Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Big Island

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Big Island UMC from north
Virginia›Bedford County
CompareFollow

Big IslandVA

Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Photo of Big Island

Big Island, VA · Photo: Nyttend · Public domain · Source ↗

Population
91
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$189K
−0.8% in a year
Median age
68.0
years
Jobs based here
15
A commuter town

Is Big Island a good place to live?

Big Island’s median age is 68 years, against 38.5 years in Virginia’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Among 254 Virginia towns, just 5 have a lower share of households owning their home than Big Island. Big Island has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

What makes Big Island stand out

Where Big Island beats most towns.

0historic places
History
Settled in 1846
A long history
A history going back 180 years.
Small town

91 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
Glasgow · 9 miLynchburg · 13 miBuena Vista · 14 miBedford · 16 miAmherst · 17 miLexington · 18 mi
Big Island UMC from north
Big Island UMC from north, 2017
Big Island’s story

180 years in pictures

The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2017 and 6 maps from 1939 on.

  • 1846Big Island is settled
Explore the history →
Nearby attractions

Blue Ridge Parkway and 12 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Big Island. Close and well known come first.

All 25 attractions →
in town ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year31 mi National Historical ParkAppomattox Court House National Historical Park77K visitors a year35 mi LakeSmith Mountain Lake17 mi LandmarkNational D-Day Memorial37 mi MuseumVirginia Museum of Transportation36 mi MuseumTaubman Museum of Art
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits

Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Appomattox Court House National Historical Park: Doug Coldwell, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Smith Mountain Lake: Jay White, Public domain · National D-Day Memorial: RebelAt at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Virginia Museum of Transportation: Warfieldian, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Taubman Museum of Art: O Palsson, CC BY 2.0

Getting set up

Moving to Big Island: who provides what

Big Island is unincorporated, so Bedford County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerAppalachian Power17.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet4 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesBedford CountyBedford County provides services here
SchoolsBedford County Public SchoolsWhich school depends on your addressNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Virginia you can register online until 11 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 11 days before).vote.gov
Who runs elections hereBedford General RegistrarBedford County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2026
ZIP code2452624526 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Big Island.

Housing

A typical Big Island home is worth about $189K

The typical Big Island home is worth about $189,000, down 0.8% in a year, 54% below the Virginia typical home.

$189KZillow home value

Typical home value

Big Island$189K
Virginia$412K
−0.8%
value change, 1 year
0
homes sold in September
Full pageBig Island’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page
Prices over the yearsDown 0.8% in a yearYears of income to buyYears of income to buyRentsRents

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Work & commute

Most of Big Island’s workers commute out: the town has 0.1 jobs for each of them

Most people who work leave Big Island to do it: just 2% work in town. The top destinations are Bedford (23%), Lynchburg (18%) and Roanoke (6%). Half the trips to work are shorter than 17 miles.

2%work in town

Where working residents work

In Big Island2%
Bedford23%
Lynchburg18%
Roanoke6%
Forest3%
17 mi
median commute distance
15
jobs based in Big Island
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Full pageBig Island’s work & commute pageOpen the page
The jobs here15 jobs based here · A commuter townWhere people work2% work in Big IslandCommute timesCommute timesHow far they goHalf commute less than 17 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

The climate in Big Island brings four seasons and pleasant summers

In July, afternoons reach 87°; in January, nights fall to 26°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a winter.

16″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter28–48°
Spring44–68°
Summer64–85°
Fall46–69°
Oct 24
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
Full pageBig Island’s climate pageOpen the page
A year of weatherJuly highs 87°, January lows 26°Rain & snow16″ of snow a winter · 46 inches of rain and snow a yearHeating & coolingMostly a heating billThen and now+1.0° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

How healthy Big Island is

For adults in Big Island, the share who get no exercise outside work is 30%. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Big Island is ahead of Virginia on 1 and behind on 10. In Big Island, 16% of adults report frequent physical distress, and 40% have high blood pressure.

Big IslandVirginia townsU.S. towns
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)15%11%12%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)16%12%14%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)40%33%35%
Obesity (CDC PLACES)40%34%35%
32 measures vs. Virginia
1 better21 too close to call10 worse
What stands outBig IslandVA
More adults treating high blood pressure80.3%76.8%
More adults with COPD9.1%6.2%
Centra Health - Lynchburg General Hospital
13.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
Full pageBig Island’s health reportOpen the page
Everyday habitsMore smokersHospitals & doctors nearby13.2 miles to an ER · Centra Health - Lynchburg General HospitalHow adults are doingMore adults in frequent physical distressEvery CDC estimateBetter than VA on 1 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Natural hazards

Big Island faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding

The natural-hazard score from FEMA in Big Island is 59 of 100. 82% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding. One declared disaster, in 2024, has brought federal aid to Big Island households.

59risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
59Moderate riskLowerHigher
Inland flooding
1
federal disasters paid out here
Full pageBig Island’s hazards pageOpen the page
What it facesModerate riskFlood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on recordPast disasters1 federal disaster · Paid out in Big IslandGet ready1.6 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Big Island

16pages on Big Island
The big questions
HealthBetter than VA on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of living$189K typical home · down 0.8% in a yearWork & commute15 jobs hereNatural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 59% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
PlacesAttractions25 nearby · Blue Ridge Parkway 1 miLibraryBig Island LibraryCollegesRandolph College is 12.3 mi away
The story
HistorySettled 1846Famous people1 born in Big IslandClimate87° summer highs · 16″ of snow
Day to day
NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 24526Town SquareNeighbors
After high school

Colleges nearby

5 within 15 miles of the center of Big Island

Randolph CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lynchburg12.3 mi$30,310 tuitionUniversity of LynchburgUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lynchburg13.5 mi$36,750 tuitionCentra CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lynchburg13.6 mi$12,983 tuition

About 0 of every 100 Big Island residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A commuter town

98% of working residents leave Big Island for work

Where Big Island’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

23% → Bedford Bedford 23% 18% → Lynchburg Lynchburg 18% 6% → Roanoke Roanoke 6% 3% → Forest Forest 3% 2% → Altavista Altavista 2% 2% → Martinsville Martinsville 2% Big Island · 2% stay
15jobs based in Big Island
2%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Big Island

Census-designated place in Virginia, United States

Big Island is a census-designated place (CDP) in northern Bedford County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2020 United States census was 300. The CDP is located along the James River and U.S. Route 501, between Glasgow and Coleman Falls. It is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
0.8 sq mi
Elevation
732 ft
ZIP code
24526

Questions about Big Island

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Big Island, VA a good place to live?

Big Island has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.