Population 8,060 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Buena Vista: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Buena Vista
Household size in Buena Vista
| Period | Buena Vista | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.45 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.34 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.36 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.42 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Buena Vista run small, averaging 2.42 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southwest.
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 Buena Vista
| Period | Buena Vista | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.0 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.7 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.1 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.3 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.4 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Buena Vista are younger than 40.3 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has crept up from 40.0 in 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Residents skew youngest in the east and oldest in the center.
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 Buena Vista
| Period | Buena Vista | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.7% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.5% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Buena Vista than nationally: 14.5%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 3.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Buena Vista has a higher 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 Buena Vista
Renters in Buena Vista
| Period | Buena Vista | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.1% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.7% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.6% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 38.7% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in Buena Vista than nationally: 38.7% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Among homeowners, 44.3% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the north; owners are most common in the center. The renter share has risen 6.6 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 Buena Vista
| Period | Buena Vista | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.5% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.5% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 14.5% of the housing in Buena Vista, 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. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 5.8 points, 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 Buena Vista
| Period | Buena Vista | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1967 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1964 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1969 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Buena Vista run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1973 against 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1967 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, while the center has the oldest housing.
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 Buena Vista
| Period | Buena Vista | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $658 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $766 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $801 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,385 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$727 | +$600 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Buena Vista costs $1,385 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $727 a month since 2006–10, up 111%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 27.9% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the center; 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 Buena Vista
Bachelor's degrees in Buena Vista
| Period | Buena Vista | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.5% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.7% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.4% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.9 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Buena Vista have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 25.4%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 9.9 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the southwest.
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 Buena Vista
| Period | Buena Vista | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 73.1% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 77.2% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.8% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.3% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +16.2 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Buena Vista is the same as the national rate: 89.3% of adults have a diploma or equivalent. The rate is lower than in Virginia as a whole (91.6%). The share with a diploma is up 16.2 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Buena Vista
| Period | Buena Vista | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.0% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.0% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.7% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.8 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Buena Vista runs below the national rate: 3.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 3.8 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. 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).
Buena Vista 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buena Vista | 2.42 | 40.3 | 14.5% | 38.7% | 14.5% | 1973 | $1,385 | 25.4% | 89.3% | 3.7% |
| Riverside | 2.56 | 38.3 | 10.5% | 34.8% | 12.9% | 1986 | $885 | 31.5% | 92.1% | 12.0% |
| East Lexington | 2.62 | 39.3 | 7.2% | 24.3% | 11.6% | 1990 | $885 | 41.3% | 93.5% | 10.8% |
| Willow | 2.43 | 51.8 | 8.9% | 2.7% | 25.3% | 1992 | $1,152 | 40.1% | 78.8% | 0.0% |
| Oronoco | 2.47 | 49.4 | 9.2% | 4.3% | 23.2% | 1990 | $1,102 | 38.1% | 82.1% | 0.0% |
| Lexington | 2.26 | 42.7 | 8.5% | 34.4% | 19.1% | 1974 | $1,080 | 41.2% | 90.6% | 1.3% |
| Glasgow | 2.47 | 44.8 | 14.5% | 25.3% | 17.4% | 1972 | $907 | 25.3% | 90.2% | 2.8% |
| Buffalo Forge | 2.18 | 54.5 | 13.3% | 24.7% | 16.2% | 1983 | $794 | 31.3% | 91.9% | 2.5% |
| Timber Ridge | 2.08 | 52.9 | 6.4% | 13.3% | 8.5% | 1983 | $1,075 | 38.4% | 91.3% | 5.2% |
| Pleasant View | 2.44 | 49.9 | 11.4% | 13.2% | 21.7% | 1982 | $1,152 | 39.0% | 91.0% | 7.6% |
| Vesuvius | 2.38 | 48.0 | 5.3% | 20.0% | 17.0% | 1978 | $941 | 29.9% | 86.7% | 4.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Independence, IA · Rockdale, TX · Rochester, PA · Robertsville, NJ · Riviera Beach, MD · Riverside, CT · Rittman, OH · Richmond, MI · Richland Hills, TX · Rawlins, WY
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 Buena Vista. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.