Staunton, Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Staunton is located in Virginia with a total population of 25,765. It is the 67th most populous county out of 133 in Virginia.

Age Demographics

The median age in Staunton is 41.0 years. This is 6% higher than the state median of 38.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Staunton is $62,586. This is 31% lower than the state median of $90,974. It is also 20% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 12.6%. This is 27% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. The unemployment rate is 5.0%. This is 17% higher than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $239,300. Housing costs are 34% lower than the state median of $360,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.8x. 59.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 11% lower than the state average of 67.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Staunton is White (non-Hispanic), making up 78.9% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 10.0%. The Hispanic or Latino population (4.4%) is well below the state average of 10.7%. The Asian population (1.5%) is well below the state average of 6.8%.

Education

35.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 15% lower than the state rate of 41.5%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 93.7%. Notably, 16.1% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Staunton come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Virginia and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.