Population 4,820 · 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 Clifton Forge: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Clifton Forge
Household size in Clifton Forge
| Period | Clifton Forge | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.25 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.32 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.15 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.33 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.08 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Clifton Forge are small: just 2.33 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. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the west.
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 Clifton Forge
| Period | Clifton Forge | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.8 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.5 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 49.7 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.3 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −3.6 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Clifton Forge skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.3, 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 dropped from 48.8, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Clifton Forge
| Period | Clifton Forge | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.3% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.5% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.7% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.2% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Clifton Forge as they are nationally: 11.2%, against 11.6%.
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 Clifton Forge
Renters in Clifton Forge
| Period | Clifton Forge | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.3% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 31.8% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.3% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.7% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Clifton Forge own their homes; 27.7% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 62.3% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the southwest; owners are most common in the northeast.
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 Clifton Forge
| Period | Clifton Forge | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.0% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.4% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.4% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.1% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +6.1 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Clifton Forge: 22.1% 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. Of the 243 Virginia cities with 5,000+ people, only five have a higher vacancy rate.
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 Clifton Forge
| Period | Clifton Forge | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1956 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1955 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1957 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1953 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | −3 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Clifton Forge is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1953, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the west has the oldest housing. Clifton Forge has the oldest homes of any Virginia city with 5,000+ people.
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 Clifton Forge
| Period | Clifton Forge | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $556 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $549 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $501 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $624 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$68 | +$600 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Clifton Forge costs $624 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 30.5% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southeast and lowest in the center. Only one other Virginia city with 5,000+ people has lower rents.
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 Clifton Forge
Bachelor's degrees in Clifton Forge
| Period | Clifton Forge | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.2% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.5% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.6% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.5% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Clifton Forge have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 18.5%, against 35.6% nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the southwest. Clifton Forge has a lower share of college graduates than the great majority of Virginia cities.
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 Clifton Forge
| Period | Clifton Forge | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.1% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.3% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.9% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.6% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.5 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Clifton Forge have finished high school as nationally: 88.6%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in Virginia overall (91.6%).
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 Clifton Forge
| Period | Clifton Forge | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.8% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.9% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.2 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Clifton Forge has been strong: just 1.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Only 18 of the 243 Virginia cities with 5,000+ people have lower unemployment. 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).
Clifton Forge 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton Forge | 2.33 | 45.3 | 11.2% | 27.7% | 22.1% | 1953 | $624 | 18.5% | 88.6% | 1.9% |
| Copeland | 1.94 | 41.8 | 11.6% | 13.2% | 14.6% | 1967 | $1,101 | 10.8% | 87.4% | 8.5% |
| Selma | 2.15 | 47.1 | 13.9% | 22.3% | 16.8% | 1968 | $1,068 | 4.5% | 79.0% | 3.1% |
| Iron Gate | 2.03 | 46.5 | 7.2% | 10.6% | 15.4% | 1970 | $998 | 11.0% | 91.6% | 7.4% |
| Longdale | 2.31 | 49.0 | 1.4% | 4.8% | 14.4% | 1977 | $923 | 26.7% | 94.2% | 1.1% |
| Low Moor | 2.18 | 46.1 | 15.5% | 24.9% | 16.2% | 1968 | $1,070 | 5.1% | 77.6% | 2.2% |
| Mallow | 2.17 | 48.5 | 11.6% | 29.0% | 10.4% | 1970 | $711 | 15.7% | 96.2% | 0.0% |
| Longdale Furnace | 2.20 | 51.2 | 1.5% | 6.2% | 15.7% | 1975 | $886 | 16.9% | 96.0% | 4.2% |
| Griffith | 2.23 | 53.1 | 6.8% | 17.8% | 32.2% | 1976 | $722 | 15.4% | 84.9% | 2.1% |
| Carloover | 2.21 | 50.5 | 10.6% | 28.3% | 18.6% | 1972 | $740 | 15.2% | 89.4% | 0.1% |
| Healing Springs | 2.15 | 47.5 | 16.7% | 29.2% | 37.5% | 1961 | $827 | 18.8% | 87.8% | 2.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Auburn, NH · Petersburg, MI · Baden, PA · Quitman, TX · Rainier, WA · Perry, OK · Rancho Calaveras, CA · Ely, NV · Perkiomenville, PA · Spring Arbor, MI
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 Clifton Forge. 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.