Iron Gate, Virginia Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 426, Iron Gate's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Iron Gate is a small community located in Virginia, within Alleghany County. The total population is 426. It ranks as the 502nd most populous out of 681 Census-designated places in Virginia.

Age Demographics

The median age in Iron Gate is 39.8 years. This is 2% higher than the state median of 39.0 years. 10.3% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Iron Gate is $70,000. This is 25% lower than the state median of $93,170. It is also 13% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 10.4%. This is 5% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. The unemployment rate is 16.9%. This is 296% higher than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $84,600. Housing costs are 78% lower than the state median of $383,700. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.2x, Iron Gate is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 91.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 37% higher than the state average of 67.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Iron Gate has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 90.1% of all residents. Black or African American residents account for 3.8%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (90.1% vs 58.4%). The Black or African American population (3.8%) is well below the state average of 18.3%. The Hispanic or Latino population (0.9%) is well below the state average of 11.0%.

Education

13.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 69% lower than the state rate of 42.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 85.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Iron Gate, Virginia is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Virginia state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 681 Census-designated places in Virginia. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.