Nelson County, Virginia

County in VA, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

14,732

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

51.3

years ∙ half population younger than 51.3, half older

Diversity Index

34.8%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

4.7%

foreign-born population

95.3%Native

4.7% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Nelson County is a county in Virginia, United States.

Location

County in VA, US

Co-ordinates

DEC37.789079° N, 78.883440° W

DMS37° 47′ 20.68″ N, 78° 53′ 00.38″ W

Population Density & area

31.3/sq mi (12.08/km²)

Total Area

474.2 sq mi (1,228.2 km²)

Land Area

470.7 sq mi (1,219.2 km²) · 99.27%

Water Area

3.5 sq mi (9 km²) · 0.73%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

50.6% male

Male 50.6%

Female 49.4%

males per 100 females

Nelson County 102.6

Virginia 97.6

United States 98

Nativity

4.7%

foreign-born population

95.3%Native

4.7% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Nelson County 4.7%

Virginia 13.1%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

51.3

years ∙ half population younger than 51.3, half older

Nelson County

51.3

Virginia

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

88.7

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Nelson County 88.7

Virginia 62.4

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Nelson County	Virginia	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	17.4%	21.7%	22%
Working age (18-64)	53%	61.6%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	29.6%	16.7%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	88.7	62.4	64.4
Child dependency ratio	32.8	35.3	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	55.8	27.1	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

79.8%

Black

11%

Asian

0.9%

Hispanic

4.8%

Other

3.5%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

34.8%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nelson County 34.8%

Virginia 60.6%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Nelson County population

	Nelson County	Virginia	United States
Hispanic or Latino	4.8%	11%	19.3%
Mexican	2.4%	2.4%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.1%	1.4%	1.8%
Cuban	1.4%	0.3%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.8%	6.9%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	95.2%	89%	80.7%
One race	92%	84.3%	76.4%
White	79.8%	58.4%	57.4%
Black or African American	11%	18.3%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.2%	0.1%	0.5%
Asian	0.9%	6.9%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0.1%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.1%	0.6%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3.2%	4.7%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

60.1% family

Family 60.1%

Non family 39.9%

% family households

Nelson County 60.1%

Virginia 64.8%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.3

persons per household

Nelson County

2.3

Virginia

2.52

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Nelson County population

	Nelson County	Virginia	United States
Total households	6,364	3,365,732	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.3	2.52	2.53
Family households	3,826	2,181,475	82,990,528
Average family size	2.96	3.11	3.14
Married couple family	3,266	1,638,116	60,637,388
Other families	560	543,359	22,353,140
Male householder	181	154,457	6,572,819
Female householder	379	388,902	15,780,321
Non-family households	2,538	1,184,257	46,236,968
One-person households	2,117	958,467	37,140,836
Male householder	929	417,934	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	318	127,348	5,225,110
Female householder	1,188	540,533	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	612	258,856	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	421	225,790	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

9,995

housing units

Nelson County 9,995

Virginia 3,684,756

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

63.7% occupied

Occupied 63.7%

Vacant 36.3%

vacancy rate

Nelson County 36.3%

Virginia 8.7%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

81.4%

Single family houses

81.4%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

10.7%

Mobile homes

7.9%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.1%

Median Year Built

1987

Half of houses were built before 1987, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

10.7%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

13.9%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

51.3%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

24%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Nelson County	Virginia	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.8	6	5.5
1–3 rooms	11.4%	11.6%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	51.8%	46.2%	51.6%
7+ rooms	36.8%	42.3%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	3.3%	1.9%	2.9%
1 bedroom	7.8%	8.7%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	23.1%	22.3%	25%
3 bedrooms	41.6%	38.4%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	24.1%	28.7%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1987	1985	1981
Total housing units	9,995	3,684,756	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

79.7% owners

Renter-occupied 20.3%

Owner-occupied 79.7%

homeownership rate

Nelson County 79.7%

Virginia 67.3%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.38

Owner-occupied

1.99

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Nelson County 2.38

Virginia 2.62

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Nelson County	Virginia	United States
Total occupied units	6,364	3,365,732	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	15.3%	25.7%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	31.5%	38.5%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	23.6%	16.6%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	29.7%	19.1%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.3%	97.9%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	1.7%	1.4%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0%	0.7%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	6.2%	6.1%	8.4%
1 vehicle	26.2%	31.1%	33.1%
2 vehicles	34.2%	37.3%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	33.4%	25.5%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	18.9%	36.6%	51.4%
Electricity	62.8%	57.5%	41.3%
Solar	0.2%	0.2%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	5%	3.2%	3.9%
All other fuels	13%	1.9%	2%
No fuel used	0.1%	0.6%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.4%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.8%	0.6%	0.8%
No telephone service available	1.9%	0.8%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$321,700

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Nelson County

$321,700

Virginia

$383,700

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

32.2%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

32.2%

Owners without a mortgage

10.6%

Renters

40.2%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Nelson County	Virginia	United States
Property value
Median Value	$321,700	$383,700	$332,700
Under $100,000	10.1%	7.6%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	17.3%	11.5%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	19.5%	17.2%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	27.8%	29.6%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	18.6%	26.8%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	6.7%	7.2%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	54.8%	66.9%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	45.2%	33.1%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,701	$2,127	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$498	$589	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$946	$1,579	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

36.3%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Nelson County 36.3%

Virginia 42.2%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

10.3%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Nelson County 10.3%

Virginia 8.4%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

2,442

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

4.8%

K–12

76.4%

College / Undergraduate

12.7%

Graduate / Professional

6.1%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

25.8%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Nelson County

25.8%

Virginia

42.7%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Nelson County	Virginia	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	2,442	2,095,439	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	4.8%	5.3%	5.7%
K–12	76.4%	65.9%	67.6%
Kindergarten	6.1%	5%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	28.7%	19.4%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	18.8%	20.3%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	22.8%	21.2%	21.7%
College or graduate school	18.8%	28.8%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	12.7%	21.9%	21%
Graduate, professional school	6.1%	6.9%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	25.8%	42.7%	40.9%
School type
Public school	75.5%	81%	82%
Private school	24.5%	19%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

11,224

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

3.8%

9th-12th, no diploma

6.5%

HS graduate

26.7%

Some college no degree

19.5%

Associates degree

7.2%

Bachelors degree

22.8%

Graduate or professional degree

13.5%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

56.8% · 43.2%

9th-12th, no diploma

43% · 57%

HS graduate

51.5% · 48.5%

Some college no degree

47.1% · 52.9%

Associates degree

41% · 59%

Bachelors degree

45.9% · 54.1%

Graduate or professional degree

54.1% · 45.9%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Nelson County	Virginia	United States
Population (25+)	11,224	6,007,678	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	3.8%	3.6%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	6.5%	4.8%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	26.7%	23.9%	26%
Some college, no degree	19.5%	17.7%	19.1%
Associate's degree	7.2%	7.8%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	36.3%	42.2%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	22.8%	23.7%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	13.5%	18.5%	14.1%
High School or higher	89.7%	91.6%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$48,927

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$42,868

HS graduate

$44,569

Some college or associates

$40,456

Bachelors degree

$60,031

Graduate or professional degree

$82,969

Poverty Rate

6.8%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

22.4%

HS graduate

14.8%

Some college or associates

15.1%

Bachelors degree or higher

6.8%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Nelson County	Virginia	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$48,927	$59,471	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$42,868	$33,905	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$44,569	$41,243	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$40,456	$49,185	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$60,031	$76,425	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$82,969	$102,924	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	22.4%	21.8%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	14.8%	12.6%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	15.1%	8.1%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	6.8%	3.4%	4.5%

Insights for Nelson County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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