Essex County, Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Essex County, Virginia has a population of 10,623 across 257 square miles, up 0.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $560.4 m in 2024, 309 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 10 7(a) approvals worth $14.2 m.
117 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Essex County
How many people live in Essex County
- Population10,623
- Households4,447
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$56,520
- Median age47.1
- Median gross rent$972 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$238,100
- Home value to household income4.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher16.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over7,840
- Population under 181,900
- Share under 1817.9 percent
- Population 65 and over2,576
- Share 65 and over24.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 646,147
- Civilian labor force4,458
- Unemployment rate3.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over51.1 percent
- Rank by population among Virginia counties115th of 133
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2445th
Essex County is the 115th largest of 133 Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 4.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 24.2 percent against 17.9 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.
Essex County
Is Essex County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.79 percent
- Census 2020 base population10,599
- Births, 202496
- Deaths, 2024168
- Natural change, 2024-72
- Net domestic migration, 2024133
- Net international migration, 20246
- Total net migration, 2024139
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024306
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1556th
The county has grown 0.79 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.
Essex County
Where people moving to Essex County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving291
- People arriving, from those returns539
- Adjusted gross income arriving$22.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$77,643
- Largest single originEssex County Non-migrants (4,221 households)
- Largest single destination (4,221 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County Non-migrants | 4,221 | 7,944 | $283.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 193 | 357 | $13.9 m |
| Westmoreland County | 37 | 69 | $1.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 37 | 65 | $5.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 37 | 65 | $5.7 m |
| Richmond County | 24 | 48 | $1.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Essex 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.
Essex County
What the Essex County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$560.4 m
- County GDP, 2023$528.7 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.0 percent
- GDP change over five years45.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Virginia counties84th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2331st
- GDP per resident$52,751
Output grew 6.0 percent in the latest year and 45.8 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.
Essex County
Who employs people in Essex County
- Covered employment, annual average3,546
- Establishments reporting410
- Average annual pay$45,848
- Average weekly wage$882
- Sector 44-45, employment839
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,897
- Sector 72, employment359
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,064
- Sector 31-33, employment299
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$49,614
- Sector 56, employment218
- Sector 56, average annual pay$44,267
- Sector 42, employment198
- Sector 81, employment120
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 839 | 59 | $34,897 |
| Sector 72 | 359 | 24 | $21,064 |
| Sector 31-33 | 299 | 12 | $49,614 |
| Sector 56 | 218 | 20 | $44,267 |
| Sector 42 | 198 | 12 | $61,311 |
| Sector 81 | 120 | 32 | $34,704 |
| Sector 23 | 83 | 32 | $44,763 |
| Sector 11 | 76 | 12 | $64,486 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 839 jobs, 23.7 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.
Essex County
What businesses operate in Essex County
- Establishments, all industries309
- Employment at those establishments3,180
- Annual payroll$124.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents29.1
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.
Essex County
What is being built in Essex County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202438
- Declared construction value permitted$7.7 m
- Single family units authorised38
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$201,880
- Units authorised per 1,000 households8.5
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Essex County
How much SBA lending happens in Essex County
- 7(a) approvals recorded10
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$14.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,423,120
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$100,000
- 90th percentile approval$5,000,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)148
- Jobs per approval14.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active7
- Distinct industries receiving approvals7
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer10.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter8
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals20.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGrain and Field Bean Merchant Wholesalers (4)
- Most active lenderThe First Bank and Trust Company (4)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.2 m
- Average 504 approval$397,333
- Median 504 approval$164,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval9.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved22.7
- Most active CDCBusiness Finance Group, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals76.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$15.4 m
The average approval of $1,423,120 sits well above the median of $350,000, 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 10.0 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.
Essex County
Do SBA loans in Essex County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
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.
Essex County
Which parts of Essex County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- Tappahannock, approvals5
- CENTER CROSS, approvals4
- DUNNSVILLE, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Tappahannock | 5 | $3,631,200 |
| CENTER CROSS | 4 | $10,500,000 |
| DUNNSVILLE | 1 | $100,000 |
Tappahannock accounts for 5 approvals against 4 in CENTER CROSS. 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.
Essex County
How big is Essex County
- Land area257 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Virginia counties78th of 133
- Width, east to west26.6 mi
- Height, north to south29.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land41
- Establishments per square mile1.20
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 Essex 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 Essex County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population10,623
- Households4,447
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$56,520
- Median age47.1
Common questions
Essex County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Essex County, Virginia?
10,623, in 4,447 households, ranking 115th of 133 Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Essex County growing?
The population has grown 0.79 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 96 births against 168 deaths, with net migration of 139. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Essex County?
$56,520. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $238,100, which is 4.2 times income, and median gross rent is $972 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Essex County?
309 establishments, employing 3,180 people with an annual payroll of $124.7 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 Essex County?
Average annual pay is $45,848, or $882 a week, across 3,546 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Essex County?
10 7(a) approvals totalling $14.2 m since FY2020, across 7 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 3 504 approvals worth $1.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Essex County?
38 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $7.7 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Essex County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Essex County come from?
The largest single origin is Essex County Non-migrants, with 4,221 households. Arriving households report an average income of $77,643 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 Essex 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 Essex 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.