| | Big Stone Gap, VA | Sylva, NC | United States |
| Population | 5,280 | 2,611 | 329,725,481 |
| Female Population | 38.9% | 52.1% | 50.5% |
| Male Population | 61.1% | 47.9% | 49.5% |
| Median Age | 39.8 | 30.3 | 38.4 |
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| Population - 2010 | 5,624 | 2,563 | 309,327,143 |
| Population - 2000 | 4,856 | 2,435 | 285,036,114 |
| Population - 1990 | 4,748 | 1,809 | 251,960,433 |
| Pop. 2000 to Now | 5.1% | 12.5% | 15.6% |
| Pop. 1990 to Now | 7.5% | 51.4% | 30.8% |
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| Population Density | 1,070.1 | 818.2 | 93.4 |
| Land Area | 4.9 | 3.2 | 3,531,905.4 |
| Water Area | 0.1 | 0.0 | 264,836.8 |
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| Est. Total Population By Age | | | |
| | Big Stone Gap, VA | Sylva, NC | United States |
| Age 0 to 4 | 7.2% | 10.3% | 5.9% |
| Age 5 to 9 | 5.1% | 8.7% | 6.1% |
| Age 10 to 14 | 4.6% | 10.2% | 6.6% |
| Age 15 to 17 | 2.8% | 2.6% | 3.9% |
| Age 18 to 20 | 3.9% | 4.0% | 4.0% |
| Age 21 to 24 | 7.4% | 10.0% | 5.2% |
| Age 25 to 34 | 14.8% | 11.2% | 13.8% |
| Age 35 to 44 | 16.4% | 18.3% | 12.9% |
| Age 45 to 54 | 10.3% | 8.4% | 12.6% |
| Age 55 to 59 | 3.3% | 1.3% | 6.7% |
| Age 60 to 64 | 9.3% | 3.0% | 6.3% |
| Age 65 to 74 | 9.5% | 2.9% | 9.6% |
| Age 75 to 84 | 4.1% | 5.5% | 4.5% |
| Age 85 and over | 1.4% | 3.5% | 1.9% |
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| Race | | | |
| | Big Stone Gap, VA | Sylva, NC | United States |
| White | 76.8% | 72.7% | 59.4% |
| Black | 17.9% | 3.3% | 12.2% |
| Asian | 2.0% | 0.5% | 5.6% |
| Native American | 0.1% | 1.6% | 0.6% |
| Hawaiian, Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Other | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| Two or More Races | 1.3% | 10.2% | 3.2% |
| Hispanic | 1.6% | 11.8% | 18.4% |
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| Marriage & Family | | | |
| | Big Stone Gap, VA | Sylva, NC | United States |
| Married Population | 39.0% | 29.5% | 49.8% |
| Currently Married | 36.7% | 28.0% | 48.0% |
| Married but Separated | 2.3% | 1.4% | 1.8% |
| Single Population | 61.0% | 70.5% | 50.2% |
| Never Married | 40.3% | 51.6% | 33.8% |
| Divorced | 14.0% | 9.5% | 10.8% |
| Widowed | 6.7% | 9.4% | 5.6% |
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| Household Size | 2.34 | 2.66 | 2.60 |
| Households | 1,715 | 944 | 124,010,992 |
| Family Households | 1,037 | 441 | 80,755,759 |
| Married couple, w/children | 27.7% | 29.3% | 30.5% |
| Married couple, no children | 42.1% | 26.1% | 42.9% |
| Non Family Households | 678 | 503 | 43,255,233 |
| Single householder, w/children | 20.4% | 31.7% | 15.8% |
| Single householder, no children | 9.7% | 12.9% | 10.8% |