Prince Edward County, Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Prince Edward County is located in Virginia with a total population of 21,932. It is the 78th most populous county out of 133 in Virginia. The county encompasses 3 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Prince Edward County is 32.4 years. This is 16% lower than the state median of 38.8 years. Only 14.9% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Prince Edward County is $55,082. This is 39% lower than the state median of $90,974. It is also 30% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 21.6%. This is 118% 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 2.3%. This is 47% lower than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $203,700. Housing costs are 44% lower than the state median of $360,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.7x. 60.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 11% lower than the state average of 67.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Prince Edward County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 59.8% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 30.3%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (30.3% vs 18.4%). The Hispanic or Latino population (4.8%) is well below the state average of 10.7%. The Asian population (1.1%) is well below the state average of 6.8%.

Education

24.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 42% 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 88.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Prince Edward 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.