Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,345, settled in 1898.
Raven’s best subject grade is an A for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for health. Only 4 of Virginia’s 372 towns score lower on health. The median household income is $53K, and 13% of residents live below the poverty line. Only 5 of Virginia’s 372 towns score lower on hazard risk. Raven’s trail density is 3.0 miles per square mile, above both the Virginia town median (0.7) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Raven has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Raven beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Raven | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 27.5% | 11.1% |
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Raven is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,819 in 1970, a peak of 4,000 in 1980, 1,988 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1946 and 6 maps from 1916 on.
Raven is unincorporated, so Russell 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Raven.
Raven’s median rent is $695 a month, where Virginia’s towns sit at $1,762 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. The typical Raven home is worth about $92,000, up 2.2% in a year, 78% below the Virginia typical home.
| Raven | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $695 a month | $1,762 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 65% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
30% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Raven. Of the 254 Virginia towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Raven. 20% of adults report frequent mental distress in Raven.
| Raven | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 17% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 12% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Raven | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80% | 76.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 27.5% | 11.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 83% of U.S. communities. Since 1994, 31 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Raven.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Raven for work: only 2% work in town. Jobs based in Raven grew to 111 in 2023, 26 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Richlands (12%), Tazewell (8%) and Claypool Hill (5%).
| Raven | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.5% | 4.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Raven has chilly winters and pleasant summers. Raven’s July high is 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of Raven
About 6 of every 100 Raven residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Virginia.
2,270 counted in 2010 and 1,988 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
CDP in Virginia, United States
Raven is a census-designated place (CDP) in Russell and Tazewell counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, Raven had a population of 1,988.
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.