Bedford County, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Bedford 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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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 70% of counties in Virginia
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B
Income Around average
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 71% of counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Bedford County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 81,013 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 104.4 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.62% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.1 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 33,163 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Bedford County grew by 12.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 81,013 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Bedford County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.7% of residents. That is 3.2 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 14,317 17.7% -3.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 14,229 17.6% -4.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 19,174 23.7% +3.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 18,221 22.5% +6.0 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 50.9% of the people living in Bedford County and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 49.1% Virginia 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Bedford County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Bedford County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Bedford County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,883 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.13% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Bedford County is about 16% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Bedford County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $246,352 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $952 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 84.6% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Bedford County is about 21.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $952 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Bedford County spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 195 hours, about 8.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Bedford County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.4 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.8 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 195 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,040 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.8% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,753 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,119 | 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 Bedford County is about the same as 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
Bedford County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Bedford County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.2% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | 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
Bedford County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Bedford County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.7 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.1% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.3% | 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).
Bedford County, VA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Bedford County, VA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford County, VA | 81,013 | $78,883 #2/3 | $246,352 #1/3 | 23.4 min #3/3 |
| Botetourt County, VA | 34,003 | $81,753 | $186,363 | 22.4 min |
| Campbell County, VA | 55,757 | $65,286 | $122,177 | 21.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Bedford County, Virginia.
How many people live in Bedford County, Virginia?
About 81,013 people live in Bedford County, Virginia, in 33,163 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 48.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
How densely populated is Bedford County, Virginia?
Averaged over its land area, Bedford County, Virginia has 104 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Bedford County, Virginia an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.1 times the median household income ($246,352 against $78,883), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $952 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Bedford County, Virginia?
Unemployment in Bedford County, Virginia is only 3.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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