New RiverVA
A town of 268, settled in 1941.
Is New River a good place to live?
New River’s average trip to work is 14 minutes, against 27 minutes in Virginia’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Only 1 of the 254 Virginia towns we compare have a higher median age than New River. New River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
268 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to New River: who provides what
New River is unincorporated, so Pulaski County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 New River.
41% of residents are 65 or older
People 65 and older are 41% of residents (17% statewide); children under 18 are 0% of residents (22% statewide). 49% of New River adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more, above both Virginia’s towns (44%) and U.S. towns (29%).
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
60% women, 40% men
About 68 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.4 points). Across Virginia, 50.6% of residents are women.
| New River | VA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 0% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 0% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.9% | 13.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.3% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 3% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 34.3% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 36.9% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.5% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.5% | 8.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36.9% | 23.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 7.5% | 17.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 2.2% | 7.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 48.9% | 23.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 0% | 18.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
Very low risk in New River, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 88% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
New River stands out in Virginia and nationally: the median household income there is lower
The median household income in New River is $42,000. The top destinations are Blacksburg (17%), Christiansburg (13%) and Radford (9%). 2.6% of residents live below the poverty line in New River.
| New River | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 2.6% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Four seasons and pleasant summers in New River
New River has chilly winters and warm summers. New River’s July high is 85°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
More of New River’s adults had a checkup this year than in the typical Virginia or U.S. town
84% of New River adults had a checkup this year. New River beats the Virginia average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 43% of New River adults have high blood pressure.
| New River | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 33% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 84% | 79% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | New River | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.5% | 14.5% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 75.4% | 67.4% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.4% | 3.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Appalachian Trail and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around New River. Close and well known come first.
Big draw19 mi Park & preserveAppalachian Trail3.0M visitors a year
25 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
11 mi Stadium & arenaLane Stadium
15 mi LakeMountain Lake
37 mi MuseumVirginia Museum of Transportation
37 mi MuseumTaubman Museum of ArtPhoto credits
Appalachian Trail: Paulba. Original uploader was Paulbalegend at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Lane Stadium: User:B, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mountain Lake: Rolfmueller, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Virginia Museum of Transportation: Warfieldian, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Taubman Museum of Art: O Palsson, CC BY 2.0
Everything we know about New River
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of New River
About 0 of every 100 New River residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
100% of working residents leave New River for work
Where New River’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About New River
Census-designated place in Virginia, United States
New River is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pulaski County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, New River had a population of 237. A post office was established as New River Depot in 1868. The community took its name from the New River, upon which it is situated.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,939 ft
- ZIP code
- 24129
Questions about New River
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is New River, VA a good place to live?
New River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.