• county
  • FIPS 51057
  • Largest town: Tappahannock

Essex County, Virginia

Essex County had 10,683 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 257.4 square miles of land. It ranks 115th of 133 in Virginia by population and 78th by land area.

Population
10,683
#115 of 133 in Virginia · #2,367 in US
Area
257.4 sq mi
#78 of 133 in Virginia · #2,892 in US
Density
42 / sq mi
#106 of 133 in Virginia · #1,639 in US
Median household income
$62,679
#75 of 133 in Virginia · #1,585 in US

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

Essex County within Virginia. Pin: Richmond.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Essex County

Essex County population, land area and income

Essex County had 10,683 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 257.4 square miles of land. It ranks 115th of 133 in Virginia by population and 78th by land area. That works out to 41.5 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and below the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Virginia has 27,800 residents, so Essex County has 38% of the typical county's population.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $62,679 is below the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

10,683

3144th1st

2367th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

257 sq mi

3144th1st

2892nd of 3,144 (US)

Density

41.5 / sq mi

3144th1st

1639th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$62,679

3143rd1st

1585th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Virginia (133)

Population

10,683

133rd1st

115th of 133 (VA)

Land area

257 sq mi

133rd1st

78th of 133 (VA)

Density

41.5 / sq mi

133rd1st

106th of 133 (VA)

Median household income

$62,679

133rd1st

75th of 133 (VA)

How Essex County's population changed since 2020

Essex County gained 86 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 0.8%. That ranks 75th 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, Essex County recorded 453 births and 709 deaths, a natural change of -256. Net international migration added +18 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +316. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 316 people.

10.6k202010.6k202110.6k202210.6k202310.7k2024
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
453
Deaths
709
Net international migration
+18
Net domestic migration
+316
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+65

Where Essex County is

The Census internal point of Essex County is at 37.936400, -76.933700. It sits in UTM zone 18N. The map shades Virginia's 133 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Essex 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: Essex County internal point. Dark pin: Richmond.

Internal point

Decimal
37.936400, -76.933700
DMS
37°56'11.04"N 76°56'1.32"W
UTM
18N 330071.8E 4200521.8N
Geohash
dq9rc64ed
Plus code
8795W3P8+HG

Towns in Essex County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Essex County, 2,199 people together, or 21% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Essex County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Tappahannock with 2,199.

  1. 01Tappahannock2,199
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Essex County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 7 neighbors for Essex County. The most populous is Caroline County, VA, with 33,477 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Richmond and the nearest big city

Richmond is 38.7 miles SW of Essex County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Richmond, VA (population 233,655), 40.8 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Fredericksburg, VA (population 29,992), 39.1 miles away.

Essex County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Essex County is 51057: state code 51 for Virginia plus county code 057. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $62,679.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Essex County, Virginia?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 10,683. That is up 86 people (0.8%) from the July 2020 estimate of 10,597.

What is the FIPS code of Essex County?

51057. The first two digits (51) are Virginia; the last three (057) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Essex County?

Tappahannock, with 2,199 residents inside Essex County in 2024.

Which counties border Essex County?

7 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Caroline County, VA; King George County, VA; Westmoreland County, VA; Lancaster County, VA; Middlesex County, VA; Richmond County, VA; King and Queen 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.