Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Brookneal’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A for history; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 25% of residents live below the poverty line in Brookneal, against 7.7% in Virginia’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. On cost of living, just 1 of Virginia’s 370 towns do better. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 87% of the country. On history, just 16 of Virginia’s 371 towns do better. Brookneal has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Brookneal beats most towns.
Cat Rock Sluice of the Roanoke NavigationIn a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Brookneal is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1936.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brookneal, 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 Brookneal.
The typical Brookneal home is worth about $168,000, up 6.1% in a year, 59% below the Virginia typical home. Brookneal’s median rent is $843 a month, where Virginia’s towns sit at $1,762 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month.
| Brookneal | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $843 a month | $1,762 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Campbell County Public Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookneal ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 410 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
17% of adults have diabetes in Brookneal. Brookneal beats the Virginia average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 44% of adults have high blood pressure in Brookneal.
| Brookneal | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 11% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 12% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 23% | 25% |
| What stands out | Brookneal | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.4% | 76.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.9% | 11.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Brookneal’s property crime rate is 7.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Brookneal | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.5 per 1,000 residents | 14.6 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Brookneal since 2020.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Brookneal has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 27° and about 7 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Brookneal for work: only 11% work in town. The median household income in Brookneal is $45,000. Since 2013, Brookneal has lost 82 jobs, to 456 in 2023.
| Brookneal | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $45,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 4.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Brookneal; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Brookneal residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
2 places in Brookneal on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Brookneal.
Town in Virginia, United States
Brookneal is an incorporated town in Campbell County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,090 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the Lynchburg metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
3 notable people were born here, including Charlie Pick and Lewis A. Pick.
