Town · Virginia
Appalachia, Virginia
Appalachia, town, in Wise County, Virginia. Appalachia had 1,369 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 4.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,432 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,391 (±323). GEOID 5102040.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,369
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,432 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,391 ±323
Median household income
$43,068
±$7,140 (90% margin)
Virginia: $93,170
Median home value
$67,100
±$17,484 (90% margin)
Virginia: $383,700
Median gross rent
$766
±$133 (90% margin)
Virginia: $1,579
Where is Appalachia and what county is it in?
Appalachia is a town in Wise County, Virginia. It covers 3.4 square miles of land, 416 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Appalachia, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,369 people lived in Appalachia on July 1, 2025, down 4.9% since 2020, while Virginia grew 2.9%. The 2020 Census counted 1,432 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,391 (±323).
| Measure | Appalachia | Wise County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,391 ±323 | 35,448 | no clear change |
| Households | 603 ±122 | 13,905 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.31 ±0.29 | 2.33 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 836 ±130 | 16,627 | no clear change |
Appalachia's population since 2000
From 1,839 in 2000 to 1,369 in 2025: down 25.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Appalachia as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Appalachia?
The median resident of Appalachia is 43.3 years old; 22.9% are under 18 and 17.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 87.7%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 7.5%.
| Measure | Appalachia | Wise County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.3 ±7.2 | 41.8 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 22.9% ±6.9 pts | 19.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 17.0% ±5.1 pts | 19.9% | – |
| Male | 51.7% ±4.9 pts | 52.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.9% ±1.7 pts | 1.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 87.7% ±9.0 pts | 90.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 4.0% ±4.8 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.8 pts | 0.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.8 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 7.5% ±5.3 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.9% ±1.1 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.3% ±2.0 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.5% ±4.4 pts | 7.0% | – |
| With a disability | 21.2% ±6.1 pts | 27.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 8.0% ±3.5 pts | 6.5% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 89.2% ±5.8 pts | 81.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 18.2% ±6.5 pts | 15.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.9% ±3.3 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 87.6% ±7.2 pts | 88.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 1.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Appalachia earn?
Half of Appalachia's 603 households earn less than $43,068 a year (±$7,140), against $52,943 in Wise County and $93,170 in Virginia. In 2015-2019 it was $33,911 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 28.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Appalachia | Wise County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $43,068 ±$7,140 | $52,943 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $53,777 ±$8,341 | $64,112 | – |
| Per capita income | $23,969 ±$4,281 | $25,953 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 28.3% ±9.9 pts | 17.2% | −13.5 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 37.3% ±15.8 pts | 20.0% | −24.5 pts |
| Households receiving SNAP | 31.0% ±8.8 pts | 22.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.5% ±4.2 pts | 92.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 77.8% ±8.8 pts | 84.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Appalachia?
Owners occupy 70.8% of Appalachia's occupied homes and renters 29.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $67,100 by its owner (±$17,484). The median renter pays $766 a month including utilities, and 47.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Appalachia | Wise County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $67,100 ±$17,484 | $118,600 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $766 ±$133 | $790 | +$311 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 47.7% ±19.1 pts | 28.4% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,233 ±$385 | $1,217 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 70.8% ±9.1 pts | 74.2% | +17.4 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 29.2% ±9.1 pts | 25.8% | – |
| Housing units | 836 ±130 | 16,627 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±8.5 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 19.8% ±13.8 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 70.0% ±7.1 pts | 63.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 4.9% ±2.7 pts | 28.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±4.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.2% ±1.8 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 33.4% ±7.5 pts | 10.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 14.6% ±6.4 pts | 9.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Appalachia building?
Appalachia last reported building permits to the Census Bureau for 2023.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Appalachia work and get to work?
83.0% of Appalachia's workers drive alone and 12.4% work from home. The average trip to work takes 22.6 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 13.1%.
| Measure | Appalachia | Wise County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 51.0% ±7.3 pts | 46.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 13.1% ±8.4 pts | 8.2% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 83.0% ±7.8 pts | 77.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 3.5% ±2.7 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±7.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 1.0% ±1.6 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 12.4% ±6.7 pts | 10.7% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 22.6 min ±3.6 | 24.6 min | −5.5 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Appalachia?
No census tract lies mostly in Appalachia; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9311Wise County | 2,240 | $37,932 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Appalachia) · Census block assignment files
How does Appalachia compare with other places in Virginia?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Appalachia is the 9,103rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 116th-most populous of 227 in Virginia.
Appalachia ranks 344th of 365 places in Virginia with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 116th | 227 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 134th | 139 |
| Residents per square mile | 323rd | 374 |
| Median household income | 344th | 365 |
| Per capita income | 361st | 374 |
| Median home value | 359th | 359 |
| Median gross rent | 304th | 341 |
| Poverty rate | 10th | 263 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 309th | 359 |
| Median age | 102nd | 372 |
| Owner-occupied share | 165th | 368 |
| Work from home | 203rd | 286 |
| Travel time to work | 269th | 372 |
Appalachia's figures with every place in Virginia (CSV)
Every place in Virginia, sortable · Compare Appalachia with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Appalachia?
17 of the 57 figures for Appalachia on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Appalachia are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Appalachia.