24526 ZIP Code — Big Island, VA

Bedford County, Virginia

ZIP code 24526 is located in Big Island, Virginia, within Bedford County. It covers approximately 70.91 square miles and serves a population of 1,498 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 434.

About ZIP code 24526

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $219,000. Owner-occupancy is high at 82%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $68,585. The poverty rate of 3% is below the national average. 43% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 28 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 21% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 13% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 24526 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,498

population

70.91

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

24526 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 24526

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 24526. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Big Island	Acceptable
Big Island	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

24536 Coleman Falls (5.5 mi) 24579 Natural Bridge Station (7.4 mi) 24574 Monroe (10.1 mi) 24503 Lynchburg (10.7 mi) 24555 Glasgow (10.9 mi) 24556 Goode (10.9 mi) 24551 Forest (12.4 mi) 24570 Lowry (12.4 mi) 24578 Natural Bridge (12.8 mi) 24416 Buena Vista (14.2 mi) 24066 Buchanan (14.5 mi) 24523 Bedford (14.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,498
Population density	21 / sq mi
State FIPS	51
County FIPS	019

Geography
Land area	70.91 sq mi
Water area	0.91 sq mi
Latitude	37.5290
Longitude	-79.4044
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	434

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.5%	35.0%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	43.2%	35.9%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	14.0%	23.0%	26.3%
Over $200k	0.3%	6.0%	11.6%

Demographics & statistics

1,498

Population

People per sq mi

42.6

Median age

$68,585

Median household income

$31,302

Per capita income

$219,000

Median home value

$832

Median monthly rent

82.2%

Home ownership

3.3%

Poverty rate

0.0%

Unemployment

603

Housing units

21.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

100

10–14

15–19

20–24

114

25–34

128

35–44

100

130

45–54

146

55–59

60–64

134

65–74

149

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	342	22.8%
18 and over	1,156	77.2%
65 and over	344	23.0%
Median age	42.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 92.4%

Black or African American 5.7%

Two or more races 1.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%

Group	Count	%
White	1,384	92.4%
Black or African American	85	5.7%
Two or more races	16	1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	13	0.9%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.5%	35.0%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	43.2%	35.9%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	14.0%	23.0%	26.3%
Over $200k	0.3%	6.0%	11.6%

Under $10k 2.4%

$10k–$15k 1.4%

$15k–$25k 9.4%

$25k–$35k 4.8%

$35k–$50k 20.0%

$50k–$75k 23.7%

$75k–$100k 12.2%

$100k–$150k 17.5%

$150k–$200k 7.6%

$200k+ 1.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.4%
$10k–$15k	1.4%
$15k–$25k	9.4%
$25k–$35k	4.8%
$35k–$50k	20.0%
$50k–$75k	23.7%
$75k–$100k	12.2%
$100k–$150k	17.5%
$150k–$200k	7.6%
$200k+	1.0%
Median income	$68,585

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.7%

$50k–$100k 5.6%

$100k–$150k 17.4%

$150k–$200k 18.8%

$200k–$300k 35.8%

$300k–$500k 12.2%

$500k–$1M 4.4%

$1M+ 3.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$219,000
Median rent / month	$832
Owner occupied	82.2%
Renter occupied	17.8%
Vacant	12.0%
Single-family detached	93.7%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	6.3%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.21

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.7%
2010–2019	3.2%
2000–2009	14.0%
1990–1999	9.1%
1980–1989	3.1%
1970–1979	22.1%
1960–1969	8.7%
1950–1959	13.6%
1940–1949	9.7%
1939 or earlier	15.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.6%
1 bedroom	0.0%
2 bedrooms	35.7%
3 bedrooms	51.5%
4 bedrooms	8.3%
5+ bedrooms	0.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.3%
1 vehicle	7.5%
2 vehicles	34.7%
3 or more	54.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	67.7%
Propane / LP gas	7.2%
Fuel oil	8.4%
Wood	16.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	377	59.9%
Cohabiting couple	72	11.4%
Male householder, no spouse	92	14.6%
Female householder, no spouse	88	14.0%
Households with children under 18	205	32.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	269	42.8%
Average household size	2.37

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	18.7%	24.2%
Married	67.6%	64.9%
Separated	0.0%	2.3%
Widowed	3.7%	5.2%
Divorced	10.0%	3.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.2%

Some HS, no diploma 3.0%

HS graduate 29.5%

Some college, no degree 25.5%

Associate's degree 17.4%

Bachelor's degree 15.4%

Graduate / professional 5.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.7%
Bachelor's or higher	21.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	26	6.8%
Kindergarten	40	10.4%
Elementary school	133	34.5%
High school	105	27.3%
College / grad school	81	21.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 29.8%

Education & healthcare 23.3%

Retail trade 16.5%

Professional & management 9.9%

Other services 5.9%

Construction 4.2%

Information 3.5%

Public administration 3.5%

Transportation & utilities 2.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	29.2%
Service	13.4%
Sales & office	25.8%
Natural resources & construction	8.6%
Production & transportation	23.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	88.1%
Government	10.0%
Self-employed	1.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	97.6%
Carpool	2.0%
Public transit	0.2%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	0.0%
Other means	0.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.9

Poverty

All people 3.3%

Under 18 years 0.3%

18 and over 4.2%

Married-couple families 6.4%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.4%
Retirement income	29.9%
Supplemental Security	5.2%
Cash public assistance	2.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	3.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.7%
High blood pressure	36.8%
High cholesterol	35.1%
Diabetes	11.4%
Heart disease	6.8%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	9.2%
Arthritis	30.0%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	7.4%
Cancer	7.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.6%
Binge drinking	16.2%
No physical activity	20.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.2%
Depression	19.3%
Fair or poor health	14.0%
Poor mental health	13.3%
Poor physical health	10.1%
No health insurance	11.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.4%
Visited dentist	69.1%
Cholesterol screening	92.3%
Teeth loss	11.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	147	12.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	7.3%
Under 18	6.4%
18–64 years	5.8%
65 and over	11.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	62.7%
Public insurance	39.3%
No insurance	9.6%
Uninsured under 19	0.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,437	95.9%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,474	98.4%
Born in same state	1,474	98.4%
Born in different state	1,140	76.1%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	24	1.6%
Not a US citizen	24	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	309	20.6%
Arab	221	14.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	128	8.5%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.0%
Internet access	86.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 24526

What city is ZIP code 24526 in?

ZIP code 24526 is primarily assigned to Big Island, Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 24526 in?

ZIP code 24526 falls within Bedford County, Virginia.

Does ZIP code 24526 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 24526 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 24526 mostly owner-occupied?

82% of occupied units in ZIP code 24526 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 24526 have a large veteran population?

13% of civilians in ZIP code 24526 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the population of ZIP code 24526?

ZIP code 24526 has an estimated population of 1,498 residents, with a density of 21 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 24526 in?

ZIP code 24526 observes the EST timezone.