Southampton County, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Southampton 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.
-
C
Health Below average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Southampton County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,965 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 29.8 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.24% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.3 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,868 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Southampton County declined by 1.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 17,965 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Southampton County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 24.4% of residents. That is 4.0 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,116 17.3% -4.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,324 18.5% -3.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,392 24.4% +4.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,870 21.5% +5.0 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 48.0% of the people living in Southampton County and men 52.0%.
- Women 48.0% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 52.0% Virginia 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Southampton County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Southampton County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Southampton County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,441 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.10% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Southampton County is about 25% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Southampton County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $213,889 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $930 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.1% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Southampton County is about 19.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $930 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Southampton County spend about 55 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 230 hours, about 9.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Southampton County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 27.5 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 55.1 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 230 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,115 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.4% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,261 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 383 | 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 Southampton County is 28 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
Southampton County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Southampton County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.9% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 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
Southampton County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Southampton County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.5% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.2% | 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Southampton County, Virginia.
How many people live in Southampton County, Virginia?
About 17,965 people live in Southampton County, Virginia, in 6,868 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 48.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
Is Southampton County, Virginia urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Southampton County, Virginia has 30 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 34% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Southampton County, Virginia an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.0 times the median household income ($213,889 against $70,441), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $930 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Southampton County, Virginia?
17.9% of adults in Southampton 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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