Virginia · GEOID 51071

Giles County

2024 ACS 5-year estimates · population 16,557 · 8,338 housing units

Median household income

$65,691

State $99,933

Median home value

$151,100

State $421,251

Median gross rent

$789

State $1,592

Homeownership rate

78.9%

State 67.3%

Renter cost-burden rate

32.2%

≥30% of income

Owner cost-burden rate

11.4%

≥30% of income

Homeowner vacancy

0.6%

Of owner-occupied + for-sale units

Rental vacancy

12.5%

Of renter-occupied + for-rent units

Overall vacancy

19.7%

All housing units

Price-to-income ratio

2.30

Affordable: 2.0–3.0

Section 1

Community Profile

Population, demographics, household composition, and income.

Community Data Summary

	Giles County	Virginia
Population	16,557	8,705,170
Population density (per sq. mi.)	46.35	—
Median household income	$65,691	$99,933
HUD Area Median Income (4-person, 100%)	$85,400	—
Households	6,698	—
Average household size	2.45 people	—
Owner-occupied	78.9%	67.3%
Renter-occupied	21.1%	32.7%
Race	94.0% White · 2.8% Black	0.0% White · 0.0% Black

Source: ACS 5-year 2024 (Tables DP05, S1101, DP04, S1901) and Census Gazetteer (land area); HUD FY2026 Income Limits.

Racial composition

Giles County compared with Virginia.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP05.

Educational attainment (population 25+)

17.6% hold a bachelor's degree or higher (state: 42.2%).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1501.

Median Household Income by Tenure

Owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied household income, county and state.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25119.

Median Household Income by Age of Householder

Median household income by age group of householder.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B19049.

Median Household Income by Number of Earners

Median household income for families with each earner count.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903.

Household Size

Distribution of households by number of people.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2501.

Income by Number of Earners

Earners	Share	Median income	Attainable monthly housing cost	Attainable home
0 earners	19.6%	$42,312	$1,058	$126,480
1 earner	37.3%	$65,557	$1,639	$213,006
2 earners	32.6%	$114,567	$2,864	$395,438
3+ earners	10.5%	$137,917	$3,448	$482,354

Attainable monthly housing cost = 30% of gross income ÷ 12. Attainable home price assumes 30% housing budget, 30-yr mortgage at 7%, 5% down.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903; affordability formula derived.

Households

6,698

Average size: 2.45 people

Households with children

1,319

19.7% of households

Per-capita income

$34,766

Poverty rate: 8.2%

Section 2

Residential Market Analysis

Housing stock characteristics — tenure, type, age, size, vacancy, rents.

Tenure

78.9% owner-occupied vs. state average 67.3%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Structure type

Single-family share 72.9% · Missing middle (2–19 units) 5.3%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25024.

Housing stock by decade

58.1% built before 1980 · Median structure age 1,972.00 yrs.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2504.

Housing size mismatch

Compares the share of housing units by bedroom count against the share of households by size — a common diagnostic of housing supply/demand alignment.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Tables B25041 (bedrooms) and S2501 (household size).

Home value distribution

Owner-occupied homes by value bracket. Median: $151,100.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Monthly Housing Costs

Distribution of monthly housing costs across all occupied units.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25104.

Number of Bedrooms

Housing units by number of bedrooms.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25041.

Median rent by bedroom

Overall median gross rent: $789.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25031.

Renters by age

Number of renter householders by age bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Owners by age

Number of owner householders by age bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Vacancy composition

All 1,640 vacant units split into Census's seven categories. Frictional vacancy (units actively on the market) reflects healthy churn. Structural vacancy (seasonal, migrant, other) sits outside the market for year-round residents — high values change how the headline vacancy rate should be read.

Vacant units by type

For sale 2.0% · For rent 12.6% · Seasonal 26.5% · Other 56.8%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Frictional vs structural

16.7% of vacancy is frictional (for sale + for rent + rented/sold not yet occupied); 83.3% is structural (seasonal + migrant + other).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Seasonal / recreational share of all housing

5.2%

434 units of 8,338 total

Housing units held for seasonal or recreational use.

"Other vacant" share of all housing

11.2%

932 units of 8,338 total

⚑ Above the 5% threshold — possible indicator of disinvestment, abandonment, or condemned stock.

Section 3

Workforce Housing Needs Assessment

Affordability, cost burden, and the housing options for households in the workforce income range.

Workforce range — ACS median household income

80% MHI$52,553

100% MHI$65,691

120% MHI$78,829

County-wide median from ACS 5-year estimates. A household at 100% MHI in Giles County should be able to afford a home up to roughly — (30% housing budget, default mortgage terms).

Workforce range — HUD Area Median Income

	1-person	2-person	4-person
80% AMI	$47,850	$54,650	$68,300
100% AMI	$59,780	$68,320	$85,400
120% AMI	$71,750	$82,000	$102,500

HUD FMR Area: Giles County, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. 80% AMI uses HUD's published Section 8 Low Income Limits; 100% is HUD MFI; 120% is the standard workforce convention.

Affordability calculator

Follows the standard 30%-of-gross-income affordability rule.

Income basis Household income Interest rate % Down payment % Taxes & insurance / yr

Affordable monthly—

Affordable home price—

Renter cost burden

32.2% of renter households spend ≥30% of income on rent (21.4% spend ≥50%).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25070.

Owner cost burden by income

11.4% of homeowners spend ≥30% of income on housing. Bars show counts of cost-burdened owners by income bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25106.

Household income — owners vs renters

Distribution of household income for owner-occupied (navy) and renter-occupied (gold) households.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25118.

Section 4

Industry & Workforce Wages

Employment, average wages, and the housing each industry's typical earner can afford in Giles County.

Covered employment

2,971

Across 17 sectors

Establishments

417

QCEW 2024

Avg annual pay (workforce)

$45,208

Employment-weighted across sectors

Top 10 sectors by employment

Annual average employment by NAICS 2-digit sector. Counties with fewer than five covered establishments in a sector may show suppressed totals.

Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024.

Attainable housing by industry

Industry	Employment	Avg annual wage	Affordable home price	vs. median value	Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 44-45 Retail trade NAICS 44-45	794	$33,394	$93,284	−$57,816	$835
NAICS 61 Educational services NAICS 61	505	$41,221	$122,419	−$28,681	$1,031
NAICS 72 Accommodation and food services NAICS 72	441	$24,252	$59,255	−$91,845	$606
NAICS 54 Professional, scientific, and technical services NAICS 54	364	$84,650	$284,077	+$132,977	$2,116
NAICS 92 Public administration NAICS 92	280	$44,894	$136,091	−$15,009	$1,122
NAICS 81 Other services (except public administration) NAICS 81	174	$59,550	$190,646	+$39,546	$1,489
NAICS 48-49 Transportation and warehousing NAICS 48-49	88	$54,675	$172,499	+$21,399	$1,367
NAICS 52 Finance and insurance NAICS 52	72	$63,169	$204,117	+$53,017	$1,579
NAICS 51 Information NAICS 51	59	$46,098	$140,573	−$10,527	$1,152
NAICS 23 Construction NAICS 23	48	$52,589	$164,735	+$13,635	$1,315
NAICS 62 Health care and social assistance NAICS 62	36	$47,478	$145,710	−$5,390	$1,187
NAICS 56 Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services NAICS 56	27	$48,198	$148,390	−$2,710	$1,205
NAICS 71 Arts, entertainment, and recreation NAICS 71	24	$30,142	$81,179	−$69,921	$754
NAICS 99 Unclassified NAICS 99	21	$35,261	$100,234	−$50,866	$882
NAICS 53 Real estate and rental and leasing NAICS 53	17	$42,562	$127,411	−$23,689	$1,064
NAICS 55 Management of companies and enterprises NAICS 55	11	$163,458	$577,427	+$426,327	$4,086
NAICS 22 Utilities NAICS 22	10	$94,131	$319,368	+$168,268	$2,353

Subsector	Employment	Avg annual wage	Affordable home price	vs. median value	Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 611 Educational services NAICS 611	505	$41,221	$122,419	−$28,681	$1,031
NAICS 541 Professional, scientific, and technical services NAICS 541	364	$84,650	$284,077	+$132,977	$2,116
NAICS 236 Construction of buildings NAICS 236	284	$30,283	$81,704	−$69,396	$757
NAICS 455 General merchandise retailers NAICS 455	246	$30,705	$83,275	−$67,825	$768
NAICS 921 Executive, legislative, and other general government support NAICS 921	180	$37,311	$107,865	−$43,235	$933
NAICS 441 Motor vehicle and parts dealers NAICS 441	161	$42,499	$127,176	−$23,924	$1,062
NAICS 811 Repair and maintenance NAICS 811	139	$67,618	$220,678	+$69,578	$1,690
NAICS 621 Ambulatory health care services NAICS 621	137	$51,156	$159,400	+$8,300	$1,279
NAICS 624 Social assistance NAICS 624	132	$31,049	$84,555	−$66,545	$776
NAICS 445 Food and beverage retailers NAICS 445	130	$22,137	$51,382	−$99,718	$553
NAICS 332 Fabricated metal product manufacturing NAICS 332	112	$76,971	$255,493	+$104,393	$1,924
NAICS 457 Gasoline stations and fuel dealers NAICS 457	84	$24,031	$58,432	−$92,668	$601
NAICS 444 Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers NAICS 444	81	$46,003	$140,219	−$10,881	$1,150
NAICS 922 Justice, public order, and safety activities NAICS 922	71	$65,899	$214,279	+$63,179	$1,647
NAICS 522 Credit intermediation and related activities NAICS 522	54	$61,354	$197,361	+$46,261	$1,534
NAICS 456 Health and personal care retailers NAICS 456	44	$46,243	$141,113	−$9,987	$1,156
NAICS 459 Sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book, and miscellaneous retailers NAICS 459	41	$30,423	$82,225	−$68,875	$761
NAICS 491 Postal service NAICS 491	32	$64,805	$210,207	+$59,107	$1,620
NAICS 812 Personal and laundry services NAICS 812	30	$22,458	$52,577	−$98,523	$561
NAICS 238 Specialty trade contractors NAICS 238	26	$45,364	$137,841	−$13,259	$1,134
NAICS 713 Amusement, gambling, and recreation industries NAICS 713	24	$29,235	$77,803	−$73,297	$731
NAICS 237 Heavy and civil engineering construction NAICS 237	22	$61,127	$196,516	+$45,416	$1,528
NAICS 999 Unclassified NAICS 999	21	$35,261	$100,234	−$50,866	$882
NAICS 551 Management of companies and enterprises NAICS 551	11	$163,458	$577,427	+$426,327	$4,086
NAICS 221 Utilities NAICS 221	10	$94,131	$319,368	+$168,268	$2,353
NAICS 926 Administration of economic programs NAICS 926	9	$31,218	$85,184	−$65,916	$780
NAICS 925 Administration of housing programs, urban planning, and community development NAICS 925	8	$17,112	$32,677	−$118,423	$428
NAICS 923 Administration of human resource programs NAICS 923	6	$53,972	$169,883	+$18,783	$1,349
NAICS 924 Administration of environmental quality programs NAICS 924	6	$72,335	$238,236	+$87,136	$1,808

Affordable home price assumes the industry's average earner uses 30% of gross income for housing, with a 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr taxes & insurance, and 0.5% PMI. Adjust the Section 3 calculator for other terms. Affordable rent is 30% of monthly gross pay.

Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024; ACS 5-year 2024 (median home value).

Section 5

Wages by Occupation

Selected essential-worker occupations for the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county — jobs, the 10-year change, wages, and the housing each typical earner can afford. Both jobs counts and wages are reported at the MSA / nonmetropolitan-area level (BLS does not publish OEWS at the county level), so every county inside the same area shows the same numbers. For county-accurate employment totals, see Section 4 above.

Occupational wages and affordable housing

Occupation	2025 jobs	2015–2025 change	% change	Hourly wage	Annual wage	Affordable home price	Affordable monthly rent
Cashiers SOC 41-2011	1,790	(370)	(17%)	$14.38	$29,900	$80,278	$748
Fast Food and Counter Workers SOC 35-3023 · prior-year code differs	2,230	(950)	(30%)	$14.38	$29,920	$80,353	$748
Childcare Workers SOC 39-9011	250	—	—	$14.85	$30,880	$83,926	$772
Retail Salespersons SOC 41-2031	1,690	(360)	(18%)	$16.53	$34,390	$96,992	$860
Janitors and Cleaners SOC 37-2011	1,480	630	74%	$16.66	$34,650	$97,960	$866
Tellers SOC 43-3071	170	(140)	(45%)	$18.33	$38,130	$110,913	$953
Firefighters SOC 33-2011	60	(10)	(14%)	$18.59	$38,660	$112,886	$967
Home Health and Personal Care Aides SOC 31-1131 · prior-year code differs	760	150	25%	$19.16	$39,840	$117,278	$996
Waiters and Waitresses SOC 35-3031	1,080	(20)	(2%)	$20.58	$42,810	$128,334	$1,070
Office Clerks, General SOC 43-9061	1,480	(540)	(27%)	$21.18	$44,060	$132,987	$1,102
Paramedics SOC 29-2043	120	—	—	$23.42	$48,710	$150,296	$1,218
Carpenters SOC 47-2031	340	60	21%	$23.76	$49,410	$152,901	$1,235
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General SOC 49-9071	930	(10)	(1%)	$24.77	$51,530	$160,793	$1,288
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers SOC 53-3032	920	340	59%	$27.46	$57,110	$181,563	$1,428
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers SOC 33-3051	470	80	21%	$28.60	$59,500	$190,460	$1,488
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education SOC 25-2021	630	60	11%	—	$62,450	$201,441	$1,561
Electricians SOC 47-2111	270	50	23%	$30.03	$62,460	$201,478	$1,562
Registered Nurses SOC 29-1141	1,330	310	30%	$40.43	$84,090	$281,992	$2,102

Affordable home price uses the same Section 3 formula (30% housing budget, 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr T&I, 0.5% PMI). Affordable rent is 30% of monthly wages. Negative job-change values are shown in red parentheses. A "prior-year code differs" note flags occupations whose SOC code changed between the two vintages (2010 SOC → 2018 SOC) — the change estimate is best-effort.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (10-year change vs. May 2015). Jobs counts and wages reflect the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county, not the county alone — OEWS is not published at the county level.

Methodology & sources

All figures derive from the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. State and national comparisons are population-weighted aggregates of county-level estimates (an approximation; ACS publishes its own state and national medians which can differ slightly).

The affordability calculator uses a 30% housing-budget rule with a 30-year mortgage. Defaults are 7% interest, 5% down, $2,500/year taxes and insurance, and 0.5% PMI — adjustable above.

Variables: 51071 · pulled from Full Housing Data Table.xlsx.