Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A typical home costs 2 years of the county’s $50K median household income.
Honaker’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A for history; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 27% of residents live below the poverty line in Honaker, against 7.7% in Virginia’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. No town in Virginia scores higher than Honaker on cost of living. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 85% of U.S. towns. Only 22 of Virginia’s 372 towns score lower on the outdoors. Smithfield and Honaker Commercial Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Honaker's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 84% of U.S. towns. Honaker has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Honaker beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Honaker Commercial Historic District| Widest gap | Honaker | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 12.7% | 6.2% |
Census counts: 295 in 1900, 1,217 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 5 maps from 1916 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Honaker is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Honaker, 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 Honaker.
Honaker’s median rent is $548 a month, where Virginia’s towns sit at $1,762 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. The typical Honaker home is worth about $101,000, up 1.9% in a year, 75% below the Virginia typical home.
| Honaker | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $548 a month | $1,762 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Russell County Public Schools. Its one school is below. The largest public high school is Honaker High, with 422 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honaker HighLargest public high schoolGrades 8–12 | Grades 8–12 | 422 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
22% of adults smoke cigarettes in Honaker. Among 254 Virginia towns, just 8 have a higher share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Honaker. 13% of adults binge drink in Honaker.
| Honaker | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 12% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 12% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 17% | 19% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Honaker | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 12.7% | 6.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.7% | 11.1% |
| More smokers | 21.9% | 12.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Honaker for work: only 4% work in town. The average trip to work in Honaker is 38 minutes. Since 2013, Honaker has lost 85 jobs, to 293 in 2023.
| Honaker | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 38 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.6% | 4.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 72% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Honaker has chilly winters and pleasant summers. Honaker’s July high is 83°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1.0 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of Honaker
About 3 of every 100 Honaker residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
1,449 counted in 2010 and 1,217 in 2020; an estimated 1,191 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Town in Virginia, United States
Honaker is a town in Russell County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,217 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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+.