South Boston, VA
Census place 5173712 · pop 7,853
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
73.5% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$44,052 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
26.9% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
36.0% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
42.8% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
18.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
50.8% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.48 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
21.2% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
18.5% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
11.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+1.2% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
3.8% 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 $214,900 · better than most cities
$171,200 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
44/100 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.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.47% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
16 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
Not measured for South Boston: 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 South Boston, VA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, South Boston scores 40/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 17 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is commute time and its weakest is broadband access. 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 South Boston, VA expensive to live in?
- South Boston has a median home value of $171,200 — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in South Boston, VA?
- Its weakest measured area is broadband access (73.5%) — 1/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is South Boston, VA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is commute time (16 min) — 94/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.