Blackwater, VA · standard
ZIP Code 24221
Lee County, Virginia - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 938
- 7/sq mi Low-density area
- $47,788
- Median income Below-median income area
- $119,500
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 13.9%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Blackwater pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 12th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 16th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 7
- people per sq mi
- 99%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 24221 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 24221 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Blackwater, Lee County, Virginia, home to just 938 residents across 132.1 square miles, a density of 7 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 24221 reports a modest median household income of $47,788 (44% below the average Virginia ZIP), while per-capita income is $29,513. The poverty rate is 16.7%, with unemployment at 0.6%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $119,500 (64% below the average Virginia ZIP); owner occupancy is 99.0%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 13.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 59.4, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 6 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Lee County, so 24221 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 24221, Blackwater, VA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
938
Population
132.1
Area (sq mi)
7
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 24221?
59.4
Median Age
50.4%
Male
49.6%
Female
0.0%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$47,788
Median Household Income
-44% vs state ZIP avg
$29,513
Per Capita Income
16.7%
Poverty Rate
0.6%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 24221 ranks among Virginia ZIPs
Blackwater, VA household income vs. every Virginia ZIP code
Median household income among 804 reporting Virginia ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$47,788 12th percentile higher than 12% of 804 Virginia ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Virginia ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
380housing units
380
Total Housing Units
286
Occupied Units
94
Vacant Units
2.21
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$119,500
Median Home Value
-64% vs state ZIP avg
1989
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 24221 vs 37731 →
ZIP 24221 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 24263
Jonesville (24263)
7,950 residents
- 24277
Pennington Gap (24277)
5,849 residents
- 37873
Surgoinsville (37873)
4,073 residents
- 24243 2,222
Dryden (24243)
2,222 residents
- 24221 938
Blackwater (24221)
938 residents
- 37731 711
Eidson (37731)
711 residents
- 37765 546
Kyles Ford (37765)
546 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 24221 ranks #5 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 24221 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 37731
Eidson (37731)
$53,105 median income
- 24243
Dryden (24243)
$52,308 median income
- 24221
Blackwater (24221)
$47,788 median income
- 37873
Surgoinsville (37873)
$44,390 median income
- 24263
Jonesville (24263)
$39,364 median income
- 24277
Pennington Gap (24277)
$31,737 median income
- 37765
Kyles Ford (37765)
$23,289 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 24221 ranks #3 of 7 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 24221, both outside VA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Lee County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 24221 in?
ZIP code 24221 (Blackwater) is located in Lee County, Virginia. Lee County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/lee-va.
What is the population of ZIP code 24221?
ZIP code 24221 in Blackwater, VA has a population of 938 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 24221?
The median household income in ZIP 24221 is $47,788, which is 37% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 24221?
The median home value in ZIP 24221 is $119,500, which is 57% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 24221?
The largest racial group in ZIP 24221 is White at 96.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.7% of the population.
What is the education level in ZIP code 24221?
In ZIP code 24221, 39.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 13.9% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 24221?
In ZIP code 24221, approximately 99.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 1.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 24221?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 24221 is 16.7% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 24221's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 24221 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Blackwater, VA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.