Amherst County, Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Amherst County, Virginia has a population of 31,485 across 474 square miles, up 1.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.10 bn in 2024, 553 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 18 7(a) approvals worth $8.3 m.
117 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Amherst County
How many people live in Amherst County
- Population31,485
- Households12,694
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$68,724
- Median age43.4
- Median gross rent$871 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$212,400
- Home value to household income3.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over22,406
- Population under 186,296
- Share under 1820.0 percent
- Population 65 and over6,859
- Share 65 and over21.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6418,330
- Civilian labor force15,253
- Unemployment rate4.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.6 percent
- Rank by population among Virginia counties57th of 133
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1433rd
Amherst County is the 57th largest of 133 Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 3.1 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.8 percent against 20.0 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Amherst County
Is Amherst County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.08 percent
- Census 2020 base population31,311
- Births, 2024306
- Deaths, 2024412
- Natural change, 2024-106
- Net domestic migration, 2024152
- Net international migration, 202443
- Total net migration, 2024195
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024655
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1454th
The county has grown 1.08 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Amherst County
Where people moving to Amherst County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving809
- People arriving, from those returns1,522
- Adjusted gross income arriving$44.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$55,194
- Largest single originAmherst County Non-migrants (11,451 households)
- Largest single destination (11,451 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst County Non-migrants | 11,451 | 23,123 | $707.4 m |
| Lynchburg city | 243 | 465 | $11.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 227 | 427 | $13.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 140 | 252 | $8.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 117 | 231 | $6.6 m |
| Campbell County | 75 | 154 | $4.8 m |
| Bedford County | 70 | 119 | $4.7 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 46 | 79 | $3.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Amherst County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Amherst County
What the Amherst County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.10 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.03 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.3 percent
- GDP change over five years34.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Virginia counties65th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1761st
- GDP per resident$34,911
Output grew 6.3 percent in the latest year and 34.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Amherst County
Who employs people in Amherst County
- Covered employment, annual average8,168
- Establishments reporting795
- Average annual pay$47,248
- Average weekly wage$909
- Sector 31-33, employment1,670
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$70,092
- Sector 44-45, employment1,118
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,848
- Sector 72, employment683
- Sector 72, average annual pay$22,131
- Sector 23, employment428
- Sector 23, average annual pay$59,177
- Sector 54, employment177
- Sector 81, employment171
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,670 | 43 | $70,092 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,118 | 81 | $31,848 |
| Sector 72 | 683 | 46 | $22,131 |
| Sector 23 | 428 | 92 | $59,177 |
| Sector 54 | 177 | 48 | $68,249 |
| Sector 81 | 171 | 65 | $33,225 |
| Sector 42 | 136 | 10 | $49,259 |
| Sector 48-49 | 107 | 21 | $53,766 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,670 jobs, 20.4 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Amherst County
What businesses operate in Amherst County
- Establishments, all industries553
- Employment at those establishments5,959
- Annual payroll$263.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Amherst County
What is being built in Amherst County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024228
- Declared construction value permitted$39.2 m
- Single family units authorised116
- Multifamily units authorised112
- Multifamily share of units49.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$171,798
- Units authorised per 1,000 households18.0
Multifamily is 49.1 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Amherst County
How much SBA lending happens in Amherst County
- 7(a) approvals recorded18
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$8.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$460,289
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$75,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,608,600
- Largest single approval$1,802,600
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)186
- Jobs per approval10.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active14
- Distinct industries receiving approvals14
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer11.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter14
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countAll Other Specialty Trade Contractors (4)
- Most active lenderThe First Bank and Trust Company (3)
- 504 approvals recorded4
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.6 m
- Average 504 approval$403,000
- Median 504 approval$444,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval56.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved139.0
- Most active CDCBusiness Finance Group, Inc. (3)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals81.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$9.9 m
The average approval of $460,289 sits close to the median of $350,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 11.1 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Amherst County
Do SBA loans in Amherst County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure13
- Status: Cancelled4
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 1 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Amherst County
Which parts of Amherst County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- Madison Heights, approvals14
- Monroe, approvals3
- Amherst, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Madison Heights | 14 | $7,328,200 |
| Monroe | 3 | $807,000 |
| Amherst | 1 | $150,000 |
Madison Heights accounts for 14 approvals against 3 in Monroe. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Amherst County
How big is Amherst County
- Land area474 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Virginia counties30th of 133
- Width, east to west31.1 mi
- Height, north to south28.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land66
- Establishments per square mile1.17
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Amherst County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Amherst County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population31,485
- Households12,694
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$68,724
- Median age43.4
Common questions
Amherst County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Amherst County, Virginia?
31,485, in 12,694 households, ranking 57th of 133 Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Amherst County growing?
The population has grown 1.08 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 306 births against 412 deaths, with net migration of 195. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Amherst County?
$68,724. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $212,400, which is 3.1 times income, and median gross rent is $871 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Amherst County?
553 establishments, employing 5,959 people with an annual payroll of $263.1 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Amherst County?
Average annual pay is $47,248, or $909 a week, across 8,168 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Amherst County?
18 7(a) approvals totalling $8.3 m since FY2020, across 14 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 4 504 approvals worth $1.6 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Amherst County?
228 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $39.2 m. Multifamily was 49.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Amherst County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Amherst County come from?
The largest single origin is Amherst County Non-migrants, with 11,451 households. Arriving households report an average income of $55,194 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Amherst County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Amherst County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.