Housing data for Chilhowie, VA
Chilhowie, VA has an estimated 2,428 residents and 931 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a town in Smyth County.
33.3% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $802 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 2,428 (±454)
- Housing units
- 931 (±165)
- Households that rent
- 33.3%
- Median gross rent
- $802
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +15.6%
What stands out in Chilhowie
Households that moved in since 2020: 28.6% (±8.1 points) in Chilhowie, higher than in Smyth County (18.8%).
Homes heated by fuel oil: 5.9% (±2.8 points) in Chilhowie, lower than in Smyth County (11.1%).
Average commute: 18.8 minutes (±2.2) in Chilhowie, lower than in Smyth County (22.2 minutes).
Housing in Chilhowie at a glance
- Median rent: $802 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $846 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 45.3% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 33.3% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $51,429 median household income
- Home values: $153,600 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $965 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $921 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 5.8% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 58.2% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 67.3% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 82.6% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 18.8 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 250 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +15.6% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 28.6% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 1.8% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Chilhowie against Smyth County, its state and the nation
| Chilhowie | Smyth County | Virginia | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2,428 (±454) | 29,420 (exact) | 8,705,170 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 931 (±165) | 15,080 (±46) | 3,684,756 (±486) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 33.3% (±8.1 points) | 29.0% (±2.4 points) | 32.7% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $802 (±$118) | $731 (±$35) | $1,579 (±$8) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $51,429 (±$13,051) | $49,883 (±$3,503) | $93,170 (±$458) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $153,600 (±$16,212) | $139,600 (±$10,003) | $383,700 (±$1,024) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $921 (±$167) | $805 (±$50) | $2,790 (±$10) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 67.3% (±11.9 points) | 62.0% (±4.0 points) | 43.5% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 18.8 minutes (±2.2) | 22.2 minutes (±1.3) | 27.3 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 89.2% (±4.8 points) | 80.2% (±2.6 points) | 91.0% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 42.5 years (±8.3) | 46.4 years (±0.4) | 39.0 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Chilhowie covers 2.5 square miles of land, about 958 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Chilhowie has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2,101 (±403) | 2,428 (±454) | +15.6% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 902 (±124) | 931 (±165) | +3.2% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $695 (±$162) | $802 (±$118) | +15.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $147,300 (±$15,257) | $153,600 (±$16,212) | +4.3% | Down after inflation |
| Median household income | $46,964 (±$9,493) | $51,429 (±$13,051) | +9.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,130 (±$118) | $965 (±$155) | −14.6% | Down after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $940 (±$122) | $921 (±$167) | −2.0% | Down after inflation |
| Households that rent | 37.0% (±8.4 points) | 33.3% (±8.1 points) | −3.7 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 3.3% (±4.8 points) | 0.0% (±12.7 points) | −3.3 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Chilhowie
In 2025, the Chilhowie Police Department reported 250 violent and 1,689 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Smyth County, the departments that report recorded 181 violent and 787 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
Places near Chilhowie
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adwolf | 4.9 mi | $904 | $143,500 | 14.1% |
| Glade Spring | 5.0 mi | $888 | $174,300 | 17.9% |
| Saltville | 6.9 mi | $645 | $96,600 | 37.1% |
| Emory | 8.1 mi | $595 | $231,400 | 10.7% |
| Marion | 9.6 mi | $714 | $172,500 | 46.2% |
| Damascus | 13 mi | $730 | $173,500 | 51.7% |
| Troutdale | 15 mi | — | $109,400 | 2.5% |
| Abingdon | 17 mi | $838 | $228,000 | 42.3% |
Places in Virginia most like Chilhowie
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Stone Gap | $797 | $163,000 | $54,581 | 36.7% |
| Pembroke | $796 | $138,000 | $57,500 | 30.6% |
| Coeburn | $860 | $112,600 | $55,104 | 30.2% |
| Clintwood | $714 | $162,800 | $52,083 | 40.9% |
| Weber City | $861 | $155,900 | $47,778 | 36.9% |
| Gate City | $660 | $163,000 | $42,857 | 29.7% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Virginia.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Chilhowie, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $710 | $741 | $943 | $1,171 | $1,460 |
HUD income limits for Chilhowie, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $16,800 | $28,000 | $44,750 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $32,000 | $51,150 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $36,000 | $57,550 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $39,950 | $63,900 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $43,150 | $69,050 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $46,350 | $74,150 |
| 7 people | $49,550 | $49,550 | $79,250 |
| 8 people | $52,750 | $52,750 | $84,350 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Smyth County, VA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $70,200.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Chilhowie
What is the average rent in Chilhowie, VA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Chilhowie is $802 (±$118) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Chilhowie?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Chilhowie, VA is $545 (±$33) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Chilhowie rent-burdened?
45.3% of renting households in Chilhowie pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Chilhowie?
Chilhowie has an estimated 293 (±92) renting households, 33.3% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Chilhowie?
The median household income in Chilhowie is $51,429 (±$13,051) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Chilhowie, VA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $153,600 (±$16,212) for owner-occupied homes in Chilhowie (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Chilhowie growing?
In Chilhowie, the number of residents went from 2,101 in 2015–2019 to 2,428 in 2020–2024 (+15.6%), not a measurable change.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Chilhowie town, Virginia
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Chilhowie town, Virginia
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Chilhowie town, Virginia
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Chilhowie town, Virginia
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Chilhowie town, Virginia
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Chilhowie town, Virginia
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Chilhowie town, Virginia
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Smyth County, VA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Smyth County, VA
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Chilhowie Police Department (ORI VA0860300)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Chilhowie town, Virginia (place:16480, in state:51).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .