Town · Mecklenburg County, Virginia

South Hill, Virginia

South Hill is a town in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. It has 4,786 residents. South Hill, Virginia has a quality-of-life score of 40 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #9,318 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Virginia it ranks #296 of 375 cities and towns. It ranks best on students per teacher (low), social associations (high) and pharmacies (high). It ranks worst on traffic deaths (high), mental health care shortage (high) and premature death (high).

40Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #9,318 of 15,651 cities and towns
Virginia: #296 of 375 in VA
Population: 4,786 (2020-2024)
Land area: 10 mi²
Density: 485.6 /mi²
FIPS code: 5173904

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 74 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.

Safety21#12,369/15,637
Economy41#9,152/15,631
Housing70#4,516/14,977
Health10#14,115/15,609
Healthcare34#10,402/15,650
Environment83#2,571/15,453
Education85#2,317/15,649
Infrastructure12#13,777/15,650
Community37#9,857/15,651
Leisure & amenities59#6,465/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Students per teacher · low7.8×
100/100Virginia 13.4×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsMecklenburg County value
Social associations · high17.3 /10k
95/100Virginia 11.1 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMecklenburg County value
Pharmacies · high2.9 /10k
95/100Virginia 1.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMecklenburg County value
Math scores · high3.34
86/100Virginia 3.27United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMecklenburg County value
Drinking water violations · low0
86/100Virginia 0United States 02024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMecklenburg County value
Grocery stores · high2.3 /10k
83/100Virginia 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMecklenburg County value

Weaknesses

Traffic deaths · high37.4 /100k
4/100Virginia 10.7 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataMecklenburg County value
Mental health care shortage · high19.0
4/100Virginia 14.8United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationMecklenburg County value
Premature death · high13,521 /100k
7/100Virginia 7,587 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMecklenburg County value
Adult obesity · high43.4%
8/100Virginia 38.3%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Drought exposure · high85%
8/100Virginia 70%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAMecklenburg County value
Broadband subscriptions · low81.6%
9/100Virginia 91.0%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002

Trends

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

PopulationRising
4,377 (2015-2019) → 4,786 (2020-2024)
+9.3%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Median household incomeImproving
$32,765 (2015-2019) → $66,023 (2020-2024)
+102%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
61.5% (2015-2019) → 81.6% (2020-2024)
+20 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
17.7% (2015-2019) → 3.5% (2020-2024)
−14 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Child poverty rateImproving
31.0% (2015-2019) → 18.9% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
High school diploma or higherImproving
77.0% (2015-2019) → 88.4% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%

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, South Hill, Virginia improved on 3 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 9 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.

Improved3

Household income+102%$32,765 → $66,023
Uninsured−14 points17.7% → 3.5%
Broadband+20 points61.5% → 81.6%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of South Hill, Virginia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	15.7 min2015-2019	19.3 min2020-2024	+3.6 min	Within the margin of error	16%
Bachelor's degree or higher	24.2%2015-2019	27.6%2020-2024	+3.4 points	Within the margin of error	55%
Broadband subscriptions	61.5%2015-2019	81.6%2020-2024	+20 points	Improved	90%
Effective property tax rate	0.79%2015-2019	0.76%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	22%
High school diploma or higher	77.0%2015-2019	88.4%2020-2024	+11 points	Within the margin of error	97%
Home price to income ratio	4.7×2015-2019	3.7×2020-2024	−1.0×	Within the margin of error	98%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5062015-2019	0.6022020-2024	+0.096	Within the margin of error	5%
Median household income	$32,7652015-2019	$66,0232020-2024	+102%	Improved	98%
Poverty rate	23.5%2015-2019	15.3%2020-2024	−8.2 points	Within the margin of error	90%
Rent as share of income	31.0%2015-2019	20.1%2020-2024	−11 points	Within the margin of error	94%
Rent-burdened households	51.7%2015-2019	41.5%2020-2024	−10 points	Within the margin of error	83%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	17.7%2015-2019	3.5%2020-2024	−14 points	Improved	99%

“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 South Hill, Virginia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of South Hill, 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, South Hill, Virginia itself moved +15.6 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

4,786 residents (±32)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

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

Household income

2,314 households (±199)

South Hill, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $25k21%†495
$25k–50k19%†446
$50k–75k

Homes

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

Owners and renters

2,314 households (±199)

South Hill, Virginia
Virginia share

Own54%1,251
Rent46%1,063

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

2,375 workers (±236)

South Hill, Virginia
Virginia share

Drive alone86%2,039
Carpool6.9%†163
Public transit0.2%†4

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 Mecklenburg County, the county holding most of South Hill's residents.

Mecklenburg County has 793 employer establishments, 259 for every 10,000 residents (1.04× the US rate of 248; 1.07× Virginia's), with 9,366 paid employees at an average annual pay of $44,855. The Census Bureau also counts 1,843 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 793; 1,843 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 259; US 248 · Virginia 241
Paid employees: 9,366
Average annual pay: $44,855; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	55	18	0.86×About typical	511	$75,511	49
Restaurants and other eating places	52	17	0.92×About typical	1,009	$19,388	9
Specialty trade contractors	45	14.7	0.95×About typical	335	$48,952	147
Religious organizations	41	13.4	2.41×More than typical	160	$16,806	—
Gasoline stations	33	10.8	3.33×More than typical	296	$26,740	—
Lessors of real estate	32	10.5	0.85×About typical	67	$53,060	206
Limited-service restaurants	29	9.5	1.18×About typical	584	$17,966	6
Automotive repair and maintenance	28	9.1	1.82×More than typical	104	$35,712	52
Construction of buildings	26	8.5	1.12×About typical	69	$44,188	74
Truck transportation	23	7.5	1.49×More than typical	120	$45,758	69
Full-service restaurants	21	6.9	0.89×About typical	407	$21,631	—
Offices of physicians	20	6.5	1.01×About typical	218	$101,106	10

Rank places for an industry Open Mecklenburg County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 30,610 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 -$590 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in South Hill, Virginia: -$0.12 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: -$590; −123% vs FY2025
Per resident: -$0.12; 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

CUTTING EDGE TACTICAL, INC.-$5900.0%

Spending by fiscal year

16.6KFY2017
12.2KFY2018
11.9KFY2019
13.7KFY2020
10.9KFY2021
1.6KFY2022
3.6KFY2023
2.6KFY2024
2.5K

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 South Hill, Virginia, so they do not add up across cities.

South Hill, Virginia's figures are part of those of Mecklenburg County, VA ($2.1M 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: South Hill is mostly in Mecklenburg County.

See federal money in Mecklenburg 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.

South Hill, 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.

Mecklenburg County46100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Mecklenburg 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
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/5173904

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends