• county
  • FIPS 51027

Buchanan County, Virginia

Buchanan County had 18,632 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 502.9 square miles of land. It ranks 84th of 133 in Virginia by population and 24th by land area.

Population
18,632
#84 of 133 in Virginia · #1,896 in US
Area
502.9 sq mi
#24 of 133 in Virginia · #2,067 in US
Density
37 / sq mi
#114 of 133 in Virginia · #1,745 in US
Median household income
$43,446
#131 of 133 in Virginia · #3,015 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Buchanan County within Virginia. Pin: Richmond.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Buchanan County

Buchanan County population, land area and income

Buchanan County had 18,632 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 502.9 square miles of land. It ranks 84th of 133 in Virginia by population and 24th by land area. That works out to 37.1 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and below the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Virginia has 27,800 residents; Buchanan County is somewhat smaller.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $43,446 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

18,632

3144th1st

1896th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

503 sq mi

3144th1st

2067th of 3,144 (US)

Density

37.1 / sq mi

3144th1st

1745th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$43,446

3143rd1st

3015th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Virginia (133)

Population

18,632

133rd1st

84th of 133 (VA)

Land area

503 sq mi

133rd1st

24th of 133 (VA)

Density

37.1 / sq mi

133rd1st

114th of 133 (VA)

Median household income

$43,446

133rd1st

131st of 133 (VA)

How Buchanan County's population changed since 2020

Buchanan County lost 1,618 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 8.0%. That ranks 133rd of 133 in Virginia for growth. The median Virginia county changed by +1.3%, and the state as a whole by +2.0%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Buchanan County recorded 684 births and 1,712 deaths, a natural change of -1,028. Net international migration added +45 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -737. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 1,028 people.

20.3k202019.9k202119.3k202219.0k202318.6k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
684
Deaths
1,712
Net international migration
+45
Net domestic migration
-737
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
-346

Where Buchanan County is

The Census internal point of Buchanan County is at 37.268100, -82.038200. It sits in UTM zone 17N. The map shades Virginia's 133 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Buchanan County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Martinsville city: +2.7%Norton city: -5.5%Charlottesville city: -3.6%Winchester city: -0.7%Bristol city: -5.7%Manassas Park city: -3.2%Fluvanna County: +5.3%Clarke County: +5.3%Lunenburg County: +0.9%Colonial Heights city: +2.8%Franklin city: +2.8%Lexington city: +6.7%Petersburg city: +2.0%Suffolk city: +8.8%Emporia city: -5.1%Middlesex County: +3.2%Fairfax city: +8.9%Fredericksburg city: +7.1%Floyd County: +1.2%Radford city: +7.2%Waynesboro city: +5.5%Hopewell city: -0.2%Staunton city: +2.1%Buena Vista city: -0.6%Covington city: -1.4%Poquoson city: +3.1%Madison County: +2.8%Falls Church city: +2.4%Franklin County: +2.1%Mecklenburg County: +1.8%Smyth County: -2.2%Pittsylvania County: -1.6%Frederick County: +6.7%Russell County: -1.3%Nottoway County: -0.1%Scott County: -0.9%Mathews County: +1.0%Stafford County: +7.1%Goochland County: +13.5%Henrico County: +1.1%Caroline County: +8.2%Prince George County: +1.2%Prince William County: +2.9%Cumberland County: +4.0%Essex County: +0.8%Fairfax County: +1.1%Henry County: -2.9%Carroll County: +0.3%Grayson County: -0.1%Louisa County: +11.4%James City County: +5.5%Albemarle County: +4.2%Lynchburg city: +1.7%King William County: +7.3%Charles City County: -2.7%Northumberland County: +4.7%Alexandria city: -0.0%Salem city: +2.0%Galax city: +0.3%Isle of Wight County: +5.8%Newport News city: -1.6%Tazewell County: -3.8%Amherst County: +1.1%Manassas city: +2.2%Buckingham County: +1.7%Shenandoah County: +2.7%Richmond city: +3.0%Alleghany County: -3.7%Culpeper County: +6.4%Warren County: +4.1%Northampton County: -1.7%Southampton County: -0.1%Portsmouth city: -1.5%Rockingham County: +4.6%Orange County: +7.1%Sussex County: -0.4%Bland County: -1.1%Chesapeake city: +2.1%Harrisonburg city: -1.0%Powhatan County: +6.4%Virginia Beach city: -1.1%Dinwiddie County: +2.5%Campbell County: -0.5%Gloucester County: +3.7%Greene County: +5.5%Page County: -0.0%Halifax County: -1.4%Hanover County: +4.6%Buchanan County: -8.0%Highland County: +4.8%Surry County: +0.4%Westmoreland County: +3.9%Wythe County: -0.8%Greensville County: -2.2%Roanoke city: -2.0%Loudoun County: +4.9%Spotsylvania County: +8.1%Brunswick County: -0.5%King George County: +7.4%Bedford County: +3.3%Patrick County: -1.6%Lancaster County: +1.4%Nelson County: +0.2%Montgomery County: -0.6%Amelia County: +3.4%York County: +1.7%Norfolk city: -2.8%Williamsburg city: +3.6%Bath County: -2.8%Accomack County: +0.0%Washington County: +0.4%Pulaski County: -0.7%Rockbridge County: -1.3%Roanoke County: +0.4%Wise County: -3.0%Fauquier County: +3.9%Craig County: -1.0%Charlotte County: -2.4%Richmond County: +3.3%Lee County: -1.5%Chesterfield County: +6.7%Danville city: -1.4%King and Queen County: +2.4%Prince Edward County: +1.7%Hampton city: +0.2%Appomattox County: +4.9%Botetourt County: +1.5%Arlington County: +0.4%Rappahannock County: +2.1%New Kent County: +17.7%Augusta County: +1.3%Giles County: -1.5%Dickenson County: -4.7%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.4%
  2. < +0.3%
  3. < +2.1%
  4. < +4.7%
  5. ≥ +4.7%
no data

Orange pin: Buchanan County internal point. Dark pin: Richmond.

Internal point

Decimal
37.268100, -82.038200
DMS
37°16'5.16"N 82°02'17.52"W
UTM
17N 407949.0E 4125119.3N
Geohash
dntsj0mw7
Plus code
869V7X96+6P

Towns in Buchanan County

No incorporated place of 1,000 or more people has residents in Buchanan County. Its 18,632 residents live in smaller towns, census-designated places, or unincorporated land, which the subcounty estimates do not list at this size.

Counties bordering Buchanan County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Buchanan County, including 3 across a state line. The most populous is Pike County, KY, with 55,430 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Richmond and the nearest big city

Richmond is 253.4 miles E of Buchanan County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Winston-Salem, NC (population 255,769), 127.2 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Bristol, VA (population 16,316), 45.5 miles away.

Buchanan County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Buchanan County is 51027: state code 51 for Virginia plus county code 027. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $43,446.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Buchanan County, Virginia?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 18,632. That is down 1,618 people (8.0%) from the July 2020 estimate of 20,250.

What is the FIPS code of Buchanan County?

51027. The first two digits (51) are Virginia; the last three (027) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Buchanan County?

No incorporated place of 1,000 or more people has residents in Buchanan County. Its people live in smaller towns, census-designated places or unincorporated land.

Which counties border Buchanan County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Pike County, KY; Tazewell County, VA; Russell County, VA; Mingo County, WV; McDowell County, WV; Dickenson County, VA.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.