United States › Virginia › Amherst County COUNTY
Amherst County Virginia · 31,962 residents (2025 est.) · 474 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Amherst County is a county of 31,485 people in Virginia. 81% of homes are owner-occupied. The foreign-born share is 2%. The median age is 43.4, about 4 years above the US median. About 25% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $212,400, having more than doubled since 2000.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 43.4
US median: 38.9
Less educated
25% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 33%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 31,894 in 2000
31,962 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 68 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 38.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
28K 29K 30K 32K 33K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Amherst County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $68,724
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $37,393 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $16,952 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 22.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 10.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.397 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 4.1%
Public administration 3.5%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.4%
Transportation & warehousing 1.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 1.3%
Education & health services 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$212,400
+33%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $87,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$871
+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $427 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 78.1% in 2000
19.2% rent
from 8.0% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.31 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 17.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 28.6% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 3.0 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 77.3%(24,645)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 73.7%(23,215)
Hispanic / Latino 2.9%(926)
from 47 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 23 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 25 more ancestry groups with data from 13.1% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 70.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 4.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 15.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 81.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 10.1% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 4.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 6.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 7.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 62.5% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 72.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 14.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 28.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 11.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 13.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 12.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 60.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 84.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 87.6% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 96.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 2.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 29.2%(3,606)
Women 15+
Never married 27.7%(3,850)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 12.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 59.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 15.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 23.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 12.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 72.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 33.5% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 18.3%(328)
Gulf War (1990s) 22.1%(397)
Share of the 1,797 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper
Places similar to Amherst County Head to head
Compare Amherst County to nearby counties AMHERST COUNTY VS
Buena Vista
Income $57,833 −16%
Home value $156,200 −26%
Population 6,672 −79%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
AMHERST COUNTY VS
Lynchburg
Income $57,947 −16%
Home value $229,800 +8%
Population 81,347 +155%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
AMHERST COUNTY VS
Nelson County
Income $72,589 +6%
Home value $321,700 +51%
Population 14,920 −53%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
AMHERST COUNTY VS
Lexington
Income $84,517 +23%
Home value $275,200 +30%
Population 7,769 −76%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Amherst County, Virginia? Amherst County, Virginia has about 31,485 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Amherst County, Virginia? The typical household in Amherst County, Virginia earns about $68,724 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Amherst County, Virginia expensive? In Amherst County, Virginia, the median home is worth about $212,400, and the typical rent is about $871 a month.
How educated are people in Amherst County, Virginia? About 24.7% of adults age 25 and over in Amherst County, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Amherst County, Virginia? About 10.8% of people in Amherst County, Virginia live below the federal poverty line.
Has Amherst County, Virginia grown since 1990? Yes, Amherst County, Virginia has grown since 1990. The population has added about 2,907 residents, a change of about 10 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here 