Wilson Warehouse · National Register of Historic Places
Buchanan’s story
194 years in pictures
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1832Buchanan is settled
BuchananVA
A town of 1,367, settled in 1832. Public schools that outperform most of Virginia.
Photo: DwayneP (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,367
+1.5% since 2010
Typical home
$219K
+4.5% in a year
Household income
$54K
median
Median age
43.2
years
Jobs based here
277
A commuter town
What makes Buchanan stand out
The 3 things Buchanan does most differently from other towns.
Small town
1,367 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Buchanan’s report card
Now in Buchanan
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Live in Buchanan? Is an A+ for its schools right?
Your answer becomes a post in Buchanan’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →66°
Clear
H 80° · L 46°
Local news
All →- Honey Bee Festival returns to BuchananWDBJ7 · Sep 27
- Radford vs Away - Girls Middle School Volleyball 09/17/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 17
- Bank of Botetourt Buchanan VA's Dividend AnalysisYahoo Finance · Aug 10
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
Nearby attractions
All 6 attractions →Blue Ridge Parkway and 2 more within 40 miles
The big draws around Buchanan: national parks, ski areas and well-known sights. Close and well known come first.
3 mi🛣 ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
Big draw40 mi🌲 Park & preserveAppalachian Trail3.0M visitors a year
28 mi🏞 National MonumentBooker T. Washington National Monument22K visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Appalachian Trail: Paulba. Original uploader was Paulbalegend at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Booker T. Washington National Monument: National Park Service Digital Image Archives, Public domain
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Buchanan. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Buchanan’s public schools outperform 96% of Virginia districts
The public schools Buchanan’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 96% of Virginia’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
A+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buchanan Elementary | PK–5 | 276 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduationAll 1 schools →
Housing
A typical Buchanan home is worth about $219K
The typical Buchanan home is worth about $219,000, up 4.5% in a year, 47% below the Virginia typical home.
$219KZillow home value
Typical home value
Buchanan$219K
Virginia$415K
+4.5%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in March
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Natural hazards
Very high risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 80% of U.S. communities.
80risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
56
paid flood claims since 1978
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Buchanan
Most working residents leave Buchanan for work: only 2% work in town. The top destinations are Roanoke (18%), Fincastle (8%) and Hollins (6%). Half commute less than 21 miles.
2%work in town
Where working residents work
In Buchanan2%
Roanoke18%
Fincastle8%
Hollins6%
Salem6%
21 mi
median commute distance
277
jobs based in Buchanan
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Buchanan has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
11″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter28–48°
Spring43–68°
Summer63–85°
Fall46–68°
Oct 31
typical first frost
Apr 8
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Who lives here
An age mix much like Virginia’s, and fewer college graduates
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Virginia average. 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 42% across Virginia.
43.2median age · VA 39
BuchananVirginiaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
15%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school36%
Some college22%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s15%
Graduate14%
| Buchanan | VA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.3% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.8% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.4% | 13.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.2% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.4% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.5% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.4% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.1% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.3% | 8.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36.1% | 23.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.8% | 17.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.6% | 7.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.1% | 23.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14% | 18.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several pointsBy the numbers →
Health
Healthier than 45% of U.S. towns
Buchanan beats the Virginia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
C+Health Grade
32 measures vs. Virginia
0 better28 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Buchanan | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8% | 6.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.3% | 7.7% |
| More adults with depression | 25.8% | 21.8% |
Centra Bedford Memorial Hospital
15.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
40th
percentile among VA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
0% of Buchanan is conserved land
3.1 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,411 acres
3.1 mi
of trails · 1.4 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Buchanan for work
Where Buchanan’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
277jobs based in Buchanan
2%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
3 places in Buchanan on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Buchanan
Town in Virginia, United States
Buchanan ( bə-KAN-ən) is a town in Botetourt County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,196 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Roanoke metropolitan area. It was the western terminus of the James River and Kanawha Canal when construction on the canal ended.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1832
- Population
- 1,196
- Area
- 2.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 850 ft
- ZIP code
- 24066
- Area code
- 540
More about Buchanan
Still missing for Buchanan:archive photosupcoming events