Buchanan County, Virginia
Located in Virginia, Buchanan County has a population of 19,415 residents and a median age of 47.8 years, making it the #1,915 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 25.2%. The median home value is $94,900, and the median household income is $42,886, which is 43% below the national median.
Demographics
Buchanan County has a population of 19,415, making it the #1,915 most populous county in the US. The median age is 47.8 years, which is 22.9% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Buchanan County is $42,886, ranking #3,008 out of 3,222 counties — 42.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 25.2% and unemployment stands at 3.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Buchanan County is $94,900 (-66.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $743/mo and the homeownership rate is 83.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Buchanan County, 11.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 66.0% below the national average, ranking #3,137 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Buchanan County is 69.4 years. 26.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
26.0% of adults in Buchanan County smoke , 44.6% are obese , and 18.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 58.5 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Buchanan County is 9.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 19.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 20.6 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
26.4% of children in Buchanan County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 30.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Buchanan County is 56.5%. The mean commute time is 33.3 min, which is 20.6% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Buchanan County voted Republican with a margin of 70.6%. The vote was 14.5% Dem / 85.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.0 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Buchanan County, Virginia
Buchanan County, Virginia has a total population of 19,415, making it the 1,915th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Buchanan County is 47.8 years, which is 22.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Buchanan County is $42,886, which ranks #3,008 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 42.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 25.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.9%.
The median home value in Buchanan County is $94,900, 66.3% below the national median. Renters in Buchanan County pay a median gross rent of $743 per month. The homeownership rate is 83.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Buchanan County, 11.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 66.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 33.3 min.
Buchanan County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 93.2% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (3.8%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.1%).
All data for Buchanan County, Virginia comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.