City profile · Virginia · Census ACS 2023

Lake Wilderness, VA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Lake Wilderness - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

3,255
Residents
$115,781
Median income
$325,700
Median home
$2,246
Median rent (state)

Lake Wilderness - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Lake Wilderness lands in the 86th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

86th
percentile, household income
69th
percentile, home value
87th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Lake Wilderness, VA

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 3,255 residents in Lake Wilderness, a small town within Virginia. Lake Wilderness households earn a median of $115,781 annually, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 0.0%. Lake Wilderness's housing stock carries a median value of $325,700, and the median resident age is 34.2 years. Educational attainment runs 26.9% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 63.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Virginia tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Virginia at 101.1 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $2,246 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Virginia run around $235, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 52.9 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Low).

Population

3,255 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Virginia

Median Household Income

$115,781 /yr

Poverty 0.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

101.1 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Virginia average

How does Lake Wilderness compare to other US cities?

Where Lake Wilderness sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 86% higher than other cities
Home value 69% pricier than other cities
Median rent 87% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Lake Wilderness against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Virginia only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Virginia-relative analysis

Poverty Rate places Lake Wilderness near the bottom of Virginia's cities

Among the 616 Virginia cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Lake Wilderness ranks #487 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Lake Wilderness only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#128 of 558
77th percentile in Virginia
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 619
75th percentile in Virginia
Median Home Value
#208 of 567
63rd percentile in Virginia
Poverty Rate
#487 of 616
0th percentile in Virginia
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#319 of 618
48th percentile in Virginia

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Virginia only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

86thIncome percentile

86th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Lake Wilderness's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$325,700 31st percentile more affordable than 31% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Lake Wilderness $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Lake Wilderness, VA Lake Wilderness, VA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Lake Wilderness, VA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Lake Wilderness, VA median $115,781/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Lake Wilderness, VA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Lake Wilderness, VA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 26.9%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 63.3%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
3,255
Median Income
$115,781
Median Home Value
$325,700
Median Age
34.2
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
63.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
26.9%

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
76.7%
Carpool
9.4%
Public Transit
0.2%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
13.6%

Based on 1,694 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Virginia - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$70
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$50
avg/month
Total Utilities
$235
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Virginia state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Virginia state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Lake Wilderness sits in

Cost of Living Index
101.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,246/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
52.9 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Virginia

Marshall
3,213 people
Chincoteague
3,300 people
Blackstone
3,341 people
Daleville
3,166 people
Altavista
3,356 people
Lebanon
3,133 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Lake Wilderness's 3,255 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Hanceville, AL
3,255 people
South Jacksonville, IL
3,255 people
Orofino, ID
3,254 people
Hartsdale, NY
3,254 people
Ravena, NY
3,256 people
Mount Morris, NY
3,258 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Lake Wilderness's $115,781 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Bayport, MN
$115,781 median income
Cedar Creek, NE
$115,781 median income
Crabtree, OR
$115,750 median income
Vashon, WA
$115,750 median income
Jacksonville Beach, FL
$115,825 median income
Penngrove, CA
$115,826 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Lake Wilderness, VA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Lake Wilderness, VA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 77.5% 13.0% 6.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 7.9% White 77.5% Black or African American 13.0% Asian 1.7% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.4% Two or more races 6.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Lake Wilderness compares to nearby Virginia cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Lake Wilderness (this city) 3,255 $115,781
Marshall 3,213 $98,702
Chincoteague 3,300 $62,292
Blackstone 3,341 $58,479
Census ACS 5-year FIPS VA OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Lake Wilderness, VA?

What is the population of Lake Wilderness, VA? +

Lake Wilderness, VA counts 3,255 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Lake Wilderness, VA? +

Lake Wilderness households earn a median of $115,781 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Lake Wilderness? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Lake Wilderness; the closest available measure is the Virginia state average, a cost of living index of 101.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Virginia vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Lake Wilderness, VA? +

The median home value in Lake Wilderness is $325,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.