Amherst County, Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Amherst County is located in Virginia with a total population of 31,385. It is the 56th most populous county out of 133 in Virginia. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Amherst County is 43.3 years. This is 12% higher than the state median of 38.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Amherst County is $67,298. This is 26% lower than the state median of $90,974. It is also 14% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 10.8%. This is 9% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. The unemployment rate is 3.8%. This is 11% lower than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $197,200. Housing costs are 45% lower than the state median of $360,700. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.9x, Amherst County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 78.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 17% higher than the state average of 67.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Amherst County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 73.9% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 17.5%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.8%) is well below the state average of 10.7%. The Asian population (0.6%) is well below the state average of 6.8%.

Education

23.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 45% lower than the state rate of 41.5%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 88.6%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Amherst County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Virginia and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.