16.7% |
| Bluefield | 2.35 | 45.2 | 9.9% | 31.9% | 18.7% | 1963 | $903 | 23.4% | 87.4% | 4.4% |
| Freeman | 1.93 | 67.3 | 2.8% | 35.3% | 19.0% | 1958 | $672 | 12.3% | 64.8% | 9.0% |
| Springville | 2.04 | 46.7 | 9.4% | 10.1% | 19.1% | 1980 | $946 | 11.0% | 95.2% | 1.7% |
| Bramwell | 2.40 | 56.2 | 2.3% | 10.9% | 34.0% | 1952 | $791 | 9.3% | 83.2% | 1.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Westville, IN · Vilonia, AR · Bayport, NY · Solvang, CA · Aguirre, PR · Adel, IA · Corry, PA · Mount Zion, IL · Mount Vernon, MO · Nevada, IA
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 Bluefield. 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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