Bedford, VA
Census place 5105544 · pop 7,724
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
34.6% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
41.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
18.0% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
85.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
18.9% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
10.6% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$70,288 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
27.9% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
12.2% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
69.2% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$222,500 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.41 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
20 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
2.9% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.53% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+17.7% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
27/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Not measured for Bedford: Crime, Air, Bad air, Property crime, Rent. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Bedford, VA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Bedford scores 55/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 17 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is natural disaster risk and its weakest is physical inactivity. Virginia overall ranks #14 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Bedford, VA expensive to live in?
- Bedford has a median home value of $222,500 — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Bedford, VA?
- Its weakest measured area is physical inactivity (34.6%) — 10/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Bedford, VA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is natural disaster risk (27/100) — 97/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.