Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 4,839, chartered in 1884. Public schools that outperform most of Virginia.
Trash day: look up yoursBluefield grades C− overall, 215th of 249 graded towns in Virginia, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its public schools beat 76% of Virginia towns on state tests and graduation. On the other side, its police reported 6 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 86% of U.S. towns. Bluefield’s trail density is 1.6 miles per square mile, against 0.7 in Virginia’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Bluefield is home to Bluefield University. Only 1 of the 253 Virginia towns we compare have a lower July high than Bluefield.
Where Bluefield beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Graham Intermediate | 2–5 | 404 |
| Dudley Primary | PK–1 | 208 |
| Graham Middle | 6–8 | 339 |
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Bluefield University | 601 |
Alexander St. Clair HouseEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Bluefield is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,021 in 1890, 5,096 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2000 and 4 maps from 1887 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bluefield, 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 Bluefield.
Bluefield sends many workers across the state line to Bluefield, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay.
At 2.8 years of the Bluefield area’s $51K median household income, the typical home (about $142K) costs less against local pay than in 96% of Virginia towns; that ratio is one input to its B− for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $949, against $2,790 across Virginia, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Bluefield home is worth about $142,000, up 2.8% in a year, 66% below the Virginia typical home. Bluefield’s median rent is $870 a month, below both Virginia’s towns ($1,764 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 64% of households own their home in Bluefield.
| Bluefield | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $870 a month | $1,764 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Tazewell County Public Schools. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Graham High, with 489 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graham IntermediateLargest public elementary schoolGrades 2–5 | Grades 2–5 | 404 | A− |
| Graham HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 489 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
15 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Lotito City Park, 257 acres with 7.2 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lotito City Park | 7.2 mi | 257 |
| 2. Graham Recreation Park | 0.1 mi | 29 |
| 3. Parkview Heights Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Property crime runs at 29.1 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Virginia rate, most of it theft. Reported crimes fell from 264 to 146 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Bluefield is 29.1 per 1,000 residents. Bluefield reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 86% report less. The violent crime rate in Bluefield is 1.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Bluefield | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 29.1 per 1,000 residents | 14.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Against the 7,136 U.S. towns with household incomes like Bluefield’s, it is less healthy than 57%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
Bluefield beats the Virginia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 16% of Bluefield adults report frequent physical distress.
| Bluefield | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 33% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 22% | 23% |
| What stands out | Bluefield | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.2% | 11.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.6% | 6.2% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.5% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
108 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 16 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 81% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 108 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Bluefield.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Bluefield has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Only 3 of the 253 Virginia towns we compare have a lower January low than Bluefield.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
38% of working residents cross a state line to work, Bluefield among the top destinations. Jobs based here fell from 3,289 in 2013 to 2,525.
Bluefield’s median household income is $54,000. Since 2013, Bluefield has lost 764 jobs, to 2,525 in 2023. Bluefield’s average trip to work is 29 minutes.
| Bluefield | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 4.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
2 within 15 miles of the center of Bluefield
About 9 of every 100 Bluefield residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
3 places in Bluefield on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Bluefield.
Town in Virginia, United States
Bluefield is a town in Tazewell County, Virginia, United States, located along the Bluestone River. The population was 5,096 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 106,363 in 2020.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Bluefield.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Bluefield grades C− overall, better than 22% of U.S. towns and #215 of 249 in Virginia. It grades C− for health, D for safety and A− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 2.8 years of the area's median household income ($50,550 across the Bluefield, WV-VA area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
Bluefield was chartered in 1884 and has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places. 4 notable people were born here, including Ahmad Bradshaw and Bill Dudley.
