Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
24% of residents live below the poverty line in Grundy, above both the Virginia town median (7.7%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Of the 138 Virginia towns we compare, none has a lower value of a typical home than Grundy. Grundy’s density of trails is 1.1 miles per square mile, above both Virginia’s towns (0.7) and U.S. towns (0.4). Grundy is home to Appalachian School of Law. Grundy has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Grundy beats most towns.
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Appalachian School of Law | 140 |
Buchanan County Courthouse1,021 counted in 2010 and 875 in 2020; an estimated 815 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Census counts: 123 in 1880, a peak of 2,287 in 1960, 875 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 1984 and 3 maps from 1915 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Grundy, 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 Grundy.
Grundy: 86% of households own their home. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home lost 4.7% of its value. Its typical rent comes in at $950 a month.
| Grundy | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 86% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $950 a month | $1,762 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Mission School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 139 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Grundy’s typical journey to work comes in at 18 minutes. Just 8% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. Also worth knowing: since 2013, Grundy has lost 541 jobs, to 701 in 2023. Half the trips to work are shorter than 13 miles.
| Grundy | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 8% | 4.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Since 1978, Grundy has seen 100 flood insurance claims paid out. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 83% come from inland flooding and 10% from cold waves. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid in 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2025.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Grundy has lost nearly a tenth of its people since 2020, down to 815 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. People 65 and older are just over a quarter of residents (17% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (23% statewide). Four-year graduates: 35% of adults 25 and older here, 42% across Virginia.
| Grundy | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 52.1 years | 38.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 44% | 29% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.3 points. Across Virginia, 50.6% of residents are women. Among residents 25 to 34, 77% are men (VA 51%).
| Grundy | VA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.9% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.4% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.4% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.5% | 13.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 4.1% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.5% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.9% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.5% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 19.7% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.2% | 8.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 39.9% | 23.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.8% | 17.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 4.2% | 7.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.1% | 23.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.8% | 18.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 800, single groups can be off by several points
Summer afternoons peak near 85° in July, and January nights bottom out around 25°; snowfall runs to about 16 inches a winter. Grundy brings chilly winters and warm summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Grundy is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Only one of the 254 Virginia towns we compare has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Grundy. Against the Virginia average, Grundy comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 21. 43% of adults have high blood pressure locally.
| Grundy | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 12% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 11% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 17% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Grundy | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.5% | 76.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25.1% | 11.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Grundy Kiwanis & Miller Richardson Playground | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of Grundy
About 2 of every 100 Grundy residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
5 notable people were born in Grundy.
Town in Virginia, United States
Grundy is a town in Buchanan County, Virginia, United States, an area located within the Appalachian Mountains region. It is the county seat of Buchanan County. The town is home to the Appalachian School of Law. The population was 875 at the 2020 census. Legislation establishing Buchanan County in 1858 designated a plot of land at the confluence of the Levisa Fork River and Slate Creek as the seat of government for the county and directed the erection of the county courthouse on the plot, which marked the beginnings of what would be Grundy. Although originally developed along the Levisa Fork River, which provided a transportation and power waterway, the town suffered from nine major floods …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Grundy has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
5 notable people were born here, including Bev Perdue and Ryan O'Quinn.
