Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Clifton Forge gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $147K for a typical one, or 2.6 years of the county’s $56K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 211th of 249 in Virginia. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 92% of the country, and the median household income is $40K, and 15% of residents live below the poverty line. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 99% of U.S. towns, with 4 places on the National Register. Only 37 of Virginia’s 372 towns score lower on hazard risk. Clifton Forge's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 90% of U.S. towns. On history, just 1 of Virginia’s 371 towns do better.
Where Clifton Forge beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Clifton Furnace
Census counts: 1,792 in 1890, a peak of 6,839 in 1930, 3,555 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1898 and 4 maps from 1945 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Clifton Forge is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clifton Forge, 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 Clifton Forge.
Clifton Forge trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and fares better on crime within Virginia than nationally, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Virginia (mostly inland flooding).
Homes are within reach (about $147K for the typical one, A for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 27 miles. At 2.6 years of the county’s $56K median household income, the typical home (about $147K) costs less against local pay than in 98% of Virginia towns; that ratio is one input to its A for cost of living.
For Clifton Forge, that is below both Virginia’s towns (68%) and U.S. towns (73%). The typical Clifton Forge home is worth about $147,000, down 0.9% in a year, 64% below the Virginia typical home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 2,399 U.S. towns with household incomes like Clifton Forge’s, it is less healthy than 58%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
18% of adults report frequent physical distress in Clifton Forge, against 12% in Virginia’s towns and 14% across U.S. towns. 27% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Clifton Forge. Clifton Forge beats the Virginia average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18.
| Clifton Forge | 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% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 17% | 19% |
| What stands out | Clifton Forge | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.2% | 76.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 12% | 6.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Jobs based here fell from 813 in 2013 to 592.
Among 253 Virginia towns, just 3 have a lower median household income than Clifton Forge. Since 2013, Clifton Forge has lost 221 jobs, to 592 in 2023. Clifton Forge’s average trip to work is 23 minutes.
| Clifton Forge | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $40,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.5% | 4.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Clifton Forge has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 25° and about 10 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1.4 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves.
| Clifton Forge | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.2% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Memorial Park | — | 6 |
| 2. Ingleside Park | — | 5 |
| 3. Smith Creek Hiking Trail | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 94% of Virginia towns, with expected losses of about $572 per resident a year; that rating is what its C for hazard risk is built on.
The FEMA risk score in Clifton Forge is 64 of 100. Since 1978, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Clifton Forge.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 22.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 58% of Virginia’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
1 within 15 miles of the center of Clifton Forge
About 3 of every 100 Clifton Forge residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
Where Clifton Forge’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in Clifton Forge on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in Clifton Forge.
Town in Virginia, United States
Clifton Forge is a town in Alleghany County, Virginia, United States which is part of the greater Roanoke Region. The population was 3,555 at the 2020 census. The Jackson River flows through the town, which as a result was once known as Jackson's River Station. Clifton Forge was an independent city during the 2000 census. However, in 2001, Clifton Forge gave up its city status and reverted to a town. In previous decades, the railroad was a major employer. Clifton Forge is known for its mountain views and clear streams.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Clifton Forge.
| Town | VA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton Forge | #211 | C− | A | C+ | C+ | D |
| Selma | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Selma isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Clifton Forge with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Clifton Forge grades C− overall, better than 25% of U.S. towns and #211 of 249 in Virginia. It grades D for health, C+ for safety and C+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
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.
13 notable people were born here, including Roger Arliner Young and Richard Lawrence Hoffman.
