Town · Virginia
Saltville, Virginia
Saltville, town, mostly in Smyth County (90.9% of its 2020 residents), with a part in Washington County, Virginia. Saltville had 1,760 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 3.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,824 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,198 (±469). GEOID 5170096.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,760
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,824 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,198 ±469
Median household income
$48,658
±$6,998 (90% margin)
Virginia: $93,170
Median home value
$96,600
±$36,603 (90% margin)
Virginia: $383,700
Median gross rent
$645
±$70 (90% margin)
Virginia: $1,579
Where is Saltville and what county is it in?
Saltville is a town mostly in Smyth County (90.9% of its 2020 residents), with a part in Washington County, Virginia. It covers 8.0 square miles of land, 228 residents per square mile in 2020.
| County | 2020 residents | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Smyth County | 1,658 | 90.9% |
| Washington County | 166 | 9.1% |
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Saltville, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,760 people lived in Saltville on July 1, 2025, down 3.2% since 2020, while Virginia grew 2.9%. The 2020 Census counted 1,824 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,198 (±469).
| Measure | Saltville | Smyth County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,198 ±469 | 29,420 | no clear change |
| Households | 863 ±151 | 12,659 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.55 ±0.30 | 2.26 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,043 ±161 | 15,080 | no clear change |
Saltville's population since 2000
From 2,204 in 2000 to 1,760 in 2025: down 20.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Saltville 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 Saltville?
The median resident of Saltville is 43.5 years old; 20.1% are under 18 and 17.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 98.5%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 1.1%.
| Measure | Saltville | Smyth County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.5 ±9.9 | 46.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 20.1% ±6.7 pts | 19.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 17.9% ±5.0 pts | 23.0% | – |
| Male | 52.2% ±3.4 pts | 49.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 2.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 98.5% ±1.0 pts | 93.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.1% ±0.9 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±1.9 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 11.6% ±4.0 pts | 6.9% | – |
| With a disability | 32.8% ±10.4 pts | 23.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.4% ±3.9 pts | 5.5% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 80.6% ±5.6 pts | 86.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 10.8% ±4.8 pts | 16.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.2% ±3.0 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.4% ±3.0 pts | 92.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 1.5% | – |
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 Saltville earn?
Half of Saltville's 863 households earn less than $48,658 a year (±$6,998), against $49,883 in Smyth County and $93,170 in Virginia. In 2015-2019 it was $40,767 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 25.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Saltville | Smyth County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,658 ±$6,998 | $49,883 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $60,983 ±$7,747 | $68,477 | – |
| Per capita income | $24,009 ±$3,551 | $30,460 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 25.2% ±10.3 pts | 16.8% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 51.1% ±26.8 pts | 19.0% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 28.5% ±9.1 pts | 17.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.3% ±3.9 pts | 88.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.4% ±6.5 pts | 80.2% | – |
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 Saltville?
Owners occupy 62.9% of Saltville's occupied homes and renters 37.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $96,600 by its owner (±$36,603). The median renter pays $645 a month including utilities, and 36.2% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Saltville | Smyth County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $96,600 ±$36,603 | $139,600 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $645 ±$70 | $731 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 36.2% ±20.3 pts | 34.8% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,107 ±$163 | $1,125 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 62.9% ±9.0 pts | 71.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 37.1% ±9.0 pts | 29.0% | – |
| Housing units | 1,043 ±161 | 15,080 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.5% ±3.9 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 8.8% ±10.8 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 70.7% ±8.3 pts | 72.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 8.9% ±4.6 pts | 16.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±3.8 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.1% ±3.9 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 18.0% ±6.1 pts | 10.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.4% ±4.6 pts | 6.5% | – |
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 Saltville work and get to work?
90.6% of Saltville's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 21.7 minutes.
| Measure | Saltville | Smyth County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 50.8% ±7.6 pts | 50.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% ±4.3 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 90.6% ±5.4 pts | 82.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.8% ±4.5 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±4.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±4.4 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.1% ±2.9 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.7 min ±2.2 | 22.2 min | no clear change |
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 Saltville?
No census tract lies mostly in Saltville; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
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 Saltville) · Census block assignment files
How does Saltville compare with other places in Virginia?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Saltville is the 8,154th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 102nd-most populous of 227 in Virginia.
Saltville ranks 328th 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 | 102nd | 227 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 120th | 139 |
| Residents per square mile | 353rd | 374 |
| Median household income | 328th | 365 |
| Per capita income | 359th | 374 |
| Median home value | 353rd | 359 |
| Median gross rent | 331st | 341 |
| Poverty rate | 18th | 263 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 347th | 359 |
| Median age | 98th | 372 |
| Owner-occupied share | 237th | 368 |
| Travel time to work | 283rd | 372 |
Saltville's figures with every place in Virginia (CSV)
Every place in Virginia, sortable · Compare Saltville 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 Saltville?
21 of the 57 figures for Saltville 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 Saltville 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 Saltville.