Mathews County, Virginia

VA · FIPS 51115 Republican

Located in Virginia, Mathews County has a population of 8,540 residents and a median age of 55.0 years, making it the #2,609 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 7.8%. The median home value is $360,900, and the median household income is $75,880, which is 1% above the national median.

8,540
Population
#2,609 of 3,222
$75,880
Median Income
+1.0% #784 of 3,222
55.0 years
Median Age
+41.4% #63 of 3,222
7.8%
Poverty Rate
-38.1% #336 of 3,222

Demographics

Mathews County has a population of 8,540, making it the #2,609 most populous county in the US. The median age is 55.0 years, which is 41.4% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.4%
Native Born
1.6%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Mathews County is $75,880, ranking #784 out of 3,222 counties — 1.0% above the national median. The poverty rate is 7.8% and unemployment stands at 4.4%.

Income#784
$75,880
+1.0%
vs nation
76th percentile
Per Capita#316
$46,972
+13.8%
vs nation
90th percentile
Poverty#336
7.8%
-38.1%
vs nation
90th percentile
Unemployment#1,628
4.4%
-16.1%
vs nation
49th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Mathews County is $360,900 (+28.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,032/mo and the homeownership rate is 84.0%.

Home Value#383
$360,900
+28.0%
vs nation
88th percentile
Rent#900
$1,032
-11.3%
vs nation
72th percentile
Homeownership#170
84.0%
+30.5%
vs nation
95th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Mathews County, 28.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 15.7% below the national average, ranking #891 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
28.4% −15.7% vs nation
Rank #891 of 3,222
72th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Mathews County is 75.8 years. 14.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,345
75.8
+0.9%
vs nation
56th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#348
14.1%
-27.9%
vs nation
89th percentile
Diabetes#1,283
10.2%
-8.4%
vs nation
59th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#738
34.1%
-8.6%
vs nation
77th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,410
5.6
-1.5%
vs nation
55th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#649
3.9
-13.2%
vs nation
79th percentile
Uninsured Rate#885
7.2%
-31.4%
vs nation
72th percentile
Physical Inactivity#377
20.5%
-22.3%
vs nation
88th percentile
Food Insecurity#590
11.2%
-22.3%
vs nation
81th percentile

Substance Use

13.8% of adults in Mathews County smoke , 33.3% are obese , and 23.3% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#420
13.8%
-23.2%
vs nation
87th percentile
Adult Obesity#490
33.3%
-12.2%
vs nation
84th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,720
23.3%
+17.3%
vs nation
14th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 25.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 19.4 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,112
25.6
+29.8%
vs nation
17th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,062
25.0
+39.7%
vs nation
16th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,523
19.4
-4.1%
vs nation
46th percentile

Families & Children

14.6% of children in Mathews County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 10.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#460
10.3
-52.8%
vs nation
85th percentile
Child Poverty#1,052
14.6%
-23.1%
vs nation
67th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Mathews County is 78.4%. The mean commute time is 33.7 min, which is 22.1% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
78.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
33.7 min +22.1% vs nation
Rank #404 of 3,222
87th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Mathews County voted Republican with a margin of 39.4%. The vote was 29.9% Dem / 69.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.7 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +39.4%
29.9% 69.3%
Dem 5,929 votes Rep
2020 REP +35.7%
31.3% 67%
Dem 5,826 votes Rep
2016 REP +36.9%
29.5% 66.4%
Dem 5,292 votes Rep
2012 REP +31.3%
33.7% 65%
Dem 5,364 votes Rep
2008 REP +27.9%
35.6% 63.5%
Dem 5,440 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Mathews County, Virginia

Mathews County, Virginia has a total population of 8,540, making it the 2,609th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Mathews County is 55.0 years, which is 41.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Mathews County is $75,880, which ranks #784 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 1.0% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 7.8%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.4%.

The median home value in Mathews County is $360,900, 28.0% above the national median. Renters in Mathews County pay a median gross rent of $1,032 per month. The homeownership rate is 84.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Mathews County, 28.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 15.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 33.7 min.

Mathews County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 84.6% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (9.7%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.7%).

All data for Mathews 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.