Is Gate City, VA a Good Place to Live?
Gate City is a small town of 1,910 in Virginia, with a median household income of $37,543 and a 2.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 85 (US average = 100), which is 15% below the national average.
Strengths: Gate City stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B+), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Gate City is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Gate City city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 85.4Gate City's overall cost of living index is 85.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Gate City costs roughly 15% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Gate City, VA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $160,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $629 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 67.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $37,543 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageGate City's violent crime rate is 198.5 per 100,000 residents — 48% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Gate City is served primarily by Scott County Public Schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.6:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Gate City, VA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Scott County Public Schools | — |
| Elementary Schools | 7 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 4 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 12.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 30.0% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 89.6% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Gate City sees average highs of 46.4°F in January and 87.0°F in July, with 48.9 inches of annual precipitation and 5.1 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Gate City, VA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 46.4°F |
| Average High — July | 87.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 48.9" |
| Annual Snowfall | 5.1" |
Demographics
| Metric | Gate City, VA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,910 | — |
| Median Age | 42.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 22.9 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 95.8% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 2.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.8% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 19.2% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 24.5% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Gate City
Gate City, VA is covered by 1 ZIP code: