Gate City: Housing & Real Estate
Housing in Gate City centers on a median value of $163,000 (estimated market value runs 7% higher at $174,220), with median rent $660 (1.1× below Scott County median $699; 2.4× below Virginia median $1,579). Homeownership rate: 70.3%. That's 1.1× higher than the Scott County median ($143,000); 2.4× below the Virginia median ($383,700). Market is cold. Vacancy rate 22.1%. New construction makes up 0.4% of stock. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 3.8× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs Virginia 4.1×).
- 20.6 years to break even renting at the median (vs Virginia 19y).
- 4-BR rent is 2.0× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
- Median rent 36% below HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $163,000 — 0.4× the Virginia median ($382,500). Median rent $660/month. homeownership rate 70.3% — above the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Home Price To Income | 3.8× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Home Affordability | moderate |
| Affordability · Rent Pct Income | 16.8% |
| Affordability · Rent Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Pct Severely Rent Burdened | 50.7% |
| Affordability · Poverty Rate | 16.7% |
| Affordability · Property Tax Pct Income | 2.8% |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $720 (vs Virginia $1,492) |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $818 (vs Virginia $1,512) |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $1,044 (vs Virginia $1,713) |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $1,338 (vs Virginia $2,376) |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $1,464 (vs Virginia $2,797) |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA MSA |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $174,220 |
| Median Home Value | $163,000 (vs Virginia $382,500) |
| Median Rent | $660 (vs Virginia $1,714) |
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023, B25077 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Tenure & Occupancy
Owner-occupied vs renter-occupied housing units, plus vacancy rates.
| Housing Market · Market temperature | cold |
|---|---|
| Housing Market · Vacancy rate | 22.1% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 0.4% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | 2.9% |
Utilities
Electricity, water, and broadband infrastructure serving residents. Broadband percentages reflect the share of premises that can subscribe to service at the listed speed (FCC Form 477).
Facilities (1)
Systems (1)
| Broadband · % of premises with 25/3 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Virginia median) |
|---|---|
| Broadband · % of premises with 100/20 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Virginia median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 250/25 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at Virginia median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps broadband | 99.9% (vs Virginia 49.4%) |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 1,474 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 14.41¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 3654481 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $6,524 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0.000000000 |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at Virginia median) |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at Virginia median) |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 70.3% (vs Virginia 64.4%) |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1967 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12