Census-designated place · Accomack County, Virginia

Wattsville, Virginia

Wattsville is a census-designated place in Accomack County, Virginia. It has 1,439 residents. Wattsville, Virginia has a quality-of-life score of 43 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #8,955 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Virginia it ranks #291 of 375 cities and towns. It ranks best on restaurants and bars (high), effective property tax rate (low) and income inequality (Gini index) (low). It ranks worst on mental health care shortage (high), natural hazard risk (high) and dental care shortage (high).

43Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #8,955 of 15,651 cities and towns
Virginia: #291 of 375 in VA
Population: 1,439 (2020-2024)
Land area: 4 mi²
Density: 335.5 /mi²
FIPS code: 5183568

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.

Safety40#9,337/15,637
Economy39#9,534/15,631
Housing75#3,782/14,977
Health29#11,057/15,609
Healthcare20#12,510/15,650
Environment75#3,791/15,453
Education33#10,485/15,649
Infrastructure39#9,496/15,650
Community43#8,922/15,651
Leisure & amenities73#4,156/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Restaurants and bars · high15.4 /10k
95/100Virginia 8.4 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAccomack County value
Effective property tax rate · low0.49%
88/100Virginia 0.78%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090High uncertainty
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.331
88/100Virginia 0.472United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Drinking water violations · low0
86/100Virginia 0United States 02024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAccomack County value
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low6.4 µg/m³
84/100Virginia 7.3 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAccomack County value
Students per teacher · low12.0×
84/100Virginia 13.4×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsAccomack County value

Weaknesses

Mental health care shortage · high19.0
4/100Virginia 14.8United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationAccomack County value
Natural hazard risk · high94.6
6/100Virginia 17.92025Federal Emergency Management AgencyAccomack County value
Dental care shortage · high18.0
6/100Virginia 6.1United States 5.7Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationAccomack County value
Access to exercise opportunities · low41.6%
6/100Virginia 83.8%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAccomack County value
Job growth · low-2.6%
9/100Virginia -0.2%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataAccomack County value
Primary care shortage · high17.0
9/100Virginia 6.6United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationAccomack County value

Trends

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

PopulationRising
998 (2015-2019) → 1,439 (2020-2024)
+44%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
61.1% (2015-2019) → 93.2% (2020-2024)
+32 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$28,418 (2015-2019) → $69,380 (2020-2024)
+144%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Bachelor's degree or higherWorsening
28.3% (2015-2019) → 13.9% (2020-2024)
−14 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Home price to income ratioImproving
5.6× (2015-2019) → 2.7× (2020-2024)
−53%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
High school diploma or higherImproving
82.7% (2015-2019) → 91.7% (2020-2024)
+9 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, Wattsville, Virginia improved on 3 of 7 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 4 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+144%$28,418 → $69,380
Price / income−3.0×5.6× → 2.7×
Broadband+32 points61.1% → 93.2%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 7 measures

Change of every measure of Wattsville, Virginia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Broadband subscriptions	61.1%2015-2019	93.2%2020-2024	+32 points	Improved	98%
Child poverty rate	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	42%
High school diploma or higher	82.7%2015-2019	91.7%2020-2024	+9 points	Within the margin of error	94%
Home price to income ratio	5.6×2015-2019	2.7×2020-2024	−3.0×	Improved	100%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3062015-2019	0.3312020-2024	+0.025	Within the margin of error	30%
Median household income	$28,4182015-2019	$69,3802020-2024	+144%	Improved	100%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%

“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 Wattsville, Virginia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Wattsville, 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.

No place that looked like Wattsville, Virginia five years ago has more measures that improved than declined, with a higher standing among its peers today.

For comparison, Wattsville, Virginia itself moved +37.8 points in standing on average over the same 5 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

1,439 residents (±444)

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: 80 and over women (−14.1 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

1,439 residents (±444)

Wattsville, Virginia
Virginia share

White53%†769
Black33%†482
Hispanic or Latino10%†

Education

986 residents (±324)

Wattsville, Virginia
Virginia share

No high school diploma8.3%†82
High school or GED41%†406
Some college20%†

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

592 households (±198)

Wattsville, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $25k20%†120
$25k–50k1.7%†10
$50k–75k33%†197
$75k–100k22%†129
$100k–150k11%†68
$150k–200k9.0%†53
$200k or more2.5%†15

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−35.7 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 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

592 households (±198)

Wattsville, Virginia
Virginia share

Own66%†388
Rent34%†204

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

129 households (±95)

Wattsville, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $7500.0%0
$750–1,00053%†69
$1,000–1,50023%†30

Home values

388 homes (±179)

Wattsville, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $150k26%†101
$150k–250k50%†195
$250k–400k22%†84

Age of homes

674 homes (±225)

Wattsville, Virginia
Virginia share

2010 or later1.2%†8
2000–200927%†181
1980–199928%†186

Size of homes

674 homes (±225)

Wattsville, Virginia
Virginia share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom0.0%0
2 bedrooms45%†303

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

700 workers (±268)

Wattsville, Virginia
Virginia share

Drive alone69%†486
Carpool0.3%†2
Public transit0.0%0
Walk5.6%†39
Bike0.0%0
Work from home3.7%†26
Other21%†147

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

674 workers (±275)

Wattsville, Virginia
Virginia share

Under 15 min24%†159
15–29 min54%†362
30–44 min17%†114

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 Accomack County, the county holding most of Wattsville's residents.

Accomack County has 711 employer establishments, 212 for every 10,000 residents (0.85× the US rate of 248; 0.88× Virginia's), with 9,186 paid employees at an average annual pay of $39,303. The Census Bureau also counts 2,662 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 711; 2,662 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 212; US 248 · Virginia 241
Paid employees: 9,186
Average annual pay: $39,303; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	66	19.7	1.07×About typical	656	$27,500	17
Specialty trade contractors	44	13.1	0.85×About typical	181	$50,691	226
Lessors of real estate	40	11.9	0.97×About typical	112	$40,652	282
Full-service restaurants	36	10.7	1.40×More than typical	388	$27,250	7
Ambulatory health care services	35	10.4	0.50×Fewer than typical	484	$54,281	90
Religious organizations	31	9.3	1.67×More than typical	70	$18,657	—
Gasoline stations	29	8.7	2.67×More than typical	275	$27,702	—
Construction of buildings	28	8.4	1.11×About typical	97	$39,825	117
Traveler accommodation	26	7.8	4.30×More than typical	324	$26,093	11
Limited-service restaurants	22	6.6	0.82×About typical	232	$26,056	5
Building equipment contractors	21	6.3	1.04×About typical	90	$49,000	44
Automotive repair and maintenance	20	6	1.19×About typical	68	$56,353	48

Rank places for an industry Open Accomack County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 33,510 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 $33.7M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Wattsville, Virginia: $23,413 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $33.7M; −35% vs FY2025
Per resident: $23,413; US $1,994
Sole-source: 2.5%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.6%; 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

National Aeronautics and Space Administration$23.1M68%
Department of the Navy$9.9M29%
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration$514.5K1.5%
Defense Information Systems Agency$170.6K0.5%
Office of the Secretary$27.3K0.1%
Defense Logistics Agency$9,1320.0%
U.S. Coast Guard$7,9030.0%
Federal Acquisition Service$7,7610.0%

Top recipients

PERATON INC.$10.6M31%
BAE SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS & SERVICES INC.$7.2M21%
KBR WYLE SERVICES, LLC$6.6M20%
T-SOLUTIONS, INC.$2.5M7.4%
CHENEGA GLOBAL PROTECTION, LLC$1.9M5.6%

Spending by fiscal year

40MFY2017
50.2MFY2018
49.3MFY2019
47.9MFY2020
51.1MFY2021
44.7MFY2022
50.7MFY2023
51.2M

Top industries (NAICS)

Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$20.7M61%
Other telecommunications · 5179$6.6M20%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$3M9.0%
Other support services · 5619$1.1M3.4%
Investigation and security services · 5616$741.3K2.2%
Communications equipment manufacturing · 3342

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

Wattsville, Virginia's figures are part of those of Accomack County, VA ($117.7M in FY2026), never added to them: 29% of that total.

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

See federal money in Accomack 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.

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

House

Jennifer A. KiggansR-VA-2 · 100% of residentsWith party 95%Missed 1.8%

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.

Accomack County38100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Accomack 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/5183568

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends