Rockbridge County, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Rockbridge 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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C
Income Below average
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Rockbridge County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,531 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 37.6 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.17% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.8 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,552 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Rockbridge County grew by 4.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 22,531 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Rockbridge 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 3,747 16.6% -4.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,928 17.4% -5.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,124 22.7% +2.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,532 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 50.0% of the people living in Rockbridge County and men 50.0%.
- Women 50.0% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 50.0% Virginia 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Rockbridge County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Rockbridge County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Rockbridge County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,884 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.20% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Rockbridge County is about 30% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Rockbridge County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $406,944 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $925 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.3% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Rockbridge County is about 36.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $925 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Rockbridge County spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 187 hours, about 7.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Rockbridge County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.4 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.9 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 187 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,795 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.3% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,312 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 359 | 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 Rockbridge 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
Rockbridge County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Rockbridge County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.4% | 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
Rockbridge County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Rockbridge County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.2 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.7% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.4% | 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).
Rockbridge County, VA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Rockbridge County, VA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockbridge County, VA | 22,531 | $65,884 #3/3 | $406,944 #1/3 | 22.4 min #3/3 |
| Amherst County, VA | 31,478 | $67,755 | $337,931 | 21.9 min |
| Botetourt County, VA | 34,003 | $81,753 | $186,363 | 22.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Rockbridge County, Virginia.
How big is Rockbridge County, Virginia by population?
About 22,531 people live in Rockbridge County, Virginia, in 9,552 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 48.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
How densely populated is Rockbridge County, Virginia?
Averaged over its land area, Rockbridge County, Virginia has 38 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 43% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Rockbridge County, Virginia an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 6.2 times the median household income ($406,944 against $65,884), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $925 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Rockbridge County, Virginia?
Unemployment in Rockbridge County, Virginia is only 3.8%, 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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