Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 831, settled in 1891.
31% of residents live below the poverty line in St. Paul, above both Virginia’s towns (7.7%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). No town among the 253 in Virginia we compare has a lower typical rent than St. Paul. 16% of the land in St. Paul is conserved, against 4.7% in Virginia’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. St. Paul has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Virginia City Church and St. Paul Historic District. St. Paul has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where St. Paul beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 574 in 1920, a peak of 1,156 in 1960, 866 in 2020. The archive holds 6 maps from 1920 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in St. Paul, and how to reach them.
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 St. Paul.
St. Paul: 67% of households live in a home they own.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its one school is below. The Wise County Public Schools runs its public schools. 514 students attend St. Paul’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Paul ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 514 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Just 5% of St. Paul’s working residents have a job in town. Since 2013, St. Paul has added 135 jobs, to 521 in 2023. The town’s mean commuting time is 22 minutes. The top destinations are Wise (12%), Lebanon (5%) and Norton (5%).
| St. Paul | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $33,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Trails total 0.4 miles in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Clinch River State Park, at 128 acres. In St. Paul, the trail density is 0.3 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Clinch River State Park | — | 128 |
| 2. Saint Paul Park | 0.1 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
St. Paul is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Among adults 18 to 64 in St. Paul, 11% have no health insurance. Of the 254 Virginia towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than St. Paul. Against the Virginia average, St. Paul comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 24.
| St. Paul | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 12% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 12% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 33% | 35% |
| What stands out | St. Paul | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.4% | 76.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 14% | 6.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Paid flood insurance claims in St. Paul since 1978: 2. On expected storm and flood damage, St. Paul sits above three fifths of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 57% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 30% to cold waves. Federal aid has come to St. Paul households in 5 declared disasters; the latest was in 2025.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of St. Paul
About 6 of every 100 St. Paul residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Virginia.
Where St. Paul’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in St. Paul on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in Virginia, United States
St. Paul is a town in Russell and Wise counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, St. Paul had a population of 866. Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center, which powers 150,000 homes, is located in St. Paul.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
St. Paul has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
