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Virginia›Buchanan County

VansantVA

A town of 551, settled in 1908.

Is Vansant a good place to live?

25% of residents live below the poverty line in Vansant, against 7.7% in Virginia’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. No town among the 138 in Virginia we compare has a lower midpoint home value than Vansant. Vansant’s trail density is 2.6 miles per square mile, against 0.7 in Virginia’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Vansant has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

What makes Vansant stand out

Where Vansant beats most towns.

Small town

551 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Vansant.

Housing

Vansant stands out in Virginia and nationally, with the median rent lower than most

$76KZillow home value

In Vansant, 52% of households are owner-occupiers. The typical home value here is about $76,000, about the same as a year ago, 82% below the Virginia typical home.

VansantVirginia townsU.S. towns
Median rent$727 a month$1,762 a month$1,185 a month
Households that own their home52%68%73%

Typical home value

Vansant$76K
Virginia$412K
−0.3%
value change, 1 year
0
homes sold in September

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Work & commute

A job hub: Vansant has 2.3 jobs for every working resident and draws in 297 commuters

3%work in town

Jobs in Vansant fell by 63 from 2013 to 2023, to 301. Just 3% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. The mean commuting time here is 19 minutes. The top destinations are Grundy (6%), Lebanon (3%) and Richlands (3%).

VansantVirginia townsU.S. towns
Average trip to work19 minutes27 minutes25 minutes
Working residents who work in town3.1%4.9%8%

Where working residents work

In Vansant3%
Grundy6%
Lebanon3%
Richlands3%
Abingdon2%
17 mi
median commute distance
301
jobs based in Vansant
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Who lives here

Fewer middle-aged adults than Virginia overall

30.3median age · VA 39

Adults 35 to 64 are 16% of residents (39% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 39% of residents (23% statewide). Among adults 25 and older, 37% have a four-year degree or more, against 42% across Virginia. 20% never finished high school.

VansantVirginiaUnited States

Ages · share of residents

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma20%
High school12%
Some college13%
Associate’s19%
Bachelor’s17%
Graduate20%

Women and men · all residents

48% women, 52% men

That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±8.7 points. Across Virginia, 50.6% of residents are women.

Ages and education in Vansant
VansantVAU.S.
Under 109.1%11.6%11.6%
10 to 179.3%10.1%10.3%
18 to 249.1%9.3%9.1%
25 to 3429.4%13.5%13.7%
35 to 442.4%13.6%13.2%
45 to 546.2%12.5%12.2%
55 to 647.1%12.8%12.7%
65 to 748.9%9.9%10.2%
75 and older18.7%6.8%7%
No diploma20%8.4%10.4%
High school11.8%23.9%26%
Some college12.8%17.7%19.1%
Associate’s19%7.8%8.8%
Bachelor’s16.5%23.7%21.6%
Graduate20%18.5%14.1%

U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 600, single groups can be off by several points

Natural hazards

In Vansant, the FEMA risk score runs higher than in the typical Virginia or U.S. town

82risk score of 100

Federal aid has come to Vansant households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2004. 83% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 10%. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 82% of U.S. communities.

FEMA risk score
82Very high riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingCold waves
3
federal disasters paid out here

FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

Vansant: four seasons and pleasant summers

16″snow a winter

Winters in Vansant are chilly and summers warm. Summer afternoons peak near 85° in July, and January nights bottom out around 25°; snowfall runs to about 16 inches a winter.

Typical low → high °F

Winter27–47°
Spring41–68°
Summer61–84°
Fall44–68°
Oct 26
typical first frost
Apr 21
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

How healthy Vansant is

Among 254 Virginia towns, just one has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Vansant. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Vansant is ahead of Virginia on 1 and behind on 20. For adults here, the share who smoke cigarettes is 21%.

VansantVirginia townsU.S. towns
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)18%11%12%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)20%12%14%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)21%12%14%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)45%33%35%
32 measures vs. Virginia
1 better11 too close to call20 worse
What stands outVansantVA
More adults treating high blood pressure81.4%76.8%
More older adults who have lost all their teeth28%11.1%
Buchanan General Hospital
3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Outdoors

0% of Vansant is conserved land

0%conserved

7.9 miles of trail.

0%
conserved · 0 of 1,959 acres
7.9 mi
of trails · 2.5 per sq mi

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Vansant

16pages on Vansant
Getting set up

Moving to Vansant: who provides what

Vansant is unincorporated, so Buchanan County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerAppalachian Power17.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBuchanan Co Psa1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesBuchanan CountyBuchanan County provides services here
SchoolsBuchanan County Public SchoolsWhich school depends on your addressNCES
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.gov
Who runs elections hereBuchanan General RegistrarBuchanan County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2019
ZIP codes24656, 24631, 2461424656 43% · 24631 41% · 24614 17%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.

A job hub

Every workday, about 297 people come to Vansant for work

Where Vansant’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

6% → Grundy Grundy 6% 3% → Lebanon Lebanon 3% 3% → Richlands Richlands 3% 2% → Abingdon Abingdon 2% 2% → Claypool Hill Claypool Hill 2% 2% → Salem Salem 2% Vansant · 3% stay
301jobs based in Vansant
3%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

After high school

Colleges nearby

2 within 15 miles of the center of Vansant

About Vansant

Census-designated place in Virginia, United States

Vansant is a census-designated place (CDP) in Buchanan County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, Vansant had a population of 442. Vansant is located just south of the town of Grundy.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
3.1 sq mi
Elevation
1,129 ft
ZIP code
24656

Questions about Vansant

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Vansant, VA a good place to live?

Vansant has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Vansant is in here

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