Emporia city, Virginia

VA · FIPS 51595 Democrat

Located in Virginia, Emporia city has a population of 5,547 residents and a median age of 36.6 years, making it the #2,849 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.8%. The median home value is $148,500, and the median household income is $51,899, which is 31% below the national median.

5,547
Population
#2,849 of 3,222
$51,899
Median Income
-30.9% #2,665 of 3,222
36.6 years
Median Age
-5.9% #2,805 of 3,222
15.8%
Poverty Rate
+25.5% #2,090 of 3,222

Demographics

Emporia city has a population of 5,547, making it the #2,849 most populous county in the US. The median age is 36.6 years, which is 5.9% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.5%
Native Born
2.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Emporia city is $51,899, ranking #2,665 out of 3,222 counties — 30.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.8% and unemployment stands at 2.9%.

Income#2,665
$51,899
-30.9%
vs nation
17th percentile
Per Capita#2,582
$28,969
-29.8%
vs nation
20th percentile
Poverty#2,090
15.8%
+25.5%
vs nation
35th percentile
Unemployment#643
2.9%
-44.4%
vs nation
80th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Emporia city is $148,500 (-47.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,037/mo and the homeownership rate is 38.1%.

Home Value#2,279
$148,500
-47.3%
vs nation
29th percentile
Rent#882
$1,037
-10.8%
vs nation
73th percentile
Homeownership#3,214
38.1%
-40.8%
vs nation
0th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Emporia city, 16.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 52.5% below the national average, ranking #2,672 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
16.0% −52.5% vs nation
Rank #2,672 of 3,222
17th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Emporia city is 66.8 years. 28.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#3,023
66.8
-11.2%
vs nation
1th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,993
28.1%
+43.6%
vs nation
5th percentile
Diabetes#3,088
16.9%
+51.8%
vs nation
2th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#3,109
46.1%
+23.6%
vs nation
1th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,711
6.3
+11.5%
vs nation
14th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,767
5.3
+17.8%
vs nation
12th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,328
8.4%
-19.3%
vs nation
58th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,875
33.7%
+27.7%
vs nation
9th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,562
14.1%
-2.1%
vs nation
50th percentile

Substance Use

22.2% of adults in Emporia city smoke , 47.1% are obese , and 15.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 61.0 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,731
22.2%
+23.6%
vs nation
13th percentile
Adult Obesity#3,102
47.1%
+24.2%
vs nation
1th percentile
Excessive Drinking#229
15.3%
-23.2%
vs nation
93th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,959
61.0
+88.5%
vs nation
7th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Emporia city is 26.7 per 100,000 . Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 29.4 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,497
26.7
+233.7%
vs nation
3th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,398
37.2
+108.2%
vs nation
3th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,364
29.4
+45.0%
vs nation
16th percentile

Families & Children

33.4% of children in Emporia city live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 28.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,242
28.6
+30.9%
vs nation
25th percentile
Child Poverty#2,972
33.4%
+75.9%
vs nation
5th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Emporia city is 65.0%. The mean commute time is 26.9 min, which is 2.7% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
65.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
26.9 min −2.7% vs nation
Rank #1,511 of 3,222
53th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Emporia city voted Democratic with a margin of 31.0%. The vote was 65.2% Dem / 34.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.0 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +31.0%
65.2% 34.2%
Dem 2,178 votes Rep
2020 DEM +36.0%
67.7% 31.7%
Dem 2,381 votes Rep
2016 DEM +31.2%
64.7% 33.5%
Dem 2,367 votes Rep
2012 DEM +33.7%
66.6% 32.9%
Dem 2,691 votes Rep
2008 DEM +30.7%
65% 34.3%
Dem 2,617 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Emporia city, Virginia

Emporia city, Virginia has a total population of 5,547, making it the 2,849th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Emporia city is 36.6 years, which is 5.9% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Emporia city is $51,899, which ranks #2,665 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 30.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.9%.

The median home value in Emporia city is $148,500, 47.3% below the national median. Renters in Emporia city pay a median gross rent of $1,037 per month. The homeownership rate is 38.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Emporia city, 16.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 52.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.9 min.

Emporia city is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 64.3% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (18.3%) and Two or More Races (8.9%).

All data for Emporia city, Virginia comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.