Essex County, Virginia
Located in Virginia, Essex County has a population of 10,623 residents and a median age of 47.1 years, making it the #2,445 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.3%. The median home value is $238,100, and the median household income is $56,520, which is 25% below the national median.
Demographics
Essex County has a population of 10,623, making it the #2,445 most populous county in the US. The median age is 47.1 years, which is 21.1% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Essex County is $56,520, ranking #2,371 out of 3,222 counties — 24.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.3% and unemployment stands at 3.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Essex County is $238,100 (-15.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $972/mo and the homeownership rate is 71.7%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Essex County, 16.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 50.8% below the national average, ranking #2,571 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Essex County is 73.0 years. 23.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
20.6% of adults in Essex County smoke , 39.0% are obese , and 17.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 49.8 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 25.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 30.2 per 100,000.
Motor Vehicle Deaths Trend
Families & Children
20.8% of children in Essex County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 18.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Essex County is 69.6%. The mean commute time is 41.1 min, which is 48.9% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Essex County voted Republican with a margin of 7.7%. The vote was 45.8% Dem / 53.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.1 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Essex County, Virginia
Essex County, Virginia has a total population of 10,623, making it the 2,445th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Essex County is 47.1 years, which is 21.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Essex County is $56,520, which ranks #2,371 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 24.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.3%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.9%.
The median home value in Essex County is $238,100, 15.5% below the national median. Renters in Essex County pay a median gross rent of $972 per month. The homeownership rate is 71.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Essex County, 16.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 50.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 41.1 min.
Essex County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 53.2% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (36.8%) and Hispanic or Latino (4.6%).
All data for Essex County, 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.