Rockbridge County, Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Rockbridge County, Virginia has a population of 22,531 across 598 square miles, down 1.3 percent since the 2020 census base. 458 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 9 7(a) approvals worth $14.6 m.
112 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Rockbridge County
How many people live in Rockbridge County
- Population22,531
- Households9,552
- Average household size2.36
- Median household income$65,469
- Median age49.8
- Median gross rent$925 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$248,800
- Home value to household income3.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher32.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree16.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over17,054
- Population under 183,839
- Share under 1817.0 percent
- Population 65 and over6,183
- Share 65 and over27.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6412,509
- Civilian labor force10,674
- Unemployment rate3.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.1 percent
- Rank by population among Virginia counties76th of 133
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1747th
Rockbridge County is the 76th 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 27.4 percent against 17.0 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.
Rockbridge County
Is Rockbridge County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.28 percent
- Census 2020 base population22,658
- Births, 202499
- Deaths, 2024307
- Natural change, 2024-208
- Net domestic migration, 2024177
- Net international migration, 20247
- Total net migration, 2024184
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024592
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2284th
The county has lost 1.28 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.
Rockbridge County
Where people moving to Rockbridge County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving630
- People arriving, from those returns1,166
- Adjusted gross income arriving$45.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$72,419
- Largest single originRockbridge County Non-migrants (8,306 households)
- Largest single destination (8,306 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockbridge County Non-migrants | 8,306 | 16,478 | $646.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 224 | 420 | $18.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 197 | 361 | $14.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 115 | 227 | $9.0 m |
| Lexington city | 87 | 154 | $7.2 m |
| Buena Vista city | 72 | 148 | $2.8 m |
| Augusta County | 50 | 83 | $2.1 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 47 | 83 | $3.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Rockbridge 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.
Rockbridge County
Who employs people in Rockbridge County
- Covered employment, annual average6,110
- Establishments reporting562
- Average annual pay$44,224
- Average weekly wage$850
- Sector 44-45, employment1,102
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,538
- Sector 31-33, employment859
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$53,463
- Sector 72, employment649
- Sector 72, average annual pay$23,512
- Sector 23, employment427
- Sector 23, average annual pay$56,471
- Sector 81, employment242
- Sector 42, employment167
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 1,102 | 61 | $34,538 |
| Sector 31-33 | 859 | 29 | $53,463 |
| Sector 72 | 649 | 51 | $23,512 |
| Sector 23 | 427 | 70 | $56,471 |
| Sector 81 | 242 | 47 | $33,727 |
| Sector 42 | 167 | 16 | $56,761 |
| Sector 54 | 152 | 38 | $54,890 |
| Sector 71 | 109 | 12 | $32,983 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,102 jobs, 18.0 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.
Rockbridge County
What businesses operate in Rockbridge County
- Establishments, all industries458
- Employment at those establishments5,356
- Annual payroll$214.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.3
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.
Rockbridge County
What is being built in Rockbridge County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024105
- Declared construction value permitted$32.7 m
- Single family units authorised105
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$311,016
- Units authorised per 1,000 households11.0
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Rockbridge County
How much SBA lending happens in Rockbridge County
- 7(a) approvals recorded9
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$14.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,624,722
- Median 7(a) approval$772,000
- 10th percentile approval$10,000
- 90th percentile approval$5,000,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)106
- Jobs per approval11.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals8
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer11.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter8
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals11.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBeef Cattle Ranching and Farming (2)
- Most active lenderReadycap Lending, LLC (4)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$896,000
- Average 504 approval$448,000
- Median 504 approval$506,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval4.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved8.9
- Most active CDC504 Capital Corporation (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals81.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$15.5 m
The average approval of $1,624,722 sits well above the median of $772,000, 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 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.
Rockbridge County
Do SBA loans in Rockbridge County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Paid in full2
- 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.
Rockbridge County
Which parts of Rockbridge County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- LEXINGTON, approvals4
- FAIRFIELD, approvals3
- Vesuvius, approvals1
- Goshen, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| LEXINGTON | 4 | $12,110,000 |
| FAIRFIELD | 3 | $1,462,500 |
| Vesuvius | 1 | $50,000 |
| Goshen | 1 | $1,000,000 |
LEXINGTON accounts for 4 approvals against 3 in FAIRFIELD. 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.
Rockbridge County
How big is Rockbridge County
- Land area598 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Virginia counties11th of 133
- Width, east to west28.8 mi
- Height, north to south38.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary9
- Residents per square mile of land38
- Establishments per square mile0.77
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 Rockbridge 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 Rockbridge County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population22,531
- Households9,552
- Average household size2.36
- Median household income$65,469
- Median age49.8
Common questions
Rockbridge County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Rockbridge County, Virginia?
22,531, in 9,552 households, ranking 76th of 133 Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Rockbridge County growing?
The population has fallen 1.28 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 99 births against 307 deaths, with net migration of 184. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Rockbridge County?
$65,469. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $248,800, which is 3.8 times income, and median gross rent is $925 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Rockbridge County?
458 establishments, employing 5,356 people with an annual payroll of $214.8 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 Rockbridge County?
Average annual pay is $44,224, or $850 a week, across 6,110 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Rockbridge County?
9 7(a) approvals totalling $14.6 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $772,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $896,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Rockbridge County?
105 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $32.7 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Rockbridge 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 Rockbridge County come from?
The largest single origin is Rockbridge County Non-migrants, with 8,306 households. Arriving households report an average income of $72,419 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 Rockbridge 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 Rockbridge 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.