Bath County, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Bath 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.
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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 80% of counties in Virginia
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C
Income Below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 80% of counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Bath County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,100 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 7.7 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.32% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 51.6 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,822 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Bath County declined by 11.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 4,100 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Bath County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 24.6% of residents. That is 8.0 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 632 15.4% -6.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 733 17.9% -4.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 994 24.2% +3.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,007 24.6% +8.0 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 49.7% of the people living in Bath County and men 50.3%.
- Women 49.7% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 50.3% Virginia 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Bath County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Bath County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Bath County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,076 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.69% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.3% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Bath County is about 38% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Bath County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $585,227 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $735 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.3% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Bath County is about 66.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $735 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Bath County spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 110 hours, about 4.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Bath County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.2 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.4 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 110 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,408 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.6% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,850 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 201 | 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 Bath County is 13 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
Bath County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Bath County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.8% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.16 | 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
Bath County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Bath County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.4 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.3% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.7% | 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).
Bath County, VA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Bath County, VA compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath County, VA | 4,100 | $58,076 #2/2 | $585,227 #1/2 | 13.2 min #1/2 |
| Rockbridge County, VA | 22,531 | $65,884 | $406,944 | 22.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Bath County, Virginia.
How many people live in Bath County, Virginia?
About 4,100 people live in Bath County, Virginia, in 1,822 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 51.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 14 years.
Is Bath County, Virginia urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Bath County, Virginia has 8 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 9% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Bath County, Virginia?
The median home costs 10.1 times the median household income ($585,227 against $58,076), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $735 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Bath County, Virginia?
Unemployment in Bath County, Virginia is only 1.3%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Bath County, Virginia?
16.8% of adults in Bath County, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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