Sussex County, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Sussex 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 93% of counties in Virginia
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 92% of counties in Virginia
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 95% of counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Sussex County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,765 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 21.8 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.07% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.6 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,785 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Sussex County declined by 10.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 10,765 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Sussex County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 23.7% of residents. That is 1.3 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,315 21.5% +0.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,550 23.7% +1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,277 21.2% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,990 18.5% +1.9 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 41.2% of the people living in Sussex County and men 58.8%.
- Women 41.2% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 58.8% Virginia 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Sussex County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Sussex County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Sussex County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,425 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 7.08% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Sussex County is about 30% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Sussex County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $151,042 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $907 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.7% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Sussex County is about 13.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $907 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Sussex County spend about 66 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 275 hours, about 11.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Sussex County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 33.0 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 65.9 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 275 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,516 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.5% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,446 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 285 | 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 Sussex County is 33 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
Sussex County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Sussex County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.0% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.41 | 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
Sussex County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Sussex County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 71.0 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.9% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.8% | 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).
Sussex County, VA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Sussex County, VA compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sussex County, VA | 10,765 | $65,425 #2/2 | $151,042 #1/2 | 33.0 min #2/2 |
| Prince George County, VA | 43,064 | $87,311 | $73,953 | 20.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Sussex County, Virginia.
What is the population of Sussex County, Virginia?
About 10,765 people live in Sussex County, Virginia, in 3,785 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 41.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Sussex County, Virginia urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Sussex County, Virginia has 22 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 25% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Sussex County, Virginia?
The median home costs 2.3 times the median household income ($151,042 against $65,425), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $907 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Sussex County, Virginia?
Unemployment in Sussex County, Virginia is only 4.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Sussex County, Virginia have a college degree?
14.0% of adults in Sussex County, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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