Dryden-RR-tracks-va, 2017
Dryden’s story
147 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2017 and 5 maps from 1922 on.
- 1879Dryden is settled
DrydenVA
The town, settled in 1879, counts 823 residents.
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
Population
823
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$125K
+18.3% in a year
Household income
$55K
median
Median age
35.9
years
Jobs based here
139
A commuter town
Is Dryden a good place to live?
30% of residents live below the poverty line in Dryden, above both the Virginia town median (7.7%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Among 138 Virginia towns, just 2 have a lower midpoint home value than Dryden. Dryden’s density of trails is 1.4 miles per square mile, where Virginia’s towns sit at 0.7 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Dryden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
A shrinking town
Dryden has shrunk 18% from 2010 to 2020
1,208 counted in 2010 and 986 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Getting set up
Moving to Dryden: who provides what
Dryden is unincorporated, so Lee County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPowell Valley Electric Coop12.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDryden Water AuthorityNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesLee CountyLee County provides services here
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 hereLee General RegistrarLee County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes24243, 2427724243 96% · 24277 4%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 Dryden.
$125KZillow home value
Typical home value
Dryden$125K
Virginia$412K
+18.3%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Dryden’s kids attend
Its one school is below. The Lee County Public Schools runs its public schools. 237 students attend Dryden’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dryden ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 237 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Dryden stands out in Virginia and nationally, with the FEMA risk score higher than most
76% of Dryden’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 10%. Federal aid has come to Dryden households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in just over four fifths of U.S. communities.
82risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Dryden has 0.4 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
The town had 139 jobs in 2023, up 108 from 2013. 1.5% of Dryden working residents work locally. Its typical household income comes in at $55,000. The top destinations are Big Stone Gap (6%), Pennington Gap (5%) and Wise (5%).
2%work in town
| Dryden | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.5% | 4.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Dryden2%
Big Stone Gap6%
Pennington Gap5%
Wise5%
Kingsport4%
24 mi
median commute distance
139
jobs based in Dryden
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Dryden’s year
Dryden’s typical July afternoon high comes in at 85°F.
35″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–48°
Spring42–68°
Summer62–84°
Fall44–69°
Oct 20
typical first frost
Apr 22
typical last frost
+0.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
More of Dryden’s adults report frequent physical distress than in the typical Virginia or U.S. town
Among adults in Dryden, 21% smoke cigarettes and 20% report frequent mental distress. Only 4 of the 254 Virginia towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Dryden. The share of adults in Dryden who say their health is fair or poor: 26%.
| Dryden | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 12% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 17% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 11% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Virginia
0 better12 too close to call20 worse
| What stands out | Dryden | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 11.6% | 6.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.4% | 11.1% |
| More smokers | 20.5% | 12.2% |
Lee County Community Hospital
6.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 4,565 acres
9.6 mi
of trails · 1.4 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dryden
18pages on Dryden
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Dryden
Mountain Empire Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Big Stone Gap11.6 mi$5,007 in-state tuitionSoutheast Kentucky Community & Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Cumberland, KY13.5 mi$4,728 in-state tuition
About 12 of every 100 Dryden residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
Small town
823 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
About Dryden
Census-designated place in Virginia, United States
Dryden is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lee County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, Dryden had a population of 986.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,440 ft
- ZIP code
- 24243
Questions about Dryden
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dryden, VA a good place to live?
Dryden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.