Census-designated place · Virginia
Rio, Virginia
Rio, census-designated place, in Albemarle County, Virginia. Rio had 2,076 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,252 (±389). GEOID 5167288.
Residents, 2020 Census
2,076
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 1,252 ±389
Median household income
$56,250
±$22,698 (90% margin)
Virginia: $93,170
Median home value
not published
Virginia: $383,700
Median gross rent
$1,688
±$114 (90% margin)
Virginia: $1,579
Where is Rio and what county is it in?
Rio is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Albemarle County, Virginia. It covers 0.6 square miles of land, 3,359 residents per square mile in 2020.
Rio is in the Charlottesville, VA metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 5 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Rio, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 2,076 residents in Rio, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 1,252 (±389).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Rio is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Rio | Albemarle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,252 ±389 | 114,919 | – |
| Households | 762 ±220 | 45,912 | – |
| Average household size | 1.64 ±0.27 | 2.33 | – |
| Housing units | 762 ±220 | 49,159 | – |
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 Rio?
The median resident of Rio is 28.6 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 43.5%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 26.0%. 14.6% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Rio | Albemarle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 28.6 ±2.3 | 39.7 | – |
| Under 18 years | 16.3% ±8.1 pts | 19.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 7.0% ±5.1 pts | 20.4% | – |
| Male | 41.8% ±10.5 pts | 48.0% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 22.2% ±18.2 pts | 7.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 43.5% ±16.7 pts | 73.4% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 26.0% ±14.9 pts | 9.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 3.8% ±3.9 pts | 5.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.5% ±5.4 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 14.6% ±8.5 pts | 10.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 30.9% ±18.1 pts | 14.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.7% ±4.5 pts | 6.3% | – |
| With a disability | 18.1% ±8.1 pts | 10.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 10.5% ±7.7 pts | 5.9% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 81.0% ±18.7 pts | 94.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 31.2% ±12.0 pts | 61.1% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 14.3% ±8.2 pts | 31.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 51.0% ±15.6 pts | 81.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 19.8% ±13.0 pts | 5.5% | – |
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 Rio earn?
Half of Rio's 762 households earn less than $56,250 a year (±$22,698), against $104,392 in Albemarle County and $93,170 in Virginia. 22.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Rio | Albemarle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,250 ±$22,698 | $104,392 | – |
| Mean household income | $59,661 ±$12,253 | $146,820 | – |
| Per capita income | $36,055 ±$10,488 | $59,653 | – |
| People below the poverty line | 22.2% ±13.2 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 39.6% ±33.5 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 20.3% ±9.6 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 89.6% ±7.3 pts | 97.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.7% ±7.6 pts | 92.9% | – |
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 Rio?
The median renter pays $1,688 a month including utilities, and 50.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Rio | Albemarle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,688 ±$114 | $1,692 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 50.3% ±18.9 pts | 40.5% | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 2.5% ±2.3 pts | 65.9% | – |
| Renter-occupied homes | 97.5% ±2.3 pts | 34.1% | – |
| Housing units | 762 ±220 | 49,159 | – |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±75.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±5.2 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 8.9% ±12.1 pts | 60.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 45.9% ±17.7 pts | 15.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 24.4% ±11.6 pts | 4.9% | – |
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 do people in Rio work and get to work?
64.2% of Rio's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 20.9 minutes.
| Measure | Rio | Albemarle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 76.6% ±8.7 pts | 61.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 8.0% ±9.3 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 64.2% ±15.4 pts | 64.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 9.9% ±9.4 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 6.3% ±6.6 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Walked | 2.0% ±2.9 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 11.0% ±8.4 pts | 21.7% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.9 min ±4.3 | 22.2 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 Rio?
1 census tract lies mostly in Rio, and 3 more reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 106.03Albemarle County | 2,593 | $62,837 |
| Tract 106.04Albemarle County | 4,179 | $128,652 |
| Tract 107.02Albemarle County | 3,264 | $70,507 |
| Tract 108.02Albemarle County | 2,568 | $69,053 |
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 Rio) · Census block assignment files
How does Rio compare with other places in Virginia?
Rio ranks 291st of 365 places in Virginia with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 349th | 374 |
| Residents per square mile | 81st | 374 |
| Median household income | 291st | 365 |
| Per capita income | 239th | 374 |
| Median gross rent | 143rd | 341 |
| Poverty rate | 34th | 263 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 207th | 359 |
| Median age | 352nd | 372 |
| Travel time to work | 295th | 372 |
Rio's figures with every place in Virginia (CSV)
Every place in Virginia, sortable · Compare Rio 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 Rio?
23 of the 55 figures for Rio 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 Rio 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' school search.