Nelson County, Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Nelson County, Virginia has a population of 14,732 across 471 square miles, down 0.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $700.3 m in 2024, 372 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 2 7(a) approvals worth $165,000.
114 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Nelson County
How many people live in Nelson County
- Population14,732
- Households6,364
- Average household size2.31
- Median household income$72,589
- Median age51.3
- Median gross rent$946 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$321,700
- Home value to household income4.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher36.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,224
- Population under 182,564
- Share under 1817.4 percent
- Population 65 and over4,359
- Share 65 and over29.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 647,809
- Civilian labor force6,771
- Unemployment rate3.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.6 percent
- Rank by population among Virginia counties100th of 133
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2175th
Nelson County is the 100th largest of 133 Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 4.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 29.6 percent against 17.4 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.
Nelson County
Is Nelson County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.03 percent
- Census 2020 base population14,770
- Births, 2024143
- Deaths, 2024210
- Natural change, 2024-67
- Net domestic migration, 2024151
- Net international migration, 202460
- Total net migration, 2024211
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024206
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1838th
The county has lost 0.03 percent of its population 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.
Nelson County
Where people moving to Nelson County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving420
- People arriving, from those returns739
- Adjusted gross income arriving$47.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$113,976
- Largest single originNelson County Non-migrants (6,000 households)
- Largest single destination (6,000 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson County Non-migrants | 6,000 | 11,509 | $561.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 174 | 303 | $19.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 136 | 228 | $19.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 70 | 120 | $9.8 m |
| Albemarle County | 57 | 109 | $5.5 m |
| Other flows - West | 34 | 56 | $6.0 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 32 | 52 | $4.0 m |
| Amherst County | 28 | 60 | $1.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Nelson 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.
Nelson County
What the Nelson County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$700.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$680.2 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.0 percent
- GDP change over five years31.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Virginia counties75th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2137th
- GDP per resident$47,538
Output grew 3.0 percent in the latest year and 31.0 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.
Nelson County
Who employs people in Nelson County
- Covered employment, annual average3,982
- Establishments reporting560
- Average annual pay$48,069
- Average weekly wage$924
- Sector 72, employment650
- Sector 72, average annual pay$32,403
- Sector 31-33, employment530
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$42,094
- Sector 62, employment278
- Sector 62, average annual pay$50,192
- Sector 81, employment257
- Sector 81, average annual pay$48,471
- Sector 44-45, employment254
- Sector 23, employment234
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 650 | 22 | $32,403 |
| Sector 31-33 | 530 | 26 | $42,094 |
| Sector 62 | 278 | 127 | $50,192 |
| Sector 81 | 257 | 43 | $48,471 |
| Sector 44-45 | 254 | 41 | $26,193 |
| Sector 23 | 234 | 76 | $47,155 |
| Sector 61 | 84 | 6 | $55,107 |
| Sector 53 | 67 | 28 | $44,356 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 650 jobs, 16.3 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.
Nelson County
What businesses operate in Nelson County
- Establishments, all industries372
- Employment at those establishments3,265
- Annual payroll$124.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.3
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.
Nelson County
What is being built in Nelson County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202466
- Declared construction value permitted$20.9 m
- Single family units authorised66
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$316,641
- Units authorised per 1,000 households10.4
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Nelson County
How much SBA lending happens in Nelson County
- 7(a) approvals recorded2
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$165,000
- Average 7(a) approval$82,500
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$150,000
- Largest single approval$150,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)4
- Jobs per approval2.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countAll Other Plastics Product Manufacturing (1)
- Most active lenderBayFirst National Bank (1)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$295,000
- Average 504 approval$295,000
- Median 504 approval$295,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval4.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.6
- Most active CDCRappahannock Economic Development Corporation (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals66.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$460,000
The average approval of $82,500 sits close to the median of $150,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 0.0 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.
Nelson County
Do SBA loans in Nelson County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 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.
Nelson County
Which parts of Nelson County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- LOWESVILLE, approvals1
- NELLYSFORD, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| LOWESVILLE | 1 | $150,000 |
| NELLYSFORD | 1 | $15,000 |
LOWESVILLE accounts for 1 approvals against 1 in NELLYSFORD. 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.
Nelson County
How big is Nelson County
- Land area471 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Virginia counties32nd of 133
- Width, east to west28.9 mi
- Height, north to south35.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land31
- Establishments per square mile0.79
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 Nelson 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 Nelson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population14,732
- Households6,364
- Average household size2.31
- Median household income$72,589
- Median age51.3
Common questions
Nelson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Nelson County, Virginia?
14,732, in 6,364 households, ranking 100th of 133 Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Nelson County growing?
The population has fallen 0.03 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 143 births against 210 deaths, with net migration of 211. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Nelson County?
$72,589. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $321,700, which is 4.4 times income, and median gross rent is $946 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Nelson County?
372 establishments, employing 3,265 people with an annual payroll of $124.3 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 Nelson County?
Average annual pay is $48,069, or $924 a week, across 3,982 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Nelson County?
2 7(a) approvals totalling $165,000 since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $295,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Nelson County?
66 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $20.9 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Nelson 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 Nelson County come from?
The largest single origin is Nelson County Non-migrants, with 6,000 households. Arriving households report an average income of $113,976 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 Nelson 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 Nelson 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.