Buena Vista city
How many people live in Buena Vista city
- Population6,593
- Households2,554
- Average household size2.58
- Median household income$57,833
- Median age35.9
- Median gross rent$1,112 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$156,200
- Home value to household income2.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income23.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over4,073
- Population under 181,452
- Share under 1822.0 percent
- Population 65 and over1,240
- Share 65 and over18.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,901
- Civilian labor force2,863
- Unemployment rate1.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.7 percent
- Rank by population among Virginia independent cities125th of 133
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2768th
Buena Vista city is the 125th largest of 133 Virginia independent cities by population. A median home costs 2.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.0 percent against 18.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Buena Vista city
Is Buena Vista city growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.90 percent
- Census 2020 base population6,641
- Births, 202486
- Deaths, 2024102
- Natural change, 2024-16
- Net domestic migration, 202432
- Net international migration, 2024-8
- Total net migration, 202424
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202455
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2159th
The county has lost 0.90 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Buena Vista city
Where people moving to Buena Vista city come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving226
- People arriving, from those returns443
- Adjusted gross income arriving$11.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$51,438
- Largest single originBuena Vista city Non-migrants (2,072 households)
- Largest single destination (2,072 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buena Vista city Non-migrants | 2,072 | 4,168 | $99.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 86 | 154 | $3.8 m |
| Rockbridge County | 74 | 160 | $2.4 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 66 | 129 | $5.5 m |
| Other flows - West | 36 | 74 | $1.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 30 | 55 | $3.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Buena Vista city Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Buena Vista city
Who employs people in Buena Vista city
- Covered employment, annual average2,512
- Establishments reporting161
- Average annual pay$51,168
- Average weekly wage$984
- Sector 31-33, employment961
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$68,497
- Sector 44-45, employment139
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,674
- Sector 81, employment32
- Sector 81, average annual pay$34,480
- Sector 52, employment19
- Sector 52, average annual pay$55,232
- Sector 23, employment14
- Sector 42, employment9
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 961 | 10 | $68,497 |
| Sector 44-45 | 139 | 16 | $31,674 |
| Sector 81 | 32 | 10 | $34,480 |
| Sector 52 | 19 | 7 | $55,232 |
| Sector 23 | 14 | 7 | $52,116 |
| Sector 42 | 9 | 3 | $62,008 |
| Sector 53 | 9 | 5 | $23,629 |
| Sector 99 | 4 | 1 | $13,545 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 961 jobs, 38.3 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Buena Vista city
What businesses operate in Buena Vista city
- Establishments, all industries109
- Employment at those establishments2,141
- Annual payroll$90.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents16.5
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Buena Vista city
What is being built in Buena Vista city
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202418
- Declared construction value permitted$3.2 m
- Single family units authorised14
- Multifamily units authorised4
- Multifamily share of units22.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$180,333
- Units authorised per 1,000 households7.0
Multifamily is 22.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Buena Vista city
How big is Buena Vista city
- Land area7 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Virginia independent cities126th of 133
- Width, east to west2.9 mi
- Height, north to south4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary1
- Residents per square mile of land942
- Establishments per square mile15.57
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No 7(a) approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2020 onward.
- No 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Buena Vista city site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Buena Vista city site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population6,593
- Households2,554
- Average household size2.58
- Median household income$57,833
- Median age35.9
Common questions
Buena Vista city questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Buena Vista city, Virginia?
6,593, in 2,554 households, ranking 125th of 133 Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Buena Vista city growing?
The population has fallen 0.90 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 86 births against 102 deaths, with net migration of 24. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Buena Vista city?
$57,833. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $156,200, which is 2.7 times income, and median gross rent is $1,112 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Buena Vista city?
109 establishments, employing 2,141 people with an annual payroll of $90.0 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Buena Vista city?
Average annual pay is $51,168, or $984 a week, across 2,512 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
What is being built in Buena Vista city?
18 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $3.2 m. Multifamily was 22.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Buena Vista city?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Buena Vista city come from?
The largest single origin is Buena Vista city Non-migrants, with 2,072 households. Arriving households report an average income of $51,438 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Buena Vista city on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Buena Vista city?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.