Northampton County, Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Northampton County is located in Virginia with a total population of 12,115. It is the 107th most populous county out of 133 in Virginia. The county encompasses 7 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Northampton County is 51.6 years. This is 33% higher than the state median of 38.8 years. 11.9% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Northampton County is $55,933. This is 39% lower than the state median of $90,974. It is also 29% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 17.1%. This is 72% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. The unemployment rate is 4.2%. This is 3% lower than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $279,100. Housing costs are 23% lower than the state median of $360,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 5.0x. 65.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 3% lower than the state average of 67.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Northampton County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 55.6% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 31.2%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (31.2% vs 18.4%). The Asian population (1.1%) is well below the state average of 6.8%.

Education

32.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 22% 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 86.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Northampton 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.