Wilson Warehouse · National Register of Historic Places
Buchanan’s story
194 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1959.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1832Buchanan is settled
Photo: DwayneP (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,212
2025 Census estimate · +1.4% since 2020
Typical home
$218K
+3.7% in a year
Household income
$54K
median
Median age
43.2
years
Jobs based here
277
A commuter town
Is Buchanan a good place to live?
The best of Buchanan’s subject grades are an A for schools, cost of living, and history; the weakest is a D for incomes. On hazard risk, just 7 of Virginia’s 372 towns do worse. Buchanan’s trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile, above both Virginia’s towns (0.7) and U.S. towns (0.4). Only 31 of Virginia’s 371 towns score higher on history. Buchanan has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Buchanan stand out
Where Buchanan beats most towns.
Botetourt County Public Schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Buchanan Elementary | PK–5 | 276 |
SchoolsA
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Wilson WarehouseHistoryA
Settled in 1832
3 places on the National Register
A history going back 194 years.
Typical home value
Buchanan$218K
Virginia$412K
Cost of livingA
3.2 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 85% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Small town
1,212 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Buchanan grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Buchanan is from typical.
SchoolsAOpen →Jobs & income$54K median household incomeDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →HealthCentra Bedford Memorial Hospital 15.1 miles awayC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.3 of 20; 3.6% of households have no car; 4.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trailsDOpen →History3 places on the National Register; 3 notable people born hereAOpen →Civic life2.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 43.2; 29% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 25 attractions →Blue Ridge Parkway and 12 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Buchanan. Close and well known come first.
3 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
Big draw40 mi Park & preserveAppalachian Trail3.0M visitors a year
38 mi LandmarkProject Greek Island
34 mi LakeSmith Mountain Lake
16 mi LandmarkNational D-Day Memorial
22 mi MuseumVirginia Museum of TransportationSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Appalachian Trail: Paulba. Original uploader was Paulbalegend at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Project Greek Island: Z22, CC BY-SA 4.0 · 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
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Buchanan: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Buchanan, and how to reach them.
PowerCraig-Botetourt Electric CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Buchanan water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBy addressDay by addressTown site
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.govWho runs elections hereBotetourt General RegistrarBotetourt County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2017
ZIP code2406624066 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 Buchanan.
SchoolsA
Public schools in Buchanan beat 93% of Virginia districts
Its public schools are run by the Botetourt County Public Schools. Its one school is below.
93%of VA districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buchanan ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 276 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade A
Homes in Buchanan are worth about $218K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Buchanan home is worth about $218,000, up 3.7% in a year, 47% below the Virginia typical home. At $958 a month, Buchanan’s median rent is against $1,762 a month in Virginia’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. 81% of Buchanan households own their home.
$218KZillow home value
| Buchanan | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $958 a month | $1,762 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 81% | 68% | 73% |
Typical home value
Buchanan$218K
Virginia$412K
+3.7%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in March
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
The FEMA risk score in Buchanan is higher than in the typical Virginia or U.S. town
Buchanan’s FEMA risk score is 80 of 100. Since 1978, 56 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Buchanan.
80risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
56
paid flood claims since 1978
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Most of Buchanan’s workers commute out: the town has 0.6 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Buchanan for work: only 2% work in town. 18% of residents live below the poverty line in Buchanan. Jobs based in Buchanan fell to 277 in 2023, 70 fewer than in 2013.
2%work in town
| Buchanan | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 6.5% | 17% | 11% |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Buchanan2%
Roanoke18%
Fincastle8%
Hollins6%
Salem6%
21 mi
median commute distance
277
jobs based in Buchanan
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 49% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Buchanan, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Buchanan has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 26° and about 11 inches of snow falls in a winter.
11″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter28–48°
Spring43–68°
Summer63–85°
Fall46–68°
Oct 31
typical first frost
Apr 8
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Health in Buchanan trails 56% of U.S. towns
Buchanan beats the Virginia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
45%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Buchanan | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 22% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Virginia
0 better28 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Buchanan | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8% | 6.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.3% | 7.7% |
| More adults with depression | 25.8% | 21.8% |
Centra Bedford Memorial Hospital
15.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsD
Buchanan has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
3.1 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,411 acres
3.1 mi
of trails · 1.4 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Buchanan
19pages on Buchanan
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Buchanan; the nearest are
Hollins UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Roanoke18 mi$43,560 tuitionMountain Gateway Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Clifton Forge22 mi$5,022 in-state tuitionVirginia Military InstituteUniversity or college · Public · Lexington23.2 mi$21,046 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Buchanan residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Buchanan for work
Where Buchanan’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
277jobs based in Buchanan
2%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
3 places in Buchanan on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Buchanan
3 notable people were born in Buchanan.
About Buchanan
Town in Virginia, United States
Buchanan ( bə-KAN-ən) is a town in Botetourt County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,196 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Roanoke metropolitan area. It was the western terminus of the James River and Kanawha Canal when construction on the canal ended.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1832
- Area
- 2.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 850 ft
- ZIP code
- 24066
- Area code
- 540
Questions about Buchanan
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Buchanan, VA a good place to live?
Public schools that outperform most of Virginia.
Is Buchanan, VA expensive?
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.
What is Buchanan, VA known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Mary Johnston and John J. Albright.