Population 21,479 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Scott County
Household size in Scott County
| Period | Scott County | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.35 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.36 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.38 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.28 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Scott County are small: just 2.28 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. Household size has edged down from 2.35 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Scott County
| Period | Scott County | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.9 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.8 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.6 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 47.8 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.0 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 47.8, Scott County 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 44.9 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the northwest and oldest in the east.
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 Scott County
| Period | Scott County | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.2% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.5% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Scott County than nationally: 10.5%, against 11.6%. Virginia as a whole looks much the same. The single-parent share is up 1.1 points from 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 Scott County
Renters in Scott County
| Period | Scott County | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.0% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.4% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.6% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 23.0% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.0 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 23.0% of households in Scott County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About two-thirds of owners (67.3%) have paid off their mortgages, well 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 Scott County
| Period | Scott County | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.3% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 25.4% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.0% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 22.0% of the housing in Scott County, 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. Vacancy has risen 2.9 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 Scott County
| Period | Scott County | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1970 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1976 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Scott County was built around 1976, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in Virginia overall, where the median home dates to 1984. The median year built has moved up from 1970 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the south.
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 Scott County
| Period | Scott County | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $457 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $488 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $540 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $700 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$243 | +$600 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Scott County costs $700 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $243 a month from 2006–10, a 53% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 29.0% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the northwest; the highest are in the south.
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 Scott County
Bachelor's degrees in Scott County
| Period | Scott County | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.0% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Scott County: 15.0% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 4.4 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only ten of Virginia's 133 counties have a lower share of college graduates.
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 Scott County
| Period | Scott County | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 72.8% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 75.8% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.2% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.3% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +11.6 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in six adults in Scott County never finished high school, more than nationally: 84.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 11.6 points, in line with the national trend. Scott County has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of Virginia counties.
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 Scott County
| Period | Scott County | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.8% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.4% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.3% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Scott County has been low: just 3.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 3.5 points from 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).
Scott County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County | 2.28 | 47.8 | 10.5% | 23.0% | 22.0% | 1976 | $700 | 15.0% | 84.3% | 3.3% |
| Sullivan County | 2.34 | 44.8 | 10.9% | 27.9% | 10.3% | 1976 | $911 | 27.3% | 90.2% | 5.2% |
| Bristol City | 2.38 | 45.6 | 17.7% | 36.4% | 19.3% | 1965 | $867 | 24.0% | 89.6% | 7.0% |
| Lee County | 2.43 | 45.9 | 11.7% | 27.0% | 19.6% | 1977 | $769 | 16.0% | 83.0% | 8.1% |
| Washington County | 2.41 | 46.6 | 8.3% | 24.2% | 13.3% | 1983 | $885 | 26.4% | 90.6% | 2.9% |
| Hancock County | 2.39 | 45.1 | 8.8% | 25.4% | 21.7% | 1984 | $619 | 11.0% | 76.9% | 7.9% |
| Bell County | 2.34 | 39.9 | 14.5% | 41.2% | 14.0% | 1980 | $624 | 18.0% | 80.3% | 9.6% |
| Grayson County | 2.26 | 48.6 | 6.5% | 19.6% | 28.4% | 1975 | $736 | 15.5% | 85.3% | 3.6% |
| Galax City | 2.32 | 43.9 | 17.6% | 43.7% | 14.2% | 1966 | $752 | 19.1% | 84.4% | 5.1% |
| Carroll County | 2.32 | 49.0 | 8.3% | 22.9% | 22.9% | 1982 | $745 | 17.2% | 85.9% | 5.8% |
| McCreary County | 2.53 | 40.6 | 11.8% | 25.8% | 15.0% | 1987 | $584 | 10.5% | 78.6% | 5.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Robertson County, TX · Houston County, MN · Houston County, TX · Hubbard County, MN · Huron County, MI · Jefferson County, OR · Randolph County, IL · Richland County, IL · Richland County, WI · Rincon Municipio, PR
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 Scott County. 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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