Tree planting at Pennington Gap project, 2012
Pennington Gap’s story
135 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2012.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1891Pennington Gap is settled
Pennington GapVA
A town of 1,568, settled in 1891.
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
1,568
2025 Census estimate · −2.8% since 2020
Typical home
$96K
+5.4% in a year
Household income
$22K
median
Median age
34.3
years
Jobs based here
754
Balanced
Is Pennington Gap a good place to live?
Pennington Gap’s best subject grades are a B+ for walkability and history; its weakest is a D− for health. 57% of residents live below the poverty line in Pennington Gap, where Virginia’s towns sit at 7.7% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. No town in Virginia scores lower than Pennington Gap on health. The median household income is $22K, and 57% of residents live below the poverty line. Pennington Gap’s trail density is 1.7 miles per square mile, above both the Virginia town median (0.7) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Pennington Gap Commercial Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Pennington Gap has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Pennington Gap stand out
Where Pennington Gap beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
WalkabilityB+
More walkable than 74% of U.S. towns
5% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
32 measures vs. Virginia
2 better4 too close to call26 worse
| Widest gap | Pennington Gap | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 20% | 6.2% |
Worth knowing · HealthD−
Less healthy than 99% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
How Pennington Gap grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Pennington Gap is from typical.
HealthNear the bottom of U.S. towns on CDC estimates; Lee County Community Hospital 1 miles awayD−Open →Jobs & incomeD−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.4 of 20; 23.5% of households have no carB+Open →SchoolsC+Open →Cost of livingB−Open →SafetyB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trailsC+Open →History1 place on the National Register; 3 notable people born hereB+Open →Civic life0.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 34.3; 14% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Pennington Gap: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pennington Gap, and how to reach them.
PowerPowell Valley Electric Coop12.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Pennington Gap water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Pennington Gap’s trash rules yet
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 code2427724277 100%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 Pennington Gap.
HousingCost of living grade B−
The typical home in Pennington Gap is valued at about $96K
The typical Pennington Gap home is worth about $96,000, up 5.4% in a year, 77% below the Virginia typical home. Pennington Gap’s median rent is $766 a month.
$96KZillow home value
| Pennington Gap | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 43% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $766 a month | $1,762 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 65% | 47% | 48% |
Typical home value
Pennington Gap$96K
Virginia$412K
+5.4%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsC+
Public schools in Pennington Gap fall behind 63% of Virginia districts
Its public schools are run by the Lee County Public Schools. Its one school is below.
37%of VA districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennington MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–7 | Grades 5–7 | 278 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
HealthD−
Pennington Gap stands out in Virginia and nationally, with more of its adults who say their health is fair or poor
39% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Pennington Gap. Of the 254 Virginia towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Pennington Gap. 23% of adults report frequent mental distress in Pennington Gap.
1%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Pennington Gap | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 17% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 12% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 34% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 11% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Virginia
2 better4 too close to call26 worse
| What stands out | Pennington Gap | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.2% | 14.5% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.6% | 76.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 20% | 6.2% |
Lee County Community Hospital
1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
The FEMA risk score in Pennington Gap is higher than in most of Virginia or the rest of the country
The FEMA risk score in Pennington Gap is 81 of 100. Since 1978, 9 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Pennington Gap.
81risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesEarthquakes
9
paid flood claims since 1978
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Pennington Gap has four seasons and pleasant summers
Pennington Gap has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 26° and about 9 inches of snow falls in a winter.
9″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–47°
Spring42–67°
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
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
With 1.4 jobs for every working resident, Pennington Gap draws in 697 commuters
Most working residents leave Pennington Gap for work: only 11% work in town. No town among the 254 in Virginia we compare has a lower median household income than Pennington Gap. Since 2013, Pennington Gap has lost 407 jobs, to 754 in 2023.
11%work in town
| Pennington Gap | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $22,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 4.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Pennington Gap11%
Big Stone Gap6%
Kingsport4%
Johnson City3%
Bristol3%
28 mi
median commute distance
754
jobs based in Pennington Gap
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 74% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SafetyB−
Crime per resident in Pennington Gap is higher than in 52% of U.S. towns
Only 8 of the 87 Virginia towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Pennington Gap.
48%of U.S. towns report more crimeB−Safety Grade
| Pennington Gap | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.6 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 12.1 per 1,000 residents | 14.6 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Pennington Gap0.6
Virginia2.1
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Pennington Gap12.1
Virginia13.9
U.S.15.5
48th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
1
violent crimes reported in 2025
19
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
OutdoorsC+
Pennington Gap has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
2.8 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Leeman Field Park, at 32 acres.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,074 acres
2.8 mi
of trails · 1.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Leeman Field Park | 0.4 mi | 32 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Pennington Gap
20pages on Pennington Gap
The big questions
SchoolsC+Behind 63% of VA districts · 1 schoolSafetyB−0.6 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthD−Better than VA on 2 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB−$96K typical home · up 5.4% in a yearWork & commuteD−$22K median household income · 754 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 81% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Pennington Gap
About 1 of every 100 Pennington Gap residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
Famous people from Pennington Gap
3 notable people were born in Pennington Gap.
About Pennington Gap
Town in Virginia, United States
Pennington Gap is a town in Lee County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,624 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,388 ft
- ZIP code
- 24277
- Area code
- 276
Questions about Pennington Gap
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Pennington Gap, VA expensive?
That is 2.3 years of the area's median household income ($41,827 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
What is Pennington Gap, VA known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Carol S. Wood and William C. Wampler.