Census-designated place · Campbell County, Virginia

Rustburg, Virginia

Rustburg is a census-designated place in Campbell County, Virginia, part of the Lynchburg, VA metro area. It has 1,417 residents. Rustburg, Virginia has a quality-of-life score of 51 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #7,700 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Virginia it ranks #263 of 375 cities and towns. It ranks best on child care cost burden (low), high school diploma or higher (high) and natural hazard risk (low). It ranks worst on primary care physicians (low), rent as share of income (high) and dentists (low).

51Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #7,700 of 15,651 cities and towns
Virginia: #263 of 375 in VA
Population: 1,417 (2020-2024)
Land area: 13 mi²
Density: 113.3 /mi²
FIPS code: 5169536

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

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

Safety34#10,374/15,637
Economy55#7,073/15,631
Housing34#9,891/14,977
Health38#9,601/15,609
Healthcare12#13,780/15,650
Environment96#617/15,453
Education97#482/15,649
Infrastructure40#9,355/15,650
Community64#5,596/15,651
Leisure & amenities32#10,709/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Rustburg, Virginia ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Campbell 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 · low18.0%
98/100Virginia 24.4%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCampbell County value
High school diploma or higher · high99.4%
92/100Virginia 91.6%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Natural hazard risk · low6.0
90/100Virginia 17.92025Federal Emergency Management AgencyCampbell County value
Job growth · high2.3%
90/100Virginia -0.2%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataCampbell County value
Students per teacher · low11.7×
87/100Virginia 13.4×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsCampbell County value
Math scores · high3.34
86/100Virginia 3.27United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCampbell County value

Weaknesses

Primary care physicians · low13 /100k
2/100Virginia 76 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCampbell County value
Rent as share of income · high51.0%
2/100Virginia 29.4%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071At least this value: the publisher's top bracket is open-ended
Dentists · low16 /100k
3/100Virginia 76 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCampbell County value
Mental health providers · low36 /100k
3/100Virginia 284 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCampbell County value
Drought exposure · high91%
6/100Virginia 70%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAACampbell County value
Time spent in the emergency room · high234 min
7/100Virginia 164 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesCampbell County value

Trends

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

Child poverty rateWorsening
11.8% (2015-2019) → 52.6% (2020-2024)
+41 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Median household incomeImproving
$26,132 (2015-2019) → $72,950 (2020-2024)
+179%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
53.8% (2015-2019) → 87.6% (2020-2024)
+34 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
10.7% (2015-2019) → 38.7% (2020-2024)
+28 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
28.9% (2015-2019) → 51.0% (2020-2024)
+22 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
41.8% (2015-2019) → 62.4% (2020-2024)
+21 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%

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, Rustburg, Virginia improved on 4 of 8 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 3 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.

Improved4

Household income+179%$26,132 → $72,950
Bachelor's++28 points10.7% → 38.7%
High school++17 points82.5% → 99.4%
Broadband+34 points53.8% → 87.6%

Declined1

Rent / income+22 points28.9% → 51.0%

All 8 measures

Change of every measure of Rustburg, Virginia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	28.6 min2015-2019	18.8 min2020-2024	−9.8 min	Within the margin of error	98%
Bachelor's degree or higher	10.7%2015-2019	38.7%2020-2024	+28 points	Improved	100%
Broadband subscriptions	53.8%2015-2019	87.6%2020-2024	+34 points	Improved	99%
High school diploma or higher	82.5%2015-2019	99.4%2020-2024	+17 points	Improved	99%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4472015-2019	0.3622020-2024	−0.085	Within the margin of error	93%
Median household income	$26,1322015-2019	$72,9502020-2024	+179%	Improved	100%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	28.9%2015-2019	51.0%2020-2024	+22 points	Declined	2%

“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 Rustburg, Virginia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Rustburg, 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, Rustburg, Virginia itself moved +39.9 points in standing on average over the same 7 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

1,417 residents (±491)

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: 60–69 men (+19.1 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

1,417 residents (±491)

Rustburg, Virginia
Virginia share

White89%†1,268
Black7.0%†99
Hispanic or Latino0.7%†10

Education

1,043 residents (±371)

Rustburg, Virginia
Virginia share

No high school diploma0.6%†6
High school or GED36%†375
Some college21%†

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

589 households (±285)

Rustburg, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $25k16%†96
$25k–50k14%†85
$50k–75k48%†280
$75k–100k5.3%†31
$100k–150k7.0%†41
$150k–200k5.3%†31
$200k or more4.2%†25

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−26.0 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

589 households (±285)

Rustburg, Virginia
Virginia share

Own42%†245
Rent58%†344

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

141 households (±104)

Rustburg, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $75047%†66
$750–1,00030%†43
$1,000–1,50023%†32

Home values

245 homes (±105)

Rustburg, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $150k21%†51
$150k–250k28%†69
$250k–400k37%†90

Age of homes

706 homes (±298)

Rustburg, Virginia
Virginia share

2010 or later6.1%†43
2000–20097.5%†53
1980–19996.7%†47

Size of homes

706 homes (±298)

Rustburg, Virginia
Virginia share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom0.0%0
2 bedrooms38%†271

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

669 workers (±316)

Rustburg, Virginia
Virginia share

Drive alone48%†319
Carpool12%†81
Public transit0.0%0
Walk30%†203
Bike0.0%0
Work from home9.9%†66
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−35.6 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

603 workers (±292)

Rustburg, Virginia
Virginia share

Under 15 min39%†236
15–29 min31%†184
30–44 min18%†111

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

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Lynchburg, VA

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 Campbell County, the county holding most of Rustburg's residents.

Campbell County has 1,216 employer establishments, 220 for every 10,000 residents (0.89× the US rate of 248; 0.91× Virginia's), with 17,025 paid employees at an average annual pay of $55,829. The Census Bureau also counts 3,799 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,216; 3,799 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 220; US 248 · Virginia 241
Paid employees: 17,025
Average annual pay: $55,829; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	131	23.7	1.53×More than typical	1,612	$53,820	305
Restaurants and other eating places	69	12.5	0.68×Fewer than typical	1,478	$18,193	14
Religious organizations	65	11.8	2.12×More than typical	590	$23,790	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	57	10.3	1.53×More than typical	351	$31,325	290
Ambulatory health care services	55	9.9	0.48×Fewer than typical	536	$42,716	137
Building equipment contractors	53	9.6	1.59×More than typical	1,087	$55,460	78
Construction of buildings	50	9	1.20×About typical	178	$53,489	159
Lessors of real estate	49	8.9	0.72×Fewer than typical	114	$32,000	373
Automotive repair and maintenance	37	6.7	1.33×More than typical	159	$36,497	67
Limited-service restaurants	37	6.7	0.83×About typical	846	$19,364	7
Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors	37	6.7	2.03×More than typical	295	$54,244	36
Landscaping services	36	6.5	1.86×More than typical	178	$42,388	118

Rank places for an industry Open Campbell County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 55,308 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 $17.5K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Rustburg, Virginia: $12.32 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $17.5K; −63% vs FY2025
Per resident: $12.32; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 100%; 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 the Navy$17.5K100%

Top recipients

NTS TECHNICAL SYSTEMS, LLC$17.5K100%

Spending by fiscal year

7.5KFY2017
6.5KFY2018
147.2KFY2019
59.5KFY2020
170.6KFY2021
8.6KFY2022
39.7KFY2023
57.5KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$17.5K100%

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 Rustburg, Virginia, so they do not add up across cities.

Rustburg, Virginia's figures are part of those of Campbell County, VA ($5.6M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.3% of that total.

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

See federal money in Campbell 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.

Rustburg, 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.

Campbell County72100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Lynchburg, VA67

Other cities and towns in Campbell 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/5169536

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends