Scores by category

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

Safety31#10,828/15,637
Economy29#11,154/15,631
Housing64#5,341/14,977
Health6#14,602/15,609
Healthcare6#14,728/15,650
Environment87#1,942/15,453
Education88#1,863/15,649
Infrastructure11#13,909/15,650
Community26#11,639/15,651
Leisure & amenities18#12,824/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Halifax, Virginia ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Halifax County 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

Child care cost burden · low22.4%
87/100Virginia 24.4%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHalifax County value
Effective property tax rate · low0.51%
87/100Virginia 0.78%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Drinking water violations · low0
86/100Virginia 0United States 02024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHalifax County value
Social associations · high13.8 /10k
85/100Virginia 11.1 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHalifax County value
Students per teacher · low12.1×
81/100Virginia 13.4×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsHalifax County value
Math scores · high3.23
76/100Virginia 3.27United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHalifax County value

Weaknesses

Preventable hospital stays · high4,756 /100k
3/100Virginia 2,649 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHalifax County value
Primary care shortage · high19.0
3/100Virginia 6.6United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationHalifax County value
Mental health care shortage · high19.0
4/100Virginia 14.8United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationHalifax County value
Premature death · high14,479 /100k
5/100Virginia 7,587 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHalifax County value
Drought exposure · high91%
6/100Virginia 70%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAHalifax County value
Dental care shortage · high18.0
6/100Virginia 6.1United States 5.7Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationHalifax County value

Trends

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

PopulationRising
1,299 (2015-2019) → 1,496 (2020-2024)
+15%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
63.0% (2015-2019) → 82.4% (2020-2024)
+19 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
32.3% (2015-2019) → 19.8% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
53.0% (2015-2019) → 40.6% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
28.4% (2015-2019) → 36.7% (2020-2024)
+8.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Child poverty rateWorsening
6.5% (2015-2019) → 11.9% (2020-2024)
+5.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%

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, Halifax, Virginia improved on 2 of 10 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 8 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.

Improved2

Broadband+19 points63.0% → 82.4%
Bachelor's++8.3 points28.4% → 36.7%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 10 measures

Change of every measure of Halifax, Virginia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	22.4 min2015-2019	18.4 min2020-2024	−4.0 min	Within the margin of error	85%
Bachelor's degree or higher	28.4%2015-2019	36.7%2020-2024	+8.3 points	Improved	85%
Broadband subscriptions	63.0%2015-2019	82.4%2020-2024	+19 points	Improved	89%
Effective property tax rate	0.57%2015-2019	0.51%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	27%
High school diploma or higher	85.2%2015-2019	88.1%2020-2024	+2.9 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Home price to income ratio	3.2×2015-2019	3.9×2020-2024	+0.8×	Within the margin of error	33%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4442015-2019	0.4532020-2024	+0.009	Within the margin of error	42%
Median household income	$49,6882015-2019	$55,7922020-2024	+12%	Within the margin of error	20%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent-burdened households	53.0%2015-2019	40.6%2020-2024	−12 points	Within the margin of error	86%

“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 Halifax, Virginia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Halifax, 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, Halifax, Virginia itself moved +6.2 points in standing on average over the same 9 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

1,496 residents (±361)

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: 30–39 women (−5.3 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

1,496 residents (±361)

Halifax, Virginia
Virginia share

White66%981
Black29%†436
Hispanic or Latino0.8%†12
Asian1.7%†26
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%0
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races2.7%†41

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

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

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

1,139 residents (±276)

Halifax, Virginia
Virginia share

No high school diploma12%†136
High school or GED29%†334
Some college14%†155
Associate degree8.4%†96
Bachelor's degree20%†232
Graduate degree16%†186

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

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

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View 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.

Income

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

Household income

619 households (±134)

Halifax, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $25k21%†129
$25k–50k25%†153
$50k–75k15%†94
$75k–100k8.1%†50
$100k–150k19%†117
$150k–200k7.1%†44
$200k or more5.2%†32

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

† 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

619 households (±134)

Halifax, Virginia
Virginia share

Own72%446
Rent28%†173

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

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

Table view

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

Rent paid

173 households (±67)

Halifax, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $75069%†120
$750–1,00013%†23
$1,000–1,50013%†22

Home values

446 homes (±118)

Halifax, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $150k26%†115
$150k–250k35%†154
$250k–400k18%†81

Age of homes

708 homes (±145)

Halifax, Virginia
Virginia share

2010 or later2.0%†14
2000–200911%†77
1980–199915%†105

Size of homes

708 homes (±145)

Halifax, Virginia
Virginia share

Studio2.5%†18
1 bedroom5.5%†39
2 bedrooms21%†149

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

607 workers (±227)

Halifax, Virginia
Virginia share

Drive alone70%†427
Carpool9.2%†56
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.0%0
Work from home20%†122
Other0.3%†2

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

† 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

485 workers (±157)

Halifax, Virginia
Virginia share

Under 15 min48%†231
15–29 min32%†154
30–44 min9.7%†47

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 Halifax County, the county holding most of Halifax's residents.

Halifax County has 656 employer establishments, 196 for every 10,000 residents (0.79× the US rate of 248; 0.81× Virginia's), with 9,748 paid employees at an average annual pay of $47,509. The Census Bureau also counts 2,052 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 656; 2,052 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 196; US 248 · Virginia 241
Paid employees: 9,748
Average annual pay: $47,509; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	55	16.4	0.79×Fewer than typical	575	$69,762	96
Religious organizations	46	13.7	2.48×More than typical	171	$14,146	—
Restaurants and other eating places	43	12.8	0.70×Fewer than typical	806	$16,043	15
Specialty trade contractors	41	12.2	0.79×Fewer than typical	375	$61,520	181
Truck transportation	29	8.7	1.71×More than typical	439	$55,036	64
Limited-service restaurants	25	7.5	0.93×About typical	544	$14,686	9
Offices of physicians	24	7.2	1.11×About typical	206	$122,675	15
Automotive repair and maintenance	19	5.7	1.13×About typical	77	$45,494	64
Construction of buildings	19	5.7	0.75×Fewer than typical	98	$51,439	76
Building equipment contractors	17	5.1	0.84×About typical	291	$64,749	34
Full-service restaurants	17	5.1	0.66×Fewer than typical	256	$18,992	3
Grocery and convenience stores	16	4.8	1.61×More than typical	270	$20,948	9

Rank places for an industry Open Halifax County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 33,470 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 $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Halifax, Virginia: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; 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

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

797.5FY2017
19.5FY2019
2KFY2022

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 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 Halifax, Virginia, so they do not add up across cities.

Halifax, Virginia's figures are part of those of Halifax County, VA ($764.3K in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

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

See federal money in Halifax County

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.

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

House

John J. McGuire IIIR-VA-5 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 1.6%

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.

Halifax County31100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Halifax County

Largest first.

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
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/5134064