Get paid to care for family in Smyth County
Most of the 6,740 people in Smyth County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. Virginia Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Smyth County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 6,740
- Aged 85+
- 770
- Rank in VA
- 55th
- Median age
- 45.5
23% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 133 counties, by residents 65+
older than the country
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Smyth County is a rural county (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 7).
- 50 + DC
- states covered
- 3,144
- counties with local data
- $0
- it is always free to apply
- 2 min
- to see if you qualify
Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Rules from each state's published Medicaid program
Care in Smyth
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 6,740 people in Smyth County are 65 or older — 23% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than Virginia overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 770 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. In a rural county, an agency aide may be a long drive away — when one is available at all. That is exactly why the state lets you be the paid caregiver instead.
Statewide, 1.5 million people in Virginia are 65 or older — 18% of the state, across 133 counties.
What Virginia pays family caregivers
$13.88–$17.97/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Virginia Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Virginia's programs at a glance
- CCC Plus Waiver consumer direction
- LRI option (spouses & parents)
- Spouse paid?
- Sometimes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Sometimes
- Waitlist
- Some programs have no waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Virginia guide →
Towns and cities in Smyth County
Virginia sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Marion and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Smyth County:
- Marion5,602
- Saltville1,611
- Chilhowie1,610
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Smyth apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Smyth County start with Virginia's program:
Apply for Medicaid via Cover Virginia or the local Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) office and request a functional (nursing-facility level of care) screening through local DSS.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Virginia program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Smyth questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Smyth County?
Yes. Virginia runs real Medicaid programs — like CCC Plus Waiver consumer direction — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Smyth County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Smyth County?
Reported figures in Virginia are around $13.88–$17.97/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Smyth County apply?
Families in Smyth County start with the state, not the county. Apply for Medicaid via Cover Virginia or the local Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) office and request a functional (nursing-facility level of care) screening through local DSS.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Smyth County?
Sometimes — it depends on the program. The fine print for Virginia: limited — spouses payable only as Legally Responsible Individuals for 'extraordinary care' (ADLs only, not IADLs/supervision) when circumstances prevent a non-LRI caregiver; capped at 40 hrs/week; LRI rules updated eff. 7/1/2025
How many people in Smyth County might need this?
6,740 residents of Smyth County are 65 or older and about 770 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Virginia's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Smyth do you cover?
All of Smyth County — including Marion, Saltville and Chilhowie. Eligibility is set by Virginia, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Virginia's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
Guides
For families in Smyth County
Start with the Virginia caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Smyth
The counties Smyth touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water.
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