• county
  • FIPS 51009
  • Largest town: Amherst

Amherst County, Virginia

Amherst County had 31,650 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 474.0 square miles of land. It ranks 57th of 133 in Virginia by population and 30th by land area.

Population
31,650
#57 of 133 in Virginia · #1,398 in US
Area
474.0 sq mi
#30 of 133 in Virginia · #2,174 in US
Density
67 / sq mi
#87 of 133 in Virginia · #1,215 in US
Median household income
$61,499
#79 of 133 in Virginia · #1,691 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Amherst County within Virginia. Pin: Richmond.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Amherst County

Amherst County population, land area and income

Amherst County had 31,650 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 474.0 square miles of land. It ranks 57th of 133 in Virginia by population and 30th by land area. That works out to 66.8 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and above the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Virginia has 27,800 residents; Amherst County is somewhat larger.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $61,499 is below the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

31,650

3144th1st

1398th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

474 sq mi

3144th1st

2174th of 3,144 (US)

Density

66.8 / sq mi

3144th1st

1215th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$61,499

3143rd1st

1691st of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Virginia (133)

Population

31,650

133rd1st

57th of 133 (VA)

Land area

474 sq mi

133rd1st

30th of 133 (VA)

Density

66.8 / sq mi

133rd1st

87th of 133 (VA)

Median household income

$61,499

133rd1st

79th of 133 (VA)

How Amherst County's population changed since 2020

Amherst County gained 337 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 1.1%. That ranks 71st of 133 in Virginia for growth. The median Virginia county changed by +1.3%, and the state as a whole by +2.0%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Amherst County recorded 1,314 births and 1,803 deaths, a natural change of -489. Net international migration added +120 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +683. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 683 people.

31.3k202031.4k202131.5k202231.6k202331.7k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
1,314
Deaths
1,803
Net international migration
+120
Net domestic migration
+683
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+91

Where Amherst County is

The Census internal point of Amherst County is at 37.629300, -79.154800. It sits in UTM zone 17N. The map shades Virginia's 133 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Amherst County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Martinsville city: +2.7%Norton city: -5.5%Charlottesville city: -3.6%Winchester city: -0.7%Bristol city: -5.7%Manassas Park city: -3.2%Fluvanna County: +5.3%Clarke County: +5.3%Lunenburg County: +0.9%Colonial Heights city: +2.8%Franklin city: +2.8%Lexington city: +6.7%Petersburg city: +2.0%Suffolk city: +8.8%Emporia city: -5.1%Middlesex County: +3.2%Fairfax city: +8.9%Fredericksburg city: +7.1%Floyd County: +1.2%Radford city: +7.2%Waynesboro city: +5.5%Hopewell city: -0.2%Staunton city: +2.1%Buena Vista city: -0.6%Covington city: -1.4%Poquoson city: +3.1%Madison County: +2.8%Falls Church city: +2.4%Franklin County: +2.1%Mecklenburg County: +1.8%Smyth County: -2.2%Pittsylvania County: -1.6%Frederick County: +6.7%Russell County: -1.3%Nottoway County: -0.1%Scott County: -0.9%Mathews County: +1.0%Stafford County: +7.1%Goochland County: +13.5%Henrico County: +1.1%Caroline County: +8.2%Prince George County: +1.2%Prince William County: +2.9%Cumberland County: +4.0%Essex County: +0.8%Fairfax County: +1.1%Henry County: -2.9%Carroll County: +0.3%Grayson County: -0.1%Louisa County: +11.4%James City County: +5.5%Albemarle County: +4.2%Lynchburg city: +1.7%King William County: +7.3%Charles City County: -2.7%Northumberland County: +4.7%Alexandria city: -0.0%Salem city: +2.0%Galax city: +0.3%Isle of Wight County: +5.8%Newport News city: -1.6%Tazewell County: -3.8%Amherst County: +1.1%Manassas city: +2.2%Buckingham County: +1.7%Shenandoah County: +2.7%Richmond city: +3.0%Alleghany County: -3.7%Culpeper County: +6.4%Warren County: +4.1%Northampton County: -1.7%Southampton County: -0.1%Portsmouth city: -1.5%Rockingham County: +4.6%Orange County: +7.1%Sussex County: -0.4%Bland County: -1.1%Chesapeake city: +2.1%Harrisonburg city: -1.0%Powhatan County: +6.4%Virginia Beach city: -1.1%Dinwiddie County: +2.5%Campbell County: -0.5%Gloucester County: +3.7%Greene County: +5.5%Page County: -0.0%Halifax County: -1.4%Hanover County: +4.6%Buchanan County: -8.0%Highland County: +4.8%Surry County: +0.4%Westmoreland County: +3.9%Wythe County: -0.8%Greensville County: -2.2%Roanoke city: -2.0%Loudoun County: +4.9%Spotsylvania County: +8.1%Brunswick County: -0.5%King George County: +7.4%Bedford County: +3.3%Patrick County: -1.6%Lancaster County: +1.4%Nelson County: +0.2%Montgomery County: -0.6%Amelia County: +3.4%York County: +1.7%Norfolk city: -2.8%Williamsburg city: +3.6%Bath County: -2.8%Accomack County: +0.0%Washington County: +0.4%Pulaski County: -0.7%Rockbridge County: -1.3%Roanoke County: +0.4%Wise County: -3.0%Fauquier County: +3.9%Craig County: -1.0%Charlotte County: -2.4%Richmond County: +3.3%Lee County: -1.5%Chesterfield County: +6.7%Danville city: -1.4%King and Queen County: +2.4%Prince Edward County: +1.7%Hampton city: +0.2%Appomattox County: +4.9%Botetourt County: +1.5%Arlington County: +0.4%Rappahannock County: +2.1%New Kent County: +17.7%Augusta County: +1.3%Giles County: -1.5%Dickenson County: -4.7%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.4%
  2. < +0.3%
  3. < +2.1%
  4. < +4.7%
  5. ≥ +4.7%
no data

Orange pin: Amherst County internal point. Dark pin: Richmond.

Internal point

Decimal
37.629300, -79.154800
DMS
37°37'45.48"N 79°09'17.28"W
UTM
17N 662822.9E 4166287.5N
Geohash
dnxwnf1nx
Plus code
8792JRHW+P3

Towns in Amherst County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Amherst County, 2,128 people together, or 7% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Amherst County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Amherst with 2,128.

  1. 01Amherst2,128
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Amherst County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Amherst County. The most populous is Bedford County, VA, with 82,182 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Richmond and the nearest big city

Richmond is 94.4 miles E of Amherst County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Richmond, VA (population 233,655), 92.1 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Lynchburg, VA (population 80,301), 16.1 miles away.

Amherst County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Amherst County is 51009: state code 51 for Virginia plus county code 009. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $61,499.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Amherst County, Virginia?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 31,650. That is up 337 people (1.1%) from the July 2020 estimate of 31,313.

What is the FIPS code of Amherst County?

51009. The first two digits (51) are Virginia; the last three (009) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Amherst County?

Amherst, with 2,128 residents inside Amherst County in 2024.

Which counties border Amherst County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Bedford County, VA; Lynchburg city, VA; Campbell County, VA; Rockbridge County, VA; Appomattox County, VA; Nelson County, VA.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.