Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety2#15,399/15,637
Economy19#12,721/15,631
Housing63#5,586/14,977
Health18#12,823/15,609
Healthcare66#5,373/15,650
Environment69#4,787/15,453
Education40#9,423/15,649
Infrastructure24#11,833/15,650
Community64#5,623/15,651
Leisure & amenities92#1,201/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Emporia, Virginia ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Emporia city value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Gyms and fitness centers · high3.7 /10k
100/100Virginia 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsEmporia city value
Distance to an emergency room · low2.1 mi
100/100Virginia 5.8 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesEmporia city value
Suicide rate · low0.0 /100k
100/100Virginia 13.2 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100k2024Centers for Disease Control and PreventionEmporia city value
Social associations · high23.8 /10k
99/100Virginia 11.1 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteEmporia city value
Pharmacies · high3.7 /10k
99/100Virginia 1.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsEmporia city value
Drug overdose deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100Virginia 12.0 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataEmporia city value

Weaknesses

Job growth · low-15.1%
0/100Virginia -0.2%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataEmporia city value
Violent crime rate · high917 /100k
1/100Virginia 206 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationEmporia city value
Average weekly wage · low$809
1/100Virginia $1,540United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsEmporia city value
Property crime rate · high2,975 /100k
2/100Virginia 1,354 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationEmporia city value
Premature death · high15,809 /100k
3/100Virginia 7,587 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteEmporia city value
Life expectancy · low70.2 yrs
3/100Virginia 77.8 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteEmporia city value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Child poverty rateImproving
41.6% (2015-2019) → 16.4% (2020-2024)
−25 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
65.2% (2015-2019) → 88.4% (2020-2024)
+23 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Unemployment rateImproving
23.4% (2015-2019) → 2.9% (2020-2024)
−20 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$27,063 (2015-2019) → $51,899 (2020-2024)
+92%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
60.6% (2015-2019) → 47.3% (2020-2024)
−13 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Poverty rateImproving
27.0% (2015-2019) → 15.8% (2020-2024)
−11 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Emporia, Virginia improved on 6 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 7 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved6

Household income+92%$27,063 → $51,899
Child poverty−25 points41.6% → 16.4%
Price / income−1.5×4.3× → 2.9×
Uninsured−11 points16.2% → 5.6%
Poverty−11 points27.0% → 15.8%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Emporia, Virginia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	18.4 min2015-2019	23.2 min2020-2024	+4.8 min	Within the margin of error	11%
Bachelor's degree or higher	13.8%2015-2019	16.0%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Within the margin of error	44%
Broadband subscriptions	65.2%2015-2019	88.4%2020-2024	+23 points	Improved	94%
Child poverty rate	41.6%2015-2019	16.4%2020-2024	−25 points	Improved	96%
Effective property tax rate	0.64%2015-2019	0.70%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	9%
High school diploma or higher	79.4%2015-2019	80.6%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Home price to income ratio	4.3×2015-2019	2.9×2020-2024	−1.5×	Improved	99%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4802015-2019	0.4392020-2024	−0.042	Within the margin of error	80%
Median household income	$27,0632015-2019	$51,8992020-2024	+92%	Improved	98%
Poverty rate	27.0%2015-2019	15.8%2020-2024	−11 points	Improved	94%
Rent as share of income	34.9%2015-2019	28.8%2020-2024	−6.1 points	Within the margin of error	86%
Rent-burdened households	60.6%2015-2019	47.3%2020-2024	−13 points	Within the margin of error	87%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	16.2%2015-2019	5.6%2020-2024	−11 points	Improved	97%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Emporia, Virginia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Emporia, Virginia in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Emporia, Virginia itself moved +15.1 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

5,547 residents

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under 10 men (+5.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

5,547 residents

Emporia, Virginia
Virginia share

White18%1,017
Black64%3,569
Hispanic or Latino7.9%†436

Education

3,625 residents (±256)

Emporia, Virginia
Virginia share

No high school diploma19%†704
High school or GED41%1,478
Some college17%600

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

2,157 households (±226)

Emporia, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $25k23%†488
$25k–50k24%†510
$50k–75k17%†362
$75k–100k11%†229
$100k–150k18%†382
$150k–200k5.8%†125
$200k or more2.8%†61

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−24.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

2,157 households (±226)

Emporia, Virginia
Virginia share

Own38%822
Rent62%1,335

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

1,296 households (±210)

Emporia, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $75031%†406
$750–1,00014%†184
$1,000–1,50039%†511

Home values

822 homes (±167)

Emporia, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $150k51%†422
$150k–250k30%†245
$250k–400k14%†114

Age of homes

2,726 homes (±245)

Emporia, Virginia
Virginia share

2010 or later0.3%†7
2000–20096.1%†167
1980–199915%†418

Size of homes

2,726 homes (±245)

Emporia, Virginia
Virginia share

Studio0.5%†13
1 bedroom4.9%†134
2 bedrooms34%926

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

2,264 workers (±228)

Emporia, Virginia
Virginia share

Drive alone71%1,607
Carpool13%†298
Public transit0.2%†4
Walk4.4%†100
Bike0.0%0
Work from home9.9%†225
Other1.3%†30

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+7.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

2,039 workers (±224)

Emporia, Virginia
Virginia share

Under 15 min33%†678
15–29 min34%†697
30–44 min13%†268

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Emporia city, the county holding most of Emporia's residents.

Emporia city has 218 employer establishments, 398 for every 10,000 residents (1.60× the US rate of 248; 1.65× Virginia's), with 3,805 paid employees at an average annual pay of $42,302. The Census Bureau also counts 333 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 218; 333 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 398; US 248 · Virginia 241
Paid employees: 3,805
Average annual pay: $42,302; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Emporia city by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	30	54.7	2.63×More than typical	516	$45,791	15
Restaurants and other eating places	23	42	2.28×More than typical	544	$18,346	4
Religious organizations	13	23.7	4.28×More than typical	53	$10,491	—
Gasoline stations	12	21.9	6.75×More than typical	79	$30,911	—
Limited-service restaurants	12	21.9	2.73×More than typical	315	$19,276	—
Full-service restaurants	10	18.2	2.38×More than typical	206	$16,680	—
Offices of physicians	10	18.2	2.82×More than typical	73	$105,699	—
Grocery and convenience stores	7	12.8	4.30×Too few to compare	109	$23,303	—
Lessors of real estate	7	12.8	1.04×Too few to compare	20	$29,550	42
General merchandise stores	6	10.9	6.19×Too few to compare	219	$29,379	—
Home health care services	6	10.9	9.04×Too few to compare	252	$25,190	7
Offices of other health practitioners	6	10.9	1.80×Too few to compare	79	$49,063	5

Rank places for an industry Open Emporia city

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 5,481 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $1.3M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Emporia, Virginia: $235 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $1.3M; −26% vs FY2025
Per resident: $235; US $1,995
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of Veterans Affairs$1.3M100%

Top recipients

EMPORIA OPERATING LLC$1.3M100%

Spending by fiscal year

139.6KFY2017
417.3KFY2018
169.1KFY2019
292.2KFY2020
370.9KFY2021
524KFY2022
2.7MFY2023
1.8M

Top industries (NAICS)

Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) · 6231$1.3M100%

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in Emporia, Virginia

EXPRESS REPORT: COMMUNITY NURSING HOME SERVICES FY26 Q2$873.3K
EMPORIA OPERATING LLC· Emporia city, VA· Health & medical· Jan 1, 2026 – Jan 1, 2026· 36C24626K0021
EXPRESS REPORT: COMMUNITY NURSING HOME SERVICES FY26 Q1$434.1K
EMPORIA OPERATING LLC· Emporia city, VA· Health & medical· Oct 1, 2025 – Oct 1, 2025· 36C24626K0006

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Emporia, Virginia, so they do not add up across cities.

Emporia, Virginia's figures are part of those of Emporia city, VA ($1.3M in FY2026), never added to them: 99.8% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Emporia is mostly in Emporia city.

See federal money in Emporia city

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Emporia, Virginia is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Jennifer L. McClellanD-VA-4 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 0.0%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Emporia city39100% of residents

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/5125808

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends