Nelson County, VA

County

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2021 Population

14,795

0.115% 1-year decline

US Senator

Mark Warner

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tim Kaine

Democratic Party

2021 Median Age

51.8

0.975% 1-year increase

2021 Poverty Rate

12.5%

9.08% 1-year increase

2021 Median Household Income

$67,707

8.85% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$243,900

4.5% 1-year growth

About

In 2021, Nelson County, VA had a population of 14.8k people with a median age of 51.8 and a median household income of $67,707. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Nelson County, VA declined from 14,812 to 14,795, a −0.115% decrease and its median household income grew from $62,203 to $67,707, a 8.85% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Nelson County, VA are White (Non-Hispanic) (81%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (12.3%), White (Hispanic) (3.35%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (1.53%), and Other (Hispanic) (1.03%).

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.

98.1% of the residents in Nelson County, VA are U.S. citizens.

In 2021, the median property value in Nelson County, VA was $243,900, and the homeownership rate was 76.8%.

Most people in Nelson County, VA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 31.7 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 14.8k people, from which 98.1% are citizens. As of 2021, 3.7% of Nelson County, VA residents were born outside of the country (547 people).

In 2021, there were 6.59 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (12k people) in Nelson County, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.82k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 496 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

98.1%

2021 Citizenship

98.3%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 98.1% of Nelson County, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in Nelson County, VA was 98.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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)
12k ± 104
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.82k ± 143
White (Hispanic)
496 ± 137

4.49%

Hispanic Population

664 people

4.49% of the people in Nelson County, VA are hispanic (664 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Nelson County, VA as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

3.7%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

547 people

3.5%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

519 people

As of 2021, 3.7% of Nelson County, VA residents (547 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Nelson County, VA was 3.5%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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
408 ± 137
Gulf War (2001-)
281 ± 133
Gulf War (1990s)
152 ± 92

Nelson County, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.45 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Nelson County, VA employs 6.8k people. The largest industries in Nelson County, VA are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,063 people), Educational Services (981 people), and Construction (758 people), and the highest paying industries are Finance & Insurance ($84,010), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($83,924), and Transportation & Warehousing ($68,958).

Employment

Occupations

6.8k

2021 Value

± 607

−0.41%

1 Year decline

± 13%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Nelson County, VA declined at a rate of −0.41%, from 6.83k employees to 6.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Nelson County, VA, are Management Occupations (775 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (673 people), and Construction & Extraction Occupations (666 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 false.

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

6.8k

2021 Value

± 607

−0.41%

1 Year decline

± 13%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Nelson County, VA declined at a rate of −0.41%, from 6.83k employees to 6.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Nelson County, VA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,063 people), Educational Services (981 people), and Construction (758 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

$44,289

Median earning men ± $4,335

$34,601

Median earning women ± $3,297

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Wholesale Trade ($68,949), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($67,917), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($66,310).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Public Administration ($93,618), Information ($53,672), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($39,833).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in Virginia. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

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

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

103
Manufacturing
100
Professional, Scientific & Management, and Administrative & Waste Management Services
85
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance

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

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Virginia to other states, or from other states to Virginia.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Virginia product (by dollars) was Mixed freight with $37.7B, followed by Electronics ($29B) and Machinery ($23.6B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Virginia products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Virginia.

$313B

2020 Value in Virginia

$612B

Projected 2050 Value in Virginia

95.3% growth

In 2020, total outbound Virginia trade was $313B. This is expected to increase 95.3% to $612B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Virginia trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Virginia to other states, or from other states to Virginia.

Most Common Trade Partners

In 2020, the top outbound Virginia domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was North Carolina with $26B, followed by Maryland with $18.5B and Pennsylvania and $12.4B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Virginia shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Nelson County, VA went to Donald J. Trump with 51.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (46.4%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.61%).

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

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (51.6%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (46.4%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.61%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Nelson County, VA for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

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.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Virginia

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Virginia have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2021, 0.836% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.859% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2021 were High School or Equivalent (1.68M), Bachelors Degree (1.44M), and Some college (1.41M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Nelson County, VA was $243,900 in 2021, which is 0.996 times smaller than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $233,400 to $243,900, a 4.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Nelson County, VA is 76.8%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Nelson County, VA have an average commute time of 31.7 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.

Property

$243,900

Median Property Value 2021

±$21,514

$4,725

Median Property Taxes

±$478

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

76.8%

Homeownership

2021

67.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 76.8% of the housing units in Nelson County, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 75.1%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Census Tract 9503

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

The following map shows all of the tracts in Nelson County, VA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$67,707

Median Household Income

± $12,136

6.15k

Number of Households

± 572

In 2021, the median household income of the 6.15k households in Nelson County, VA grew to $67,707 from the previous year's value of $62,203.

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.

0.476

2021 Wage GINI in Virginia

0.478

2020 Wage GINI in Virginia

In 2021, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.476 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.381% decline from 2020 to 2021, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2021

Drove Alone (64.1%)
Worked At Home (16.8%)
Carpooled (16.3%)

In 2021, 64.1% of workers in Nelson County, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (16.8%) and those who carpooled to work (16.3%).

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

31.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Nelson County, VA have a longer commute time (31.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 0.958% 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

Poverty & Diversity

12.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Nelson County, VA (1.84k out of 14.8k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 45 - 54 and then Males 55 - 64.

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

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.

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.

Health

91.8% of the population of Nelson County, VA has health coverage, with 40% on employee plans, 15.8% on Medicaid, 22.1% on Medicare, 12.8% on non-group plans, and 1.05% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Nelson County, VA see 995 patients per year on average, which represents a 6.13% decrease from the previous year (1060 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1844 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 738 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

995 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Nelson County, VA

Primary care physicians in Nelson County, VA see an average of 995 patients per year. This represents a 6.13% decrease from the previous year (1,060 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 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.7% under 18 years, 14.9% between 18 and 34 years, 39.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 26.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

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

Uninsured People

8.23%

Uninsured

40%

Employer Coverage

15.8%

Medicaid

22.1%

Medicare

12.8%

Non-Group

1.05%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Nelson County, VA grew by 0.927% from 8.15% to 8.23%.

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 2022, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was N/A in Nelson County, VA.

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

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2022, 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 33.2% in Nelson County, VA.

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

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