Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Chatham’s subject grades is an A for history; the weakest is a D for health. Only 20 of Virginia’s 372 towns score lower on health. Chatham is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 75% of U.S. towns. Among 87 Virginia towns, just 2 have a lower violent offense rate than Chatham. Chatham has 8 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Pittsylvania County Courthouse and Little Cherrystone. Chatham has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Chatham beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Pittsylvania County Courthouse| Widest gap | Chatham | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.4% | 11.1% |
Census counts: 543 in 1880, a peak of 1,822 in 1960, 1,232 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1853 and 3 maps from 1923 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Chatham is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Chatham, 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 Chatham.
The average trip to work for Chatham comes to 18 minutes, where Virginia’s towns sit at 27 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 17% of working residents stay in Chatham for work; the rest commute out. Its median household income stands at $59,000. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs here rose by 1,792, to 3,212.
| Chatham | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 4.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victory Academy/Ready for SuccessLargest public school before high school | – | – | |
| Hargrave Military Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 146 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
The rent at the middle of the market for Chatham comes to $1,004 a month, below both Virginia’s towns ($1,762 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). On the market in the town: a median 95 days to sell. Values rose 3.1% in the 12 months to September 2026.
| Chatham | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,004 a month | $1,762 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Only 5 of the 254 Virginia towns we compare have a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Chatham. 28% of adults say their health is fair or poor in the town. Of 32 CDC measures, Chatham beats the Virginia average on 1 and trails it on 21.
| Chatham | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 12% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 33% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 23% | 25% |
| What stands out | Chatham | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.5% | 76.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.4% | 11.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
FEMA puts just over two thirds of Chatham’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 7% to hurricanes. Compared with 83% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in the town is lower. Federal aid has come to Chatham households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
A winter brings about 6 inches of snow, with January nights at 27° and July afternoons at 87°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In Chatham, 36% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Since 2020, Chatham has lost 2.4% of its people, to 1,191 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. The median age here is 38.7 years.
| Chatham | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 36% | 44% | 29% |
| Median age | 38.7 years | 38.5 years | 40.5 years |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.3 points. Across Virginia, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Chatham | VA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 17.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4.9% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.2% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 18.3% | 13.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.4% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.7% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.3% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.3% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.2% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.7% | 8.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.8% | 23.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.6% | 17.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.8% | 7.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.2% | 23.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.9% | 18.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,200, single groups can be off by several points
For Chatham, the rate of thefts and burglaries is 4.2 per 1,000 residents. Chatham's reported crime rate is well below Virginia's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. No violent crimes were reported in 2025.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
There are 0.8 miles of trail across 2 parks and preserves. The trail density for Chatham comes to 0.4 miles per square mile.
| Chatham | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.1% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Frances Hurt Park | — | 3 |
| 2. Silas Moore Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Chatham; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Chatham residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
8 places in Chatham on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in Chatham.
Town in Virginia, United States
Chatham is a town in and county seat of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, United States. Chatham's population was 1,232 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Danville, Virginia metropolitan area. The town was originally called Competition, but the name was changed to Chatham by the Virginia General Assembly on May 1, 1852. Chatham is home to Chatham High School, Hargrave Military Academy, and Chatham Hall, an all-female boarding high school.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 3.5 years of the area's median household income ($49,874 across the Danville, 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−.
13 notable people were born here, including Claudia Emerson and Archibald Thomas Robertson.
