Photo: Nyttend · Public domainPennington Gap spent more per resident in 2022 than 82% of similar cities
Pennington Gap’s town government spent $2.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,563 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.1 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Pennington Gap is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,563 per resident in 2022: more than 82% of them
Pennington Gap’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,563 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 76 Virginia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $516, and the middle half spent $292–$1,363. Pennington Gap spent more than 82% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($819,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Virginia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Pennington Gap itself left out).
About $1,563 per resident a year, or $4.28 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Pennington Gap reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $681 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.73% of the home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Pennington Gap’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Pennington Gap’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Pennington Gap →
Who’s in charge in Pennington Gap
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Pennington Gap’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofpenningtonva.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 68 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,708).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Lee County Public Schools
Pennington Gap’s K–12 school district, shared with Jonesville. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,613 per pupil, $8,707 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Virginia districts overall: 49% local, 41% state, 10% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Pennington Gap’s votes are counted by county
Virginia reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Pennington Gap alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Lee County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican85.7%8,674 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat13.7%1,391 votesOthers: 0.6% (57 votes).
Most votes in Lee County: Donald J Trump
Virginia: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.1%
100% of Pennington Gap lies in Lee County. Every 2024 race in Lee County is on the county’s page.
Lee County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Pennington Gap.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofpenningtonva.gov ↗
- 2Virginia House of DelegatesState representatives
- 3Virginia SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Virginia
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Pennington Gap’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Pennington Gap’s government
How much does Pennington Gap spend per resident?
About $1,563 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,563 was more than 82% of 76 Virginia cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Pennington Gap?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $681 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.73% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofpenningtonva.gov.
Who runs Pennington Gap’s government?
See townofpenningtonva.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Pennington Gap yet.
How did Pennington Gap vote in 2024?
Virginia counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Pennington Gap alone. Lee County, where 100% of Pennington Gap lies, voted Trump 85.7%, Harris 13.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Pennington Gap?
25 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $120,872 (about $1.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Pennington Gap in the state legislature?
State Senate District 6 (Todd Pillion) and House of Delegates District 45 (Terry Kilgore). The House of Delegates district also covers 14 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Pennington Gap’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →