Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 8,284, settled in 1776.
Abingdon grades B− overall, ranked 167th of 249 in Virginia, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its schools outperform 86% of the state's and natural-hazard risk is low. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $55K, and 16% of residents live below the poverty line. A typical home there costs about $285K, 4.9 years of the Kingsport metro’s $58K median household income. Abingdon’s average trip to work is 16 minutes, against 27 minutes in Virginia’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Abingdon is home to Virginia Highlands Community College. Abingdon has 10 places on the National Register.
Where Abingdon beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| E.B. Stanley Middle | 6–8 | 659 |
| Abingdon High | 9–12 | 914 |
| Washington County Virtual School | K–12 | 537 |
Census counts: 715 in 1870, 8,376 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1845 and 4 maps from 1935 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Abingdon is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Abingdon, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Abingdon.
Abingdon draws workers from Bristol and beyond, fares better on crime within Virginia than nationally and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
7,962 jobs are based in Abingdon, 2.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 16 minutes, against 27.3 across Virginia.
About one in 4 of Abingdon’s working residents works in town. 7% of workers work from home in Abingdon. Since 2013, Abingdon has lost 1,132 jobs, to 7,962 in 2023.
| Abingdon | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 26% | 4.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 7% | 18% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Washington County Public Schools. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Abingdon High, with 914 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| E.B. Stanley MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 659 | A− |
| Abingdon HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 914 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 90% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 9 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Abingdon.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The median rent in Abingdon is $838 a month. The typical Abingdon home is worth about $285,000, up 2.6% in a year, 31% below the Virginia typical home. 58% of Abingdon households own their home.
| Abingdon | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $838 a month | $1,764 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 58% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
4.6 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is The Meadows Sports Complex, 37 acres with 1.3 miles of trail.
| Abingdon | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The Meadows Sports Complex | 1.3 mi | 37 |
| 2. Veteran's Memorial Park | 0.2 mi | 14 |
| 3. Munchkin Park | 0.2 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Abingdon has chilly winters and warm summers. Abingdon’s July high is 84°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The median household earns $54,544, against $93,170 across Virginia, one input to its C for jobs and income.
People 65 and older are 25% of residents (17% statewide); children under 18 are 17% of residents (22% statewide). 36% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 42% across Virginia.
| Abingdon | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 25% | 16% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 17% | 23% | 22% |
| Median age | 46.4 years | 38.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 36% | 44% | 29% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.1 points. Across Virginia, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Abingdon | VA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.1% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.8% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.1% | 13.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.5% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.4% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.8% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.3% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.3% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7% | 8.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.9% | 23.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.2% | 17.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.5% | 7.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.4% | 23.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15% | 18.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Against the 7,279 U.S. towns with household incomes like Abingdon’s, it is healthier than 69%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Abingdon beats the Virginia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9.
| Abingdon | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 22% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 34% | 35% |
| What stands out | Abingdon | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.7% | 6.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.2% | 7.7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.9% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 22.3 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 60% of Virginia’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 162 to 123 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
3 within 15 miles of the center of Abingdon
About 4 of every 100 Abingdon residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
7 places in Abingdon on the National Register of Historic Places.
20 notable people were born in Abingdon.
Town in Virginia, United States
Abingdon is a town in and the county seat of Washington County, Virginia, United States, 133 miles (214 km) southwest of Roanoke. The population was 8,375 at the 2020 census. The town encompasses several historically significant sites and features a fine arts and crafts scene centered on the galleries and museums along Main Street. Abingdon is part of the Kingsport−Bristol (TN) Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City−Kingsport−Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area − commonly known as the Tri-Cities region.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Abingdon grades B− overall, better than 54% of U.S. towns and #167 of 249 in Virginia. It grades C+ for health, C+ for safety and A for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
20 notable people were born here, including Scott Cooper and Francis Preston Blair.
