City Score: Ceres, VA

One number for Ceres, VA: the condition of the city from public data and how the church is moving, updated weekly, every indicator footnoted to its source. Back to Ceres, VA. In Virginia.

The score

Ceres, VA scores 36 out of 100 on the Joy Project City Score, status Liberty since Oct 2026. Condition 36 (the city from public data, 60%) and Movement (how the church is moving, 40%). How the score is built.

The condition of Ceres, VA

  • What Ceres is up against: 47 out of 100 — Better than 49% of cities, up 2 points
  • Where grace is growing: 23 out of 100 — Better than 28% of cities
  • Marriage & family: 25 out of 100 — Better than 15% of cities, down 10 points
  • Christian liberty: 43 out of 100 — Better than 32% of cities, up 2 points

What takes Ceres, VA to Revival

  • City Pulse: City Pulse 0 → 40
  • Prayer: Prayer 0 → 45
  • Discipleship: Discipleship 0 → 45
  • Unity: Unity 0 → 45

What affected it

  • This quarter: Cohabiting households down 38 percentile points (Marriage & family)
  • This quarter: Adults 25-44 married down 22 percentile points (Marriage & family)
  • This quarter: Property crime up 9 percentile points (What Ceres is up against)

Ceres, VA over time

  • — Entered Liberty

Sources

  1. Violent crime: FBI Crime Data Explorer · 2025 · Smyth County Sheriff's Office · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  2. Property crime: FBI Crime Data Explorer · 2025 · Smyth County Sheriff's Office · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  3. Sexually transmitted infections: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  4. Drug overdose deaths: CDC NCHS, provisional county drug overdose deaths (VSRR) · 2025 · Smyth County, VA · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  5. Adult entertainment outlets: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  6. Gambling outlets: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  7. Cannabis outlets: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  8. Liquor outlets and bars: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  9. Predatory lenders: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  10. Abortion facilities (mapped): OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  11. Church adherents: 2020 U.S. Religion Census · 2020 · Smyth County, VA · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  12. Congregations: 2020 U.S. Religion Census · 2020 · Smyth County, VA · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  13. Charitable giving: IRS Statistics of Income, county data · 2023 · Smyth County, VA · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  14. Given to local needs in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-09 · Ceres, VA · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  15. Needs met in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-09 · Ceres, VA · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  16. Volunteers mobilized in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-09 · Ceres, VA · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  17. New believers in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-09 · Ceres, VA · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  18. Searches for a church in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-09 · Ceres, VA · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  19. Foster and adoptive families in the churches: Church workspace entries (church-attested) · 2026-10 · Ceres, VA · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  20. Children with married parents: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Smyth County, VA · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  21. Adults 25-44 married: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Smyth County, VA · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  22. Cohabiting households: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Smyth County, VA · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  23. Divorces: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Virginia · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  24. Marriages: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Virginia · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  25. Births to unmarried mothers: CDC WONDER · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  26. Religious Liberty in the States score: Religious Liberty in the States · 2026 · Virginia · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  27. Safeguards fully in law: Religious Liberty in the States · 2026 · Virginia · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  28. State Religious Freedom Restoration Act: Religious Liberty in the States · 2026 · Virginia · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  29. Anti-Christian hate crimes: FBI Crime Data Explorer · 2025 · Virginia · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  30. School choice: The Liberty register (config/conditions/liberty_laws.yml) · 2026 · Virginia · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  31. Protections for the unborn: The Liberty register (config/conditions/liberty_laws.yml) · 2026 · Virginia · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  32. Homeschool freedom: The Liberty register (config/conditions/liberty_laws.yml) · 2026 · Virginia · fetched Oct 29, 2026

Every indicator

What Ceres is up against — 47 out of 100

Where grace is growing — 23 out of 100

  • Church adherents: 355.2 adherents per 1,000 residents, better than 22% of cities · 2020, Smyth County, VA · 2020 U.S. Religion Census
  • Congregations: 31.2 congregations per 10,000 residents, better than 75% of cities · 2020, Smyth County, VA · 2020 U.S. Religion Census
  • Charitable giving: 0.6 itemized charitable deductions as % of adjusted gross income, better than 33% of cities · 2023, Smyth County, VA · IRS Statistics of Income, county data
  • Given to local needs in Joy: 0 dollars per 100,000 residents, trailing 12 months, better than 0% of cities · 2026-09, Ceres, VA · Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · verified in Joy
  • Needs met in Joy: 0 per 100,000 residents, trailing 12 months, better than 0% of cities · 2026-09, Ceres, VA · Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · verified in Joy
  • Volunteers mobilized in Joy: 0 per 100,000 residents, trailing 12 months, better than 0% of cities · 2026-09, Ceres, VA · Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · verified in Joy
  • New believers in Joy: 0 per 100,000 residents, trailing 12 months, better than 0% of cities · 2026-09, Ceres, VA · Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · verified in Joy
  • Searches for a church in Joy: 0 per 100,000 residents, trailing 12 months, better than 0% of cities · 2026-09, Ceres, VA · Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · verified in Joy
  • Foster and adoptive families in the churches: 0 per 100,000 residents, better than 0% of cities · 2026-10, Ceres, VA · Church workspace entries (church-attested) · verified in Joy

Marriage & family — 25 out of 100

Christian liberty — 43 out of 100

Quote and download

Cite it as: Joy Project City Score v1.0, Ceres, VA, 2026-Q4, joyproject.com/cities/ceres-va/score

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