• county
  • FIPS 51143
  • Largest town: Gretna

Pittsylvania County, Virginia

Pittsylvania County had 59,410 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 969.0 square miles of land. It is the largest by land of Virginia's 133 county-equivalents.

Population
59,410
#31 of 133 in Virginia · #898 in US
Area
969.0 sq mi
#1 of 133 in Virginia · #724 in US
Density
61 / sq mi
#94 of 133 in Virginia · #1,289 in US
Median household income
$54,627
#100 of 133 in Virginia · #2,355 in US

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

Pittsylvania County within Virginia. Pin: Richmond.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Pittsylvania County

Pittsylvania County population, land area and income

Pittsylvania County had 59,410 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 969.0 square miles of land. It is the largest by land of Virginia's 133 county-equivalents. That works out to 61.3 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, so Pittsylvania County is 2.1 times that size.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $54,627 is below the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

59,410

3144th1st

898th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

969 sq mi

3144th1st

724th of 3,144 (US)

Density

61.3 / sq mi

3144th1st

1289th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$54,627

3143rd1st

2355th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Virginia (133)

Population

59,410

133rd1st

31st of 133 (VA)

Land area

969 sq mi

133rd1st

1st of 133 (VA)

Density

61.3 / sq mi

133rd1st

94th of 133 (VA)

Median household income

$54,627

133rd1st

100th of 133 (VA)

How Pittsylvania County's population changed since 2020

Pittsylvania County lost 970 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 1.6%. That ranks 112th 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, Pittsylvania County recorded 1,894 births and 3,668 deaths, a natural change of -1,774. Net international migration added +40 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +635. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 1,774 people.

60.4k202060.1k202159.8k202259.6k202359.4k2024
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
1,894
Deaths
3,668
Net international migration
+40
Net domestic migration
+635
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
-171

Where Pittsylvania County is

The Census internal point of Pittsylvania County is at 36.821700, -79.398500. 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 Pittsylvania 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: Pittsylvania County internal point. Dark pin: Richmond.

Internal point

Decimal
36.821700, -79.398500
DMS
36°49'18.12"N 79°23'54.60"W
UTM
17N 642832.5E 4076289.8N
Geohash
dnx93ppvb
Plus code
8782RJC2+MH

Towns in Pittsylvania County

3 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Pittsylvania County, 3,710 people together, or 6% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Pittsylvania County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Gretna with 1,276.

  1. 01Gretna1,276
  2. 02Hurt1,239
  3. 03Chatham1,195
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Pittsylvania County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 8 neighbors for Pittsylvania County, including 2 across a state line. The most populous is Rockingham County, NC, with 93,517 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Richmond and the nearest big city

Richmond is 119.0 miles ENE of Pittsylvania County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Greensboro, NC (population 307,381), 55.5 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Danville, VA (population 41,993), 16.5 miles away.

Pittsylvania County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Pittsylvania County is 51143: state code 51 for Virginia plus county code 143. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $54,627.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Pittsylvania County, Virginia?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 59,410. That is down 970 people (1.6%) from the July 2020 estimate of 60,380.

What is the FIPS code of Pittsylvania County?

51143. The first two digits (51) are Virginia; the last three (143) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Pittsylvania County?

Gretna, with 1,276 residents inside Pittsylvania County in 2024.

Which counties border Pittsylvania County?

8 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Rockingham County, NC; Bedford County, VA; Franklin County, VA; Campbell County, VA; Henry County, VA; Danville city, VA; Halifax County, VA; Caswell County, NC.

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.