Bedford County, Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Bedford County, Virginia has a population of 80,894 across 753 square miles, up 3.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.75 bn in 2024, 1,818 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 33 7(a) approvals worth $14.9 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Bedford County
How many people live in Bedford County
- Population80,894
- Households33,127
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$78,937
- Median age47.2
- Median gross rent$952 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$297,400
- Home value to household income3.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher33.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over59,416
- Population under 1815,743
- Share under 1819.5 percent
- Population 65 and over18,820
- Share 65 and over23.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6446,331
- Civilian labor force38,624
- Unemployment rate3.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.3 percent
- Rank by population among Virginia counties26th of 133
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents721st
Bedford County is the 26th largest of 133 Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 3.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.3 percent against 19.5 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.
Bedford County
Is Bedford County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.40 percent
- Census 2020 base population79,483
- Births, 2024660
- Deaths, 2024919
- Natural change, 2024-259
- Net domestic migration, 2024747
- Net international migration, 202476
- Total net migration, 2024823
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20243,775
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents795th
The county has grown 3.40 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.
Bedford County
Where people moving to Bedford County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,690
- People arriving, from those returns5,199
- Adjusted gross income arriving$205.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$76,332
- Largest single originBedford County Non-migrants (29,669 households)
- Largest single destination (29,669 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford County Non-migrants | 29,669 | 62,426 | $2.66 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 842 | 1,687 | $73.2 m |
| Lynchburg city | 496 | 959 | $42.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 460 | 909 | $39.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 381 | 708 | $33.4 m |
| Campbell County | 231 | 457 | $14.8 m |
| Roanoke city | 212 | 386 | $9.3 m |
| Roanoke County | 204 | 365 | $11.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Bedford 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.
Bedford County
What the Bedford County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.75 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.63 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.5 percent
- GDP change over five years35.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Virginia counties38th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1044th
- GDP per resident$33,945
Output grew 4.5 percent in the latest year and 35.1 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.
Bedford County
Who employs people in Bedford County
- Covered employment, annual average18,602
- Establishments reporting2,307
- Average annual pay$48,340
- Average weekly wage$930
- Sector 62, employment2,434
- Sector 62, average annual pay$51,939
- Sector 44-45, employment2,374
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,117
- Sector 31-33, employment1,892
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$62,444
- Sector 72, employment1,606
- Sector 72, average annual pay$22,707
- Sector 23, employment1,304
- Sector 54, employment1,053
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 2,434 | 486 | $51,939 |
| Sector 44-45 | 2,374 | 197 | $35,117 |
| Sector 31-33 | 1,892 | 108 | $62,444 |
| Sector 72 | 1,606 | 113 | $22,707 |
| Sector 23 | 1,304 | 292 | $58,454 |
| Sector 54 | 1,053 | 232 | $59,762 |
| Sector 56 | 943 | 118 | $35,065 |
| Sector 81 | 886 | 198 | $41,336 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,434 jobs, 13.1 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.
Bedford County
What businesses operate in Bedford County
- Establishments, all industries1,818
- Employment at those establishments16,604
- Annual payroll$946.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.5
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.
Bedford County
What is being built in Bedford County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024294
- Declared construction value permitted$116.8 m
- Single family units authorised266
- Multifamily units authorised28
- Multifamily share of units9.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$397,353
- Units authorised per 1,000 households8.9
Multifamily is 9.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Bedford County
How much SBA lending happens in Bedford County
- 7(a) approvals recorded33
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$14.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$450,915
- Median 7(a) approval$300,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$962,500
- Largest single approval$2,575,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)381
- Jobs per approval11.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active21
- Distinct industries receiving approvals24
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer15.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter26
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals3.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (4)
- Most active lenderThe First Bank and Trust Company (5)
- 504 approvals recorded11
- 504 gross approval dollars$9.5 m
- Average 504 approval$864,636
- Median 504 approval$485,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval8.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved9.3
- Most active CDCBusiness Finance Group, Inc. (5)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals75.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$24.4 m
The average approval of $450,915 sits well above the median of $300,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 15.2 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.
Bedford County
Do SBA loans in Bedford County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Cancelled7
- Status: Exempt from disclosure23
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 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.
Bedford County
Which parts of Bedford County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- FOREST, approvals16
- BEDFORD, approvals5
- Moneta, approvals5
- LYNCHBURG, approvals5
- Huddleston, approvals1
- MONTVALE, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| FOREST | 16 | $6,145,200 |
| BEDFORD | 5 | $1,152,400 |
| Moneta | 5 | $3,387,600 |
| LYNCHBURG | 5 | $2,015,000 |
| Huddleston | 1 | $80,000 |
| MONTVALE | 1 | $2,100,000 |
FOREST accounts for 16 approvals against 5 in BEDFORD. 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.
Bedford County
How big is Bedford County
- Land area753 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Virginia counties5th of 133
- Width, east to west36.5 mi
- Height, north to south42.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary8
- Residents per square mile of land107
- Establishments per square mile2.41
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 Bedford 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 Bedford County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population80,894
- Households33,127
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$78,937
- Median age47.2
Common questions
Bedford County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Bedford County, Virginia?
80,894, in 33,127 households, ranking 26th of 133 Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Bedford County growing?
The population has grown 3.40 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 660 births against 919 deaths, with net migration of 823. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Bedford County?
$78,937. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $297,400, which is 3.8 times income, and median gross rent is $952 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Bedford County?
1,818 establishments, employing 16,604 people with an annual payroll of $946.9 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 Bedford County?
Average annual pay is $48,340, or $930 a week, across 18,602 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Bedford County?
33 7(a) approvals totalling $14.9 m since FY2020, across 21 lenders, with a median approval of $300,000, plus 11 504 approvals worth $9.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Bedford County?
294 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $116.8 m. Multifamily was 9.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Bedford County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 Bedford County come from?
The largest single origin is Bedford County Non-migrants, with 29,669 households. Arriving households report an average income of $76,332 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 Bedford 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 Bedford 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.