Big Stone Gap, VA

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2022 Population

39,773

1.13% 1-year decline

US Senator

Mark Warner

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tim Kaine

Democratic Party

2022 Median Age

1.2% 1-year increase

2022 Poverty Rate

20.8%

1.2% 1-year increase

2022 Median Household Income

$46,680

5.78% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$107,600

13.3% 1-year growth

2022 Employed Population

14,156

0.834% 1-year decline

About

In 2022, Big Stone Gap, VA had a population of 39.8k people with a median age of 42 and a median household income of $46,680. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Big Stone Gap, VA declined from 40,227 to 39,773, a −1.13% decrease and its median household income grew from $44,131 to $46,680, a 5.78% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Big Stone Gap, VA are White (Non-Hispanic) (91.1%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (4.37%), Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) (1.63%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (0.983%), and Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) (0.48%).

None of the households in Big Stone Gap, VA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.3% of the residents in Big Stone Gap, VA are U.S. citizens.

In 2022, the median property value in Big Stone Gap, VA was $107,600, and the homeownership rate was 68.6%.

Most people in Big Stone Gap, VA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23 minutes. The average car ownership in Big Stone Gap, VA was 2 cars per household.

Big Stone Gap, VA borders Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA.

United States Virginia

Population & Diversity

Big Stone Gap, VA is home to a population of 39.8k people, from which 99.3% are citizens. As of 2022, 1.62% of Big Stone Gap, VA residents were born outside of the country (646 people).

In 2022, there were 20.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (36.2k people) in Big Stone Gap, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.74k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 648 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.3%

2022 Citizenship

99.3%

2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 99.3% of Big Stone Gap, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Big Stone Gap, VA was 99.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Big Stone Gap, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Big Stone Gap, VA

White (Non-Hispanic)
36.2k ± 182
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.74k ± 241
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
648 ± 197

1.21%

Hispanic Population

482 people

1.21% of the people in Big Stone Gap, VA are hispanic (482 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Big Stone Gap, VA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Virginia.

Most Common Origin

El Salvador
107,827 ± 8,012 people
India
97,961 ± 7,641 people
Mexico
63,695 ± 6,173 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Virginia was El Salvador, the natal country of 107,827 Virginia residents, followed by India with 97,961 and Mexico with 63,695.

Foreign-Born Population

1.62%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

646 people

1.25%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

503 people

As of 2022, 1.62% of Big Stone Gap, VA residents (646 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Big Stone Gap, VA was 1.25%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Big Stone Gap, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
857 ± 206
Gulf War (1990s)
484 ± 203
Gulf War (2001-)
380 ± 144

Big Stone Gap, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.77 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Big Stone Gap, VA employs 14.2k people. In 2022, the largest industries in Big Stone Gap, VA were Health Care & Social Assistance (2,173 people), Retail Trade (2,113 people), and Educational Services (1,571 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($78,534), Utilities ($70,167), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($67,034).

Employment

Occupations

14.2k

2022 Value

± 978

−0.834%

1 Year decline

± 9.93%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Big Stone Gap, VA declined at a rate of −0.834%, from 14.3k employees to 14.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Big Stone Gap, VA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,844 people), Sales & Related Occupations (1,554 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (1,305 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Big Stone Gap, VA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Virginia (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

14.2k

2022 Value

± 978

−0.834%

1 Year decline

± 9.93%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Big Stone Gap, VA declined at a rate of −0.834%, from 14.3k employees to 14.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Big Stone Gap, VA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,173 people), Retail Trade (2,113 people), and Educational Services (1,571 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Big Stone Gap, VA, though some of these residents may live in Big Stone Gap, VA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$42,651

Median earning men ± $2,250

$29,377

Median earning women ± $3,519

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($67,034), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($55,938), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($55,640).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Information ($60,192), Manufacturing ($46,000), and Public Administration ($45,000).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Y-Axis

2.48%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.1M people employed in Virginia. This represents a 2.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.8%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Virginia.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

81
Other Services (except Public Administration)
81
Retail Trade
60
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$132k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$78.4k
Retail Trade
$71.5k
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Kamala Harris with 51.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Other (0.905%).

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing the state of Virginia. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Big Stone Gap, VA. Showing the available data for Virginia.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (51.8%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (46.1%)
Republican Party
Other (0.905%)
Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Kamala Harris with 51.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Other (0.905%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Virginia for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Virginia

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Mark Warner

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2009

Tim Kaine

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing Virginia.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Virginia over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Virginia

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Virginia have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Measure

In 2023, 0.988% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.986% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (1.72M), Bachelors Degree (1.5M), and Some college (1.37M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Big Stone Gap, VA was $107,600 in 2022, which is 0.355 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $95,000 to $107,600, a 13.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Big Stone Gap, VA is 68.6%, which is higher than the national average of 65%.

People in Big Stone Gap, VA have an average commute time of 23 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Big Stone Gap, VA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$107,600

Median Property Value 2022

±$6,776

$10,726

Median Property Taxes

±$758

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Big Stone Gap, VA the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Big Stone Gap, VA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

68.6%

Homeownership

2022

62.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 68.6% of the housing units in Big Stone Gap, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 69.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Big Stone Gap, VA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$46,680

Median Household Income

± $3,001

15.6k

Number of Households

± 998

In 2022, the median household income of the 15.6k households in Big Stone Gap, VA grew to $46,680 from the previous year's value of $44,131.

The following chart displays the households in Big Stone Gap, VA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Big Stone Gap, VA is from Virginia.

0.472

2023 Wage GINI in Virginia

0.475

2022 Wage GINI in Virginia

In 2023, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.472 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.599% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Virginia in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Virginia across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2022

Drove Alone (79.6%)
Carpooled (8.85%)
Worked At Home (6.68%)

In 2022, 79.6% of workers in Big Stone Gap, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.85%) and those who worked at home (6.68%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

23 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Big Stone Gap, VA have a shorter commute time (23 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 3.53% of the workforce in Big Stone Gap, VA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Big Stone Gap, VA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Big Stone Gap, VA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Big Stone Gap, VA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

20.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Big Stone Gap, VA (7.66k out of 36.8k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Big Stone Gap, VA is White, followed by Two Or More and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

91.9% of the population of Big Stone Gap, VA has health coverage, with 34.7% on employee plans, 25.7% on Medicaid, 18.4% on Medicare, 10.4% on non-group plans, and 2.75% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Virginia see 1,341 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.28% increase from the previous year (1,324 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1329 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 411 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.3% were men and 50.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

1,341 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Virginia

Primary care physicians in Virginia see an average of 1,341 patients per year. This represents a 1.28% increase from the previous year (1,324 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Virginia in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.9% under 18 years, 19.6% between 18 and 34 years, 39.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.3% were men and 50.7% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

8.05%

Uninsured

34.7%

Employer Coverage

25.7%

Medicaid

18.4%

Medicare

10.4%

Non-Group

2.75%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Big Stone Gap, VA declined by 13.3% from 9.28% to 8.05%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Big Stone Gap, VA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Keep Exploring

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State

Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA

MSA

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Nation