Sussex County, Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Sussex County is located in Virginia with a total population of 10,793. It is the 113th most populous county out of 133 in Virginia. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Sussex County is 41.0 years. This is 6% higher than the state median of 38.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Sussex County is $62,821. This is 31% lower than the state median of $90,974. It is also 20% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 12.1%. This is 22% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. The unemployment rate is 4.4%. This is 2% higher than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $178,500. Housing costs are 51% lower than the state median of $360,700. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.8x, Sussex County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 69.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 3% higher than the state average of 67.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Sussex County is Black or African American, making up 54.7% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 40.3%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (54.7% vs 18.4%). The Hispanic or Latino population (1.5%) is well below the state average of 10.7%. The Asian population (0.6%) is well below the state average of 6.8%.

Education

15.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 62% 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 84.6%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Sussex 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.