A town of 1,448, settled in 1874. A regional job hub with 3,212 jobs.
The 3 things Chatham does most differently from other towns.
18 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 8 places on the National Register.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Be the first to start the conversation.
Nothing on the calendar.
Ordered by what stands out in Chatham. Another town gets a different order.
Most working residents leave Chatham for work: only 17% work in town. The top destinations are Danville (19%), Greensboro (3%) and Lynchburg (3%). Half commute less than 18 miles.
The typical Chatham home is worth about $174,000, up 3.2% in a year, 58% below the Virginia typical home.
Chatham beats the Virginia average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 21.
| What stands out | Chatham | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.5% | 76.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.4% | 11.1% |
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 17% of U.S. communities.
The public schools Chatham’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 70% of Virginia’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hargrave Military Academy Private | 7–12 | 146 | |
| Victory Academy/Ready for Success | — | Not graded |
Chatham has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
Chatham's reported crime rate is well below Virginia's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. No violent crimes were reported in 2025.
0.8 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Frances Hurt Park | — | 3 |
| 2. Silas Moore Park | — | 2 |
Where Chatham’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
8 places in Chatham on the National Register of Historic Places.
15 notable people were born in Chatham.
Town in Virginia, United States
Chatham is a town in and county seat of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, United States. Chatham's population was 1,232 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Danville, Virginia metropolitan area. The town was originally called Competition, but the name was changed to Chatham by the Virginia General Assembly on May 1, 1852. Chatham is home to Chatham High School, Hargrave Military Academy, and Chatham Hall, an all-female boarding high school.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
