24221 ZIP Code — Blackwater, VA

Lee County, Virginia

ZIP code 24221 is located in Blackwater, Virginia, within Lee County. It covers approximately 51.56 square miles and serves a population of 545 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 276.

About ZIP code 24221

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1950s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $115,800.

Median household income is $50,313. Poverty affects 19% of residents, above the national average. 53% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. An above-average commute of 36 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

College attainment at 20% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (16%), smoking (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 28%.

Overall, ZIP code 24221 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

545

population

51.56

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

24221 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 24221

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 24221. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Blackwater	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

24277 Pennington Gap (8.2 mi) 24263 Jonesville (8.9 mi) 37731 Eidson (10 mi) 24244 Duffield (11.6 mi) 24243 Dryden (12.4 mi) 40820 Cranks (12.6 mi) 24282 Saint Charles (12.8 mi) 37873 Surgoinsville (13 mi) 24265 Keokee (13.5 mi) 40815 Cawood (15.1 mi) 37857 Rogersville (16.1 mi) 40828 Evarts (16.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	545
Population density	11 / sq mi
State FIPS	51
County FIPS	105

Geography
Land area	51.56 sq mi
Water area	0.02 sq mi
Latitude	36.6441
Longitude	-83.0226
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	276

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	49.1%	62.3%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	26.8%	28.2%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	24.1%	8.2%	26.3%
Over $200k	0.0%	1.3%	11.6%

Demographics & statistics

545

Population

People per sq mi

51.0

Median age

$50,313

Median household income

$25,028

Per capita income

$115,800

Median home value

Median monthly rent

99.1%

Home ownership

19.0%

Poverty rate

2.0%

Unemployment

430

Housing units

19.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	112	20.6%
18 and over	433	79.4%
65 and over	114	20.9%
Median age	51.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 99.4%

Two or more races 0.6%

Group	Count	%
White	542	99.4%
Two or more races	3	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	49.1%	62.3%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	26.8%	28.2%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	24.1%	8.2%	26.3%
Over $200k	0.0%	1.3%	11.6%

Under $10k 8.1%

$10k–$15k 13.0%

$15k–$25k 5.4%

$25k–$35k 9.9%

$35k–$50k 12.1%

$50k–$75k 19.3%

$75k–$100k 15.7%

$100k–$150k 9.9%

$150k–$200k 6.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	8.1%
$10k–$15k	13.0%
$15k–$25k	5.4%
$25k–$35k	9.9%
$35k–$50k	12.1%
$50k–$75k	19.3%
$75k–$100k	15.7%
$100k–$150k	9.9%
$150k–$200k	6.7%
Median income	$50,313

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 19.5%

$50k–$100k 18.6%

$100k–$150k 24.4%

$150k–$200k 14.5%

$200k–$300k 18.6%

$300k–$500k 2.3%

$500k–$1M 2.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$115,800
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	99.1%
Renter occupied	0.9%
Vacant	48.4%
Single-family detached	82.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	17.4%
Median rooms	6.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.45

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	6.9%
2000–2009	16.0%
1990–1999	9.3%
1980–1989	11.1%
1970–1979	8.8%
1960–1969	13.2%
1950–1959	23.6%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	11.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	5.6%
2 bedrooms	34.3%
3 bedrooms	49.3%
4 bedrooms	10.2%
5+ bedrooms	0.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.4%
1 vehicle	12.1%
2 vehicles	54.7%
3 or more	27.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	82.1%
Propane / LP gas	11.7%
Wood	6.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	112	50.2%
Cohabiting couple	9	4.0%
Male householder, no spouse	37	16.6%
Female householder, no spouse	65	29.1%
Households with children under 18	52	23.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	71	31.8%
Average household size	2.44

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	42.1%	6.1%
Married	46.3%	61.5%
Separated	0.0%	1.9%
Widowed	3.3%	20.7%
Divorced	8.3%	9.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 16.7%

Some HS, no diploma 1.0%

HS graduate 24.9%

Some college, no degree 18.5%

Associate's degree 19.5%

Bachelor's degree 16.3%

Graduate / professional 3.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	82.3%
Bachelor's or higher	19.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	60	65.9%
High school	20	22.0%
College / grad school	11	12.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 19.1%

Construction 18.6%

Agriculture & mining 17.0%

Wholesale trade 11.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.8%

Retail trade 9.3%

Manufacturing 8.8%

Finance & real estate 2.6%

Professional & management 1.5%

Transportation & utilities 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	36.6%
Service	15.5%
Sales & office	21.6%
Natural resources & construction	22.2%
Production & transportation	4.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	70.1%
Government	14.9%
Self-employed	14.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	89.2%
Carpool	0.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	10.8%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	35.7

Poverty

All people 19.0%

Under 18 years 10.2%

18 and over 21.0%

Married-couple families 10.7%

Female-led households 57.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	52.5%
Retirement income	34.1%
Supplemental Security	9.9%
Cash public assistance	10.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	13.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.5%
High blood pressure	43.8%
High cholesterol	38.8%
Diabetes	15.7%
Heart disease	10.2%
Stroke	5.1%
Asthma	10.7%
Arthritis	35.9%
Kidney disease	4.3%
Pulmonary disease	13.0%
Cancer	8.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	25.9%
Binge drinking	13.7%
No physical activity	32.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.7%
Depression	23.5%
Fair or poor health	24.4%
Poor mental health	16.0%
Poor physical health	15.5%
No health insurance	15.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.1%
Visited dentist	53.8%
Cholesterol screening	89.4%
Teeth loss	21.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	18	4.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	28.1%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	36.1%
65 and over	33.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	69.9%
Public insurance	36.7%
No insurance	8.1%
Uninsured under 19	13.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	513	94.1%
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)	545	100.0%
Born in same state	516	94.7%
Born in different state	181	33.2%
Foreign born	29	5.3%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	172	31.6%
French	92	16.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	27	5%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.9%
Internet access	80.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 24221

What city is ZIP code 24221 in?

ZIP code 24221 is primarily assigned to Blackwater, Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 24221 in?

ZIP code 24221 falls within Lee County, Virginia.

Does ZIP code 24221 have a large retiree population?

53% of households in ZIP code 24221 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 24221?

19% of residents in ZIP code 24221 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 24221?

The median home value in ZIP code 24221 is $115,800.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 24221?

Health data for ZIP code 24221 shows elevated rates of diabetes (16%) and smoking (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

What timezone is ZIP code 24221 in?

ZIP code 24221 observes the EST timezone.