Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Short Pump grades B+ overall, 119th of 249 graded towns in Virginia. On CDC health estimates it is near the top nationally. The median household earns $139K. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $569K for a typical one and 6.6 times the Richmond metro’s $87K median household income. 75% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Short Pump, where Virginia’s towns sit at 44% and U.S. towns at 29%. Short Pump is home to South University-Richmond. Short Pump is more walkable than 69% of U.S. towns.
Where Short Pump beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Short Pump | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.4% | 11.1% |
The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1933 and 6 maps from 1936 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Short Pump is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Short Pump. Close and well known come first.
16 mi Theme parkKings Dominion
12 mi LandmarkHollywood Cemetery
11 mi LandmarkRobert E. Lee Monument
13 mi MuseumWhite House of the Confederacy
13 mi Stadium & arenaRichmond Coliseum
11 mi MuseumVirginia Museum of Fine Arts411K visitors a yearKings Dominion: Erechtheus, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hollywood Cemetery: Andrew Bain, Public domain · Robert E. Lee Monument: Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · White House of the Confederacy: AlbertHerring, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Richmond Coliseum: Mentes at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Virginia Museum of Fine Arts: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, CC BY-SA 4.0
Short Pump is unincorporated, so Henrico 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 Short Pump.
Short Pump has less tooth loss than most of Virginia and trades workers with Richmond and other neighbors, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Virginia.
Its widest gap with Virginia is tooth loss: 4.4% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.1% statewide.
15% of Short Pump adults get no exercise outside work. Short Pump beats the Virginia average on 23 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 7.5% of Short Pump adults smoke cigarettes.
| Short Pump | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9% | 12% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 34% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 23% | 25% |
| What stands out | Short Pump | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.4% | 11.1% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.5% | 13.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Henrico County Public Schools. Three of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short Pump MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,056 | B+ |
| Deep Run HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,992 | A |
| Twin Hickory ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 516 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 82% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Short Pump has chilly winters and warm summers. Short Pump’s July high is 89°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
4.1 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Tuckahoe Creek Park, at 71 acres.
| Short Pump | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.4% | 4.6% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Short Pump Park | 0.9 mi | 49 |
| 2. Twin Hickory Park | 0.9 mi | 48 |
| 3. Pouncey Tract Park | 0.5 mi | 25 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Short Pump has about as many jobs (14,722) as working residents, but only 869 people both live and work here. 28.8% of workers work from home, against 18.3% across Virginia.
Most working residents leave Short Pump for work: only 6% work in town. Since 2013, Short Pump has added 2,981 jobs, to 14,722 in 2023. The average trip to work in Short Pump is 22 minutes.
| Short Pump | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $139,000 | $101,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 3.6% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 6.6 years of the Richmond metro’s $87K median household income, the typical home costs more against local pay than in 88% of Virginia towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $4,213, against $2,790 across Virginia, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
58% of households own their home in Short Pump.
| Short Pump | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 58% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,847 a month | $1,760 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
10 within 15 miles of the center of Short Pump
About 6 of every 100 Short Pump residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Virginia.
24,729 counted in 2010 and 30,626 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Census-designated place in Virginia, United States
Short Pump is a census-designated place (CDP) in Henrico County, Virginia, United States. It is a suburb of Richmond. The population was 30,626 at the 2020 census. The original village of Short Pump was located at the intersection of Three Chopt Road (formerly known as Three Notched Trail), Richmond Turnpike and Pouncey Tract Road. The area first centered around a local tavern that was expanded by Col. Robert H. Saunders beginning in 1814. According to local legend, it was named for the short handled water pump for stagecoach horses to drink from, which was located beneath the porch of the tavern, though there is some debate over the name's origin. This area was on the principal route betwe…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Short Pump.
| Town | VA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short Pump | #119 | B+ | D | — | C+ | A+ |
| Tuckahoe | #152 | B | C− | — | C+ | A− |
| Wyndham | #140 | B+ | C− | — | C+ | A+ |
| Innsbrook | #111 | A− | C− | — | C+ | A+ |
Short Pump, Tuckahoe, Wyndham and Innsbrook report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Short Pump with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Short Pump grades B+ overall, better than 73% of U.S. towns and #119 of 249 in Virginia. It grades A+ for health and C+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $569,000, 38% above the Virginia typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
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