Buena Vista County Demographics

A map of Buena Vista County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	5,583	5,660	84.7%	85.2%
Multiracial	661	358	10.0%	5.4%
Native American/Other	138	81	2.1%	1.2%
Black	134	289	2.0%	4.4%
Asian	62	24	0.9%	0.4%
Hispanic	15	229	0.2%	3.4%

Buena Vista County, Virginia has an estimated population of 6,593, a less than 1% change from the 6,641 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 84.7% White, 10.0% Multiracial, 2.1% Native American/Other, 2.0% Black, 0.9% Asian, and 0.2% Hispanic. This demographic dot map shows the population of Buena Vista County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Buena Vista is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Virginia overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Buena Vista County, that probability was 26.8% in 2020 and 27.2% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Buena Vista County is ranked the 125th most populous county in Virginia, out of 133 counties. Buena Vista County was ranked the 124th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Buena Vista County's White Population

5,583 residents of Buena Vista County, or 84.7% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Buena Vista County is significantly higher than in Virginia overall, where 58.4% of the population is White. Buena Vista County ranks 30th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Buena Vista County's White population has declined by an estimated 1.4%. White residents' share of Buena Vista County's population has decreased from 85.2% to 84.7%.

Buena Vista County is more White than neighboring Lexington County (78.2% White), Amherst County (73.7% White), and Lynchburg County (59.9% White). Buena Vista County is less White than neighboring Rockbridge County (89.4% White), and Bedford County (85% White).

Buena Vista County's Black Population

134 residents of Buena Vista County, or 2.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Buena Vista County is significantly lower than in Virginia overall, where 18.3% of the population is Black. Buena Vista County ranks 104th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Buena Vista County's Black population has declined by an estimated 53.6%. Black residents' share of Buena Vista County's population has decreased from 4.4% to 2.0%.

Buena Vista County is less Black than neighboring Lexington County (5.8% Black), Rockbridge County (2.6% Black), Amherst County (16.9% Black), Lynchburg County (27% Black), and Bedford County (6.3% Black).

Buena Vista County's Asian Population

62 residents of Buena Vista County, or 0.9% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Buena Vista County is lower than in Virginia overall, where 6.9% of the population is Asian. Buena Vista County ranks 110th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Buena Vista County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 158.3%. Asian residents' share of Buena Vista County's population has increased from 0.4% to 0.9%.

Buena Vista County is more Asian than neighboring Amherst County (0.7% Asian). Buena Vista County is less Asian than neighboring Lexington County (3.5% Asian), Lynchburg County (2.2% Asian), and Bedford County (1.3% Asian).

Buena Vista County's Hispanic Population

15 residents of Buena Vista County, or 0.2% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Buena Vista County is considerably lower than in Virginia overall, where 11% of the population is Hispanic. Buena Vista County ranks 80th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Buena Vista County's Hispanic population has declined by an estimated 93.4%. Hispanic residents' share of Buena Vista County's population has decreased from 3.4% to 0.2%.

Buena Vista County is less Hispanic than neighboring Lexington County (6.3% Hispanic), Rockbridge County (2.3% Hispanic), Amherst County (2.9% Hispanic), Lynchburg County (5.1% Hispanic), and Bedford County (2.8% Hispanic).

Buena Vista County's Native American/Other Population

138 residents of Buena Vista County, or 2.1% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Buena Vista County is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Buena Vista County ranks 10th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Buena Vista County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 70.4%. Native American/Other residents' share of Buena Vista County's population has increased from 1.2% to 2.1%.

Buena Vista County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Lexington County (0.3% Native American/Other), Rockbridge County (1.4% Native American/Other), Amherst County (1.3% Native American/Other), Lynchburg County (1.4% Native American/Other), and Bedford County (1.2% Native American/Other).

Buena Vista County's Multiracial Population

661 residents of Buena Vista County, or 10.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Buena Vista County is higher than in Virginia overall, where 4.7% of the population is Multiracial. Buena Vista County ranks 13th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Buena Vista County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 84.6%. Multiracial residents' share of Buena Vista County's population has increased from 5.4% to 10.0%.

Buena Vista County is more Multiracial than neighboring Lexington County (5.9% Multiracial), Rockbridge County (3.5% Multiracial), Amherst County (4.4% Multiracial), Lynchburg County (4.4% Multiracial), and Bedford County (3.4% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.