Gardner, VA Demographics

Population 386 · Census ACS 2020–24

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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Gardner, VA map of median age by neighborhood
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Population and households in Gardner

Household size in Gardner

Household size, people per household
PeriodGardnerVirginiaU.S.
2006–102.772.632.68
2010–142.552.682.73
2015–192.662.682.71
2020–242.372.622.65
Change−0.39−0.01−0.03
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Gardner is a place of small households, averaging 2.37 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.77, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.

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 Gardner

Median age, years
PeriodGardnerVirginiaU.S.
2006–1043.238.237.7
2010–1443.939.038.6
2015–1947.540.039.6
2020–2451.640.340.1
Change+8.4+2.1+2.3
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Gardner skews older: half of its residents are older than 51.6, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.

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 Gardner

Single-parent households, % of households
PeriodGardnerVirginiaU.S.
2006–1013.3%11.1%12.3%
2010–149.9%11.0%12.3%
2015–192.9%10.5%11.6%
2020–243.3%10.7%11.6%
Change−10.0 pts−0.4 pts−0.6 pts
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Single-parent households are relatively rare in Gardner: 3.3% of households, against 11.6% nationally.

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 Gardner

Renters in Gardner

Renters, % of occupied homes
PeriodGardnerVirginiaU.S.
2006–109.7%31.1%33.3%
2010–1416.7%33.3%35.6%
2015–1913.9%33.7%36.0%
2020–242.3%32.7%34.8%
Change−7.4 pts+1.5 pts+1.5 pts
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Gardner is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 2.3% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Nearly half of owners (46.8%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%.

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 Gardner

Vacant homes, % of all homes
PeriodGardnerVirginiaU.S.
2006–1013.8%10.3%11.4%
2010–1411.5%10.2%11.4%
2015–1915.3%9.7%11.1%
2020–2420.5%8.7%9.6%
Change+6.7 pts−1.6 pts−1.8 pts
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Vacant homes make up 20.5% of the housing in Gardner, 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 Gardner

Age of homes, median year built
PeriodGardnerVirginiaU.S.
2006–10198619781974
2010–14199119801975
2015–19198319811977
2020–24197819841980
Change−8+5+6
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Homes in Gardner are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1978, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in Virginia as a whole, 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 Gardner

Rent, per month
PeriodGardnerVirginiaU.S.
2006–10$447$1,143$965
2010–14$620$1,238$1,040
2015–19$445$1,436$1,213
2020–24$899$1,743$1,571
Change+$452+$600+$606
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A typical rental in Gardner costs $899 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 16.3% 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 Gardner

Bachelor's degrees in Gardner

Bachelor's degrees, % of adults 25+
PeriodGardnerVirginiaU.S.
2006–1018.3%35.2%28.4%
2010–145.5%36.7%29.6%
2015–1917.1%39.3%32.1%
2020–247.2%42.5%35.6%
Change−11.0 pts+7.3 pts+7.2 pts
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College degrees are relatively uncommon in Gardner: 7.2% 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 Gardner

High school graduates, % of adults 25+
PeriodGardnerVirginiaU.S.
2006–1073.0%86.8%84.9%
2010–1483.7%88.3%86.1%
2015–1983.4%89.9%87.7%
2020–2488.3%91.6%89.3%
Change+15.3 pts+4.7 pts+4.3 pts
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High school completion in Gardner is close to the national rate: 88.3% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in Virginia as a whole (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 Gardner

Unemployment, % of the labor force
PeriodGardnerVirginiaU.S.
2006–107.6%6.0%8.1%
2010–140.6%7.0%9.4%
2015–1911.0%4.7%5.6%
2020–242.1%4.3%5.4%
Change−5.5 pts−1.7 pts−2.7 pts
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The job market in Gardner has been strong: just 2.1% 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).

Gardner compared with nearby cities

CityHousehold sizeMedian ageSingle parentsRentersVacant homesMedian year builtMedian rentBachelor's degreeHigh school diplomaUnemployment
Gardner2.3751.63.3%2.3%20.5%1978$8997.2%88.3%2.1%
Swords Creek2.3949.44.7%16.5%17.9%1980$7077.7%71.1%6.0%
Wardell2.9540.32.6%17.1%14.7%1983$81632.8%88.1%0.1%
Rosedale2.5048.07.8%11.2%19.4%1980$89111.7%85.9%1.7%
Honaker2.4046.38.7%22.4%12.6%1978$6529.5%76.0%6.1%
Steeleburg2.1351.320.0%12.4%18.0%1978$69216.7%89.8%2.8%
Cedar Bluff2.4846.59.1%21.5%16.2%1975$81912.6%83.4%1.4%
Hubbard Junction2.1753.510.2%6.6%17.0%1979$75411.1%84.1%2.8%
Lynn Spring2.6545.314.2%14.4%36.5%1974$66412.9%65.3%2.9%
Richlands2.3245.99.6%34.4%17.1%1974$84312.5%85.0%5.7%
Raven2.4447.99.9%22.9%27.6%1979$71425.0%83.4%7.0%

All figures 2020–24.

Cities with similar populations: East Dorset, VT · Delrose, TX · Denmark, GA · Derby, IA · Dix, NE · Dorrance, PA · Dukedom, TN · Dunn, LA · Dunningville, MI · East Alton, NH

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 Gardner. 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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