Smyth County, Virginia

VA · FIPS 51173 Republican

Located in Virginia, Smyth County has a population of 29,420 residents and a median age of 46.4 years, making it the #1,491 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.8%. The median home value is $139,600, and the median household income is $49,883, which is 34% below the national median.

29,420
Population
#1,491 of 3,222
$49,883
Median Income
-33.6% #2,776 of 3,222
46.4 years
Median Age
+19.3% #550 of 3,222
16.8%
Poverty Rate
+33.6% #2,271 of 3,222

Demographics

Smyth County has a population of 29,420, making it the #1,491 most populous county in the US. The median age is 46.4 years, which is 19.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.6%
Native Born
1.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Smyth County is $49,883, ranking #2,776 out of 3,222 counties — 33.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.8% and unemployment stands at 3.1%.

Income#2,776
$49,883
-33.6%
vs nation
14th percentile
Per Capita#2,339
$30,460
-26.2%
vs nation
27th percentile
Poverty#2,271
16.8%
+33.6%
vs nation
30th percentile
Unemployment#694
3.1%
-42.4%
vs nation
78th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Smyth County is $139,600 (-50.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $731/mo and the homeownership rate is 71.0%.

Home Value#2,398
$139,600
-50.5%
vs nation
25th percentile
Rent#2,584
$731
-37.1%
vs nation
20th percentile
Homeownership#2,165
71.0%
+10.2%
vs nation
33th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Smyth County, 16.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 50.1% below the national average, ranking #2,529 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
16.8% −50.1% vs nation
Rank #2,529 of 3,222
22th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Smyth County is 70.8 years. 23.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,751
70.8
-5.8%
vs nation
10th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,522
23.6%
+20.6%
vs nation
20th percentile
Diabetes#2,312
12.4%
+11.4%
vs nation
27th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,196
39.6%
+6.1%
vs nation
30th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,765
6.4
+12.7%
vs nation
12th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,564
5.1
+13.5%
vs nation
19th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,172
7.9%
-24.4%
vs nation
63th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,378
29.9%
+13.3%
vs nation
24th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,582
17.5%
+21.5%
vs nation
18th percentile

Substance Use

23.1% of adults in Smyth County smoke , 40.7% are obese , and 19.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 37.1 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,849
23.1%
+28.6%
vs nation
9th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,294
40.7%
+7.4%
vs nation
27th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,364
19.4%
-2.2%
vs nation
57th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,494
37.1
+14.6%
vs nation
29th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Smyth County is 6.6 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 24.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 16.1 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#858
6.6
-17.1%
vs nation
44th percentile
Suicide Rate#2,011
24.1
+22.1%
vs nation
21th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,094
25.4
+42.1%
vs nation
15th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,104
16.1
-20.5%
vs nation
61th percentile

Families & Children

19.5% of children in Smyth County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 10.4 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 26.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,266
10.4
+52.7%
vs nation
7th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,087
26.7
+22.1%
vs nation
30th percentile
Child Poverty#1,853
19.5%
+2.7%
vs nation
41th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Smyth County is 58.3%. The mean commute time is 24.2 min, which is 12.1% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
58.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
24.2 min −12.1% vs nation
Rank #2,095 of 3,222
35th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Smyth County voted Republican with a margin of 60.4%. The vote was 19.5% Dem / 79.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.1 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +60.4%
19.5% 79.9%
Dem 14,420 votes Rep
2020 REP +56.3%
21.3% 77.6%
Dem 14,136 votes Rep
2016 REP +55.3%
20.7% 76%
Dem 12,825 votes Rep
2012 REP +33.0%
32.7% 65.7%
Dem 12,751 votes Rep
2008 REP +29.0%
34.5% 63.5%
Dem 12,302 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Smyth County, Virginia

Smyth County, Virginia has a total population of 29,420, making it the 1,491st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Smyth County is 46.4 years, which is 19.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Smyth County is $49,883, which ranks #2,776 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 33.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.1%.

The median home value in Smyth County is $139,600, 50.5% below the national median. Renters in Smyth County pay a median gross rent of $731 per month. The homeownership rate is 71.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Smyth County, 16.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 50.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.2 min.

Smyth County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 93.4% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.2%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.1%).

All data for Smyth 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.