Nelson County, VA

County

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2024 Population

14,732

US Senator

Mark Warner

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tim Kaine

Democratic Party

2024 Poverty Rate

12.5%

13.2% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$72,589

5.93% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$321,700

13.7% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

6,548

1.03% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Nelson County, VA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.9% of the residents in Nelson County, VA are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Nelson County, VA was $321,700, and the homeownership rate was 79.7%.

Most people in Nelson County, VA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 30.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Nelson County, VA was 2 cars per household.

Nelson County, VA borders Albemarle County, VA, Amherst County, VA, Appomattox County, VA, Augusta County, VA, Buckingham County, VA, and Rockbridge County, VA.

United States Virginia Charlottesville, VA

Population & Diversity

Nelson County, VA is home to a population of 14.7k people, from which 97.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.67% of Nelson County, VA residents were born outside of the country (688 people).

In 2024, there were 7.24 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (11.8k people) in Nelson County, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.62k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 264 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.9%

2024 Citizenship

97.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.9% of Nelson County, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Nelson County, VA was 97.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Nelson County, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Nelson County, VA

White (Non-Hispanic)
11.8k ± 168
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.62k ± 133
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
264 ± 142

4.79%

Hispanic Population

705 people

4.79% of the people in Nelson County, VA are hispanic (705 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Nelson County, VA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Virginia.

Most Common Origin

El Salvador
107,827 ± 8,012 people
India
97,961 ± 7,641 people
Mexico
63,695 ± 6,173 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Virginia was El Salvador, the natal country of 107,827 Virginia residents, followed by India with 97,961 and Mexico with 63,695.

Foreign-Born Population

4.67%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

688 people

5.15%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

761 people

As of 2024, 4.67% of Nelson County, VA residents (688 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Nelson County, VA was 5.15%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Nelson County, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
433 ± 148
Gulf War (2001-)
218 ± 114
Gulf War (1990s)
106 ± 66

Nelson County, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.99 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Nelson County, VA.

Economy

The economy of Nelson County, VA employs 6.55k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Nelson County, VA were Health Care & Social Assistance (763 people), Educational Services (703 people), and Retail Trade (618 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($107,868), Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($83,287), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($83,125).

Employment

Occupations

6.55k

2024 Value

± 581

−1.03%

1 Year decline

± 13.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Nelson County, VA declined at a rate of −1.03%, from 6.62k employees to 6.55k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Nelson County, VA, are Management Occupations (948 people), Sales & Related Occupations (520 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (514 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Nelson County, VA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Virginia (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

6.55k

2024 Value

± 581

−1.03%

1 Year decline

± 13.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Nelson County, VA declined at a rate of −1.03%, from 6.62k employees to 6.55k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Nelson County, VA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (763 people), Educational Services (703 people), and Retail Trade (618 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Nelson County, VA, though some of these residents may live in Nelson County, VA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$59,406

Median earning men ± $7,032

$40,305

Median earning women ± $4,070

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($102,941), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($91,250), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($84,914).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($74,207), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($50,482), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($49,792).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Y-Axis

2.48%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.1M people employed in Virginia. This represents a 2.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.8%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Virginia.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

53
Construction
30
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
25
Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$25.2k
Accommodation and Food Services
$17.2k
Manufacturing
$10.3k
Other Services (except Public Administration)

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Kamala Harris with 51.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Other (0.905%).

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing the state of Virginia. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Nelson County, VA. Showing the available data for Virginia.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (51.8%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (46.1%)
Republican Party
Other (0.905%)
Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Kamala Harris with 51.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Other (0.905%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Virginia for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Virginia

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Mark Warner

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2009

Tim Kaine

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing Virginia.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Virginia over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Nelson County, VA was $321,700 in 2024, which is 0.967 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $283,000 to $321,700, a 13.7% increase. The homeownership rate in Nelson County, VA is 79.7%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Nelson County, VA have an average commute time of 30.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Nelson County, VA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 13.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Nelson County, VA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.977%.

Housing

Property

$321,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$32,228

$5,070

Median Property Taxes

±$475

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Nelson County, VA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Nelson County, VA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

79.7%

Homeownership

2024

68.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 79.7% of the housing units in Nelson County, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 79.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Nelson County, VA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$72,589

Median Household Income

± $13,010

6.36k

Number of Households

± 564

In 2024, the median household income of the 6.36k households in Nelson County, VA grew to $72,589 from the previous year's value of $68,525.

The following chart displays the households in Nelson County, VA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Nelson County, VA is from Virginia.

0.472

2023 Wage GINI in Virginia

0.475

2022 Wage GINI in Virginia

In 2023, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.472 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.599% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Virginia in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Virginia across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (67.4%)
Worked At Home (19.1%)
Carpooled (8.22%)

In 2024, 67.4% of workers in Nelson County, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (19.1%) and those who carpooled to work (8.22%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

30.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Nelson County, VA have a longer commute time (30.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.03% of the workforce in Nelson County, VA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Nelson County, VA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Nelson County, VA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Nelson County, VA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 13.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Nelson County, VA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.977%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

12.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Nelson County, VA (1.83k out of 14.7k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Nelson County, VA is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 17.8% of the children was living in poverty in Nelson County, VA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.2%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 143 in Nelson County, VA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 66.2 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

92.9% of the population of Nelson County, VA has health coverage, with 40.5% on employee plans, 12.3% on Medicaid, 22.3% on Medicare, 16% on non-group plans, and 1.76% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Nelson County, VA see 1,232 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,232 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2093 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 735 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.6% were men and 49.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,232 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Nelson County, VA

Primary care physicians in Nelson County, VA see an average of 1,232 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,232 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Nelson County, VA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.3% under 18 years, 15.5% between 18 and 34 years, 36.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 29.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.6% were men and 49.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

7.13%

Uninsured

40.5%

Employer Coverage

12.3%

Medicaid

22.3%

Medicare

16%

Non-Group

1.76%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Nelson County, VA declined by 7.16% from 7.68% to 7.13%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Nelson County, VA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 88.1 in Nelson County, VA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Nelson County, VA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 34.8% in Nelson County, VA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Nelson County, VA.