Rockbridge County, Virginia

VA · FIPS 51163 Republican

Located in Virginia, Rockbridge County has a population of 22,531 residents and a median age of 49.8 years, making it the #1,747 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 7.5%. The median home value is $248,800, and the median household income is $65,469, which is 13% below the national median.

22,531
Population
#1,747 of 3,222
$65,469
Median Income
-12.9% #1,596 of 3,222
49.8 years
Median Age
+28.0% #238 of 3,222
7.5%
Poverty Rate
-40.4% #286 of 3,222

Demographics

Rockbridge County has a population of 22,531, making it the #1,747 most populous county in the US. The median age is 49.8 years, which is 28.0% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.4%
Native Born
2.6%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Rockbridge County is $65,469, ranking #1,596 out of 3,222 counties — 12.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 7.5% and unemployment stands at 3.8%.

Income#1,596
$65,469
-12.9%
vs nation
50th percentile
Per Capita#963
$38,899
-5.7%
vs nation
70th percentile
Poverty#286
7.5%
-40.4%
vs nation
91th percentile
Unemployment#1,229
3.8%
-27.5%
vs nation
62th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Rockbridge County is $248,800 (-11.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $925/mo and the homeownership rate is 79.3%.

Home Value#903
$248,800
-11.7%
vs nation
72th percentile
Rent#1,308
$925
-20.5%
vs nation
59th percentile
Homeownership#747
79.3%
+23.1%
vs nation
77th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Rockbridge County, 32.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 2.8% below the national average, ranking #586 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
32.8% −2.8% vs nation
Rank #586 of 3,222
82th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Rockbridge County is 76.2 years. 18.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,209
76.2
+1.4%
vs nation
61th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,359
18.0%
-8.0%
vs nation
57th percentile
Diabetes#1,501
10.6%
-4.8%
vs nation
52th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,139
35.8%
-4.0%
vs nation
64th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,793
5.7
+1.7%
vs nation
43th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,070
4.1
-7.1%
vs nation
66th percentile
Uninsured Rate#915
7.3%
-30.7%
vs nation
71th percentile
Physical Inactivity#921
23.3%
-11.7%
vs nation
71th percentile
Food Insecurity#793
11.9%
-17.4%
vs nation
75th percentile

Substance Use

19.3% of adults in Rockbridge County smoke , 31.8% are obese , and 20.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 17.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,095
19.3%
+7.5%
vs nation
33th percentile
Adult Obesity#314
31.8%
-16.1%
vs nation
90th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,868
20.7%
+4.1%
vs nation
41th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#419
17.6
-45.4%
vs nation
80th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 20.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 18.9 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,576
20.2
+2.5%
vs nation
38th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,690
20.3
+13.6%
vs nation
32th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,461
18.9
-6.5%
vs nation
48th percentile

Families & Children

14.9% of children in Rockbridge County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 7.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#223
7.5
-65.8%
vs nation
93th percentile
Child Poverty#1,093
14.9%
-21.5%
vs nation
65th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Rockbridge County is 67.4%. The mean commute time is 28.4 min, which is 2.8% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
67.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
28.4 min +2.8% vs nation
Rank #1,185 of 3,222
63th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Rockbridge County voted Republican with a margin of 33.8%. The vote was 32.6% Dem / 66.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +33.8%
32.6% 66.4%
Dem 12,752 votes Rep
2020 REP +32.4%
33% 65.4%
Dem 12,373 votes Rep
2016 REP +29.6%
32.8% 62.4%
Dem 10,685 votes Rep
2012 REP +17.9%
40.2% 58.1%
Dem 10,155 votes Rep
2008 REP +13.6%
42.6% 56.2%
Dem 10,195 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Rockbridge County, Virginia

Rockbridge County, Virginia has a total population of 22,531, making it the 1,747th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Rockbridge County is 49.8 years, which is 28.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Rockbridge County is $65,469, which ranks #1,596 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 12.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 7.5%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.8%.

The median home value in Rockbridge County is $248,800, 11.7% below the national median. Renters in Rockbridge County pay a median gross rent of $925 per month. The homeownership rate is 79.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Rockbridge County, 32.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 2.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.4 min.

Rockbridge County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 89.4% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.5%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (2.6%).

All data for Rockbridge 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.