Norton, Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Norton is located in Virginia with a total population of 3,620. It is the 132nd most populous county out of 133 in Virginia.

Age Demographics

The median age in Norton is 41.1 years. This is 6% higher than the state median of 38.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Norton is $38,497. This is 58% lower than the state median of $90,974. It is also 51% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 25.7%. This is 159% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 5.4%. This is 26% higher than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $100,700. Housing costs are 72% lower than the state median of $360,700. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.6x, Norton is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 52.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 22% lower than the state average of 67.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

Norton has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 95.1% of all residents. Black or African American residents account for 1.3%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (95.1% vs 59.0%). The Black or African American population (1.3%) is well below the state average of 18.4%. The Asian population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 6.8%.

Education

16.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 60% 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 92.3%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Norton 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.