Patrick County, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Patrick 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 78% of counties in Virginia
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 70% of counties in Virginia
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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 | Patrick County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,512 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 36.1 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.46% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 53.0 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,781 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Patrick County declined by 6.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 17,512 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Patrick County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 25.9% of residents. That is 9.4 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,689 15.4% -6.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,901 16.6% -5.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,135 23.6% +3.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,540 25.9% +9.4 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 50.4% of the people living in Patrick County and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 49.6% Virginia 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Patrick County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Patrick County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Patrick County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,300 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.07% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.5% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Patrick County is about 43% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Patrick County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $105,192 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $716 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.9% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Patrick County is about 12.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $716 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Patrick County spend about 54 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 226 hours, about 9.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Patrick County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 27.1 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 54.2 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 226 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,007 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.9% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,497 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 420 | 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 Patrick County is 27 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
Patrick County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Patrick County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.4% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.20 | 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
Patrick County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Patrick County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.9 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.6% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.3% | 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).
Patrick County, VA Compared With Nearby Counties
Patrick County, VA is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 17,512 residents against a local median of 45,181. Where Patrick County, VA breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 52% above the local median of $69,062 at $105,192.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 27.1 min against a local median of 23.4 min, 16% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 16% above the local median it puts Patrick County, VA at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $105,142 on median home price, so Patrick County, VA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Patrick County, VA has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick County, VA | 17,512 | $53,300 #3/4 | $105,192 #2/4 | 27.1 min #3/4 |
| Stokes County, NC | 45,181 | $63,303 | $164,358 | 30.4 min |
| Henry County, VA | 49,976 | $50,747 | $69,062 | 21.7 min |
| Carroll County, VA | 29,157 | $54,664 | $59,216 | 23.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Patrick County, Virginia.
What is the population of Patrick County, Virginia?
About 17,512 people live in Patrick County, Virginia, in 7,781 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 53.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 16 years.
Is Patrick County, Virginia urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Patrick County, Virginia has 36 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 42% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Patrick County, Virginia?
The median home costs 2.0 times the median household income ($105,192 against $53,300), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $716 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Patrick County, Virginia?
Unemployment in Patrick County, Virginia is only 2.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Patrick County, Virginia?
15.4% of adults in Patrick 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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