Nelson County, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Nelson 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 average
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B
Income Around average
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 70% of counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Nelson County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,732 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 31.1 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.08% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 52.0 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,364 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Nelson County declined by 3.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 14,732 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Nelson County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 27.8% of residents. That is 11.3 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,281 15.5% -5.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,410 16.4% -6.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,238 22.0% +1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,102 27.8% +11.3 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 50.7% of the people living in Nelson County and men 49.3%.
- Women 50.7% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 49.3% Virginia 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Nelson County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Nelson County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Nelson County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $74,353 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.78% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Nelson County is about 21% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Nelson County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $508,246 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $946 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.7% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Nelson County is about 44.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $946 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Nelson County spend about 63 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 261 hours, about 10.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Nelson County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 31.3 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 62.6 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 261 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,080 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 19.1% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,116 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 737 | 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 Nelson County is 31 minutes, longer 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
Nelson County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Nelson County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.3% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.30 | 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
Nelson County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Nelson County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.8 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.8% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.1% | 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).
Nelson County, VA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Nelson County, VA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson County, VA | 14,732 | $74,353 #2/3 | $508,246 #1/3 | 31.3 min #3/3 |
| Amherst County, VA | 31,478 | $67,755 | $337,931 | 21.9 min |
| Albemarle County, VA | 114,898 | $104,612 | $379,048 | 20.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Nelson County, Virginia.
How big is Nelson County, Virginia by population?
About 14,732 people live in Nelson County, Virginia, in 6,364 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 52.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 15 years.
Is Nelson County, Virginia urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Nelson County, Virginia has 31 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 36% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Nelson County, Virginia?
The median home costs 6.8 times the median household income ($508,246 against $74,353), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $946 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 Nelson County, Virginia?
Unemployment in Nelson County, Virginia is only 3.3%, 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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