Amherst County, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Amherst County, VA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Amherst County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 31,478 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 65.7 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.23% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.0 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,691 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Amherst County declined by 2.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 31,478 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Amherst County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.2% of residents. That is 1.7 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,975 19.0% -2.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,936 18.9% -3.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,982 22.2% +1.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,672 21.2% +4.7 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Virginia, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 52.2% of the people living in Amherst County and men 47.8%.
- Women 52.2% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 47.8% Virginia 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Amherst County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Amherst County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Amherst County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,755 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.67% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Amherst County is about 28% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Amherst County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $337,931 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $871 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.8% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Amherst County is about 32.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $871 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Amherst County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 182 hours, about 7.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Amherst County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.9 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.8 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 182 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,655 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.1% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,896 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,025 | 1,531 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Virginia:
Lexington city (10.6 min), Covington city (12.2 min), Norton city (13.1 min).
Slowest:
Amelia County (43.7 min), Craig County (41.3 min), Buckingham County (41.3 min).
The average commute time in Amherst County is 22 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in Virginia.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Amherst County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Amherst County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.2% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 2.52 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Virginia:
Falls Church city (0.6), Arlington County (0.6), Alexandria city (0.5).
Lowest:
Greensville County (0.2), Lunenburg County (0.2), Buchanan County (0.2).
Health
Amherst County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Amherst County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.7 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.6% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.1% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Virginia:
Falls Church city (0.8), Arlington County (0.8), Fairfax County (0.8).
Lowest:
Emporia city (0.7), Petersburg city (0.8), Galax city (0.8).
Amherst County, VA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Amherst County, VA compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst County, VA | 31,478 | $67,755 #1/2 | $337,931 #2/2 | 21.9 min #1/2 |
| Rockbridge County, VA | 22,531 | $65,884 | $406,944 | 22.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Amherst County, Virginia.
How many people live in Amherst County, Virginia?
About 31,478 people live in Amherst County, Virginia, in 12,691 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 42.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Amherst County, Virginia mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Amherst County, Virginia has 66 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Amherst County, Virginia?
The median home costs 5.0 times the median household income ($337,931 against $67,755), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $871 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Amherst County, Virginia?
20.2% of adults in Amherst County, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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