• county
  • FIPS 51125

Nelson County, Virginia

Nelson County had 14,766 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 470.8 square miles of land. It ranks 100th of 133 in Virginia by population and 32nd by land area.

Population
14,766
#100 of 133 in Virginia · #2,104 in US
Area
470.8 sq mi
#32 of 133 in Virginia · #2,190 in US
Density
31 / sq mi
#120 of 133 in Virginia · #1,880 in US
Median household income
$77,049
#45 of 133 in Virginia · #578 in US

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

Nelson County within Virginia. Pin: Richmond.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Nelson County

Nelson County population, land area and income

Nelson County had 14,766 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 470.8 square miles of land. It ranks 100th of 133 in Virginia by population and 32nd by land area. That works out to 31.4 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; Nelson County is somewhat smaller.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $77,049 is in the top quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

14,766

3144th1st

2104th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

471 sq mi

3144th1st

2190th of 3,144 (US)

Density

31.4 / sq mi

3144th1st

1880th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$77,049

3143rd1st

578th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Virginia (133)

Population

14,766

133rd1st

100th of 133 (VA)

Land area

471 sq mi

133rd1st

32nd of 133 (VA)

Density

31.4 / sq mi

133rd1st

120th of 133 (VA)

Median household income

$77,049

133rd1st

45th of 133 (VA)

How Nelson County's population changed since 2020

Nelson County gained 27 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 0.2%. That ranks 83rd 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, Nelson County recorded 619 births and 955 deaths, a natural change of -336. Net international migration added +151 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +191. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 336 people.

14.7k202014.8k202114.7k202214.6k202314.8k2024
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
619
Deaths
955
Net international migration
+151
Net domestic migration
+191
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+141

Where Nelson County is

The Census internal point of Nelson County is at 37.789100, -78.883400. 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 Nelson 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: Nelson County internal point. Dark pin: Richmond.

Internal point

Decimal
37.789100, -78.883400
DMS
37°47'20.76"N 78°53'0.24"W
UTM
17N 686373.4E 4184525.6N
Geohash
dnxyuzqc7
Plus code
8793Q4Q8+JJ

Towns in Nelson County

No incorporated place of 1,000 or more people has residents in Nelson County. Its 14,766 residents live in smaller towns, census-designated places, or unincorporated land, which the subcounty estimates do not list at this size.

Counties bordering Nelson County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Nelson County. The most populous is Albemarle County, VA, with 117,313 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Richmond and the nearest big city

Richmond is 81.1 miles ESE of Nelson County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Richmond, VA (population 233,655), 79.0 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Waynesboro, VA (population 23,498), 19.3 miles away.

Nelson County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Nelson County is 51125: state code 51 for Virginia plus county code 125. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $77,049.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Nelson County, Virginia?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 14,766. That is up 27 people (0.2%) from the July 2020 estimate of 14,739.

What is the FIPS code of Nelson County?

51125. The first two digits (51) are Virginia; the last three (125) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Nelson County?

No incorporated place of 1,000 or more people has residents in Nelson County. Its people live in smaller towns, census-designated places or unincorporated land.

Which counties border Nelson County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Albemarle County, VA; Augusta County, VA; Amherst County, VA; Rockbridge County, VA; Buckingham County, VA; Appomattox 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.