Essex County, Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Essex County, Virginia had an estimated 10,683 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 10,599, across 257 square miles. County output reached $560.4 m in 2024, 309 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 10 7(a) approvals worth $14.2 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Essex County
How many people live in Essex County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202410,623
- Households4,447
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$56,520
- Median age47.1
- Median gross rent$972 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$238,100
- Home value to household income4.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher16.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over7,840
- Population under 181,900
- Share under 1817.9 percent
- Population 65 and over2,576
- Share 65 and over24.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 646,147
- Civilian labor force4,458
- Unemployment rate3.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over51.1 percent
- Rank by population among Virginia counties115th of 133
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2445th of 3,222
Essex County is the 115th largest of 133 Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 4.2 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 24.2 percent against 17.9 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Essex County
Is Essex County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202410,683
- Census 2020 base population10,599
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.79 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202465
- Births, 202496
- Deaths, 2024168
- Natural change, 2024-72
- Net domestic migration, 2024133
- Net international migration, 20246
- Total net migration, 2024139
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024306
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1556th of 3,144
The county has grown 0.79 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration 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.
Essex County
Where are people moving to Essex County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving291
- People arriving, from those returns539
- Tax returns filed by households leaving273
- Net household movement18
- Adjusted gross income arriving$22.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$8.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$77,643
- Average income of a leaving household$53,480
- Largest single originWestmoreland County (37 households)
- Largest single destinationHenrico County (26 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westmoreland County | 37 | 69 | $1.8 m |
| Richmond County | 24 | 48 | $1.2 m |
Households arriving report $24,163 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Westmoreland County, 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.
Essex County
What is the Essex County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$560.4 m
- County GDP, 2023$528.7 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.0 percent
- GDP change over five years45.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Virginia areas BEA publishes84th of 105
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2331st of 3,127
- GDP per resident$52,751
Output grew 6.0 percent in the latest year and 45.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Essex County
Employment by industry in Essex County
- Covered employment, annual average3,546
- Establishments reporting410
- Average annual pay$45,848
- Average weekly wage$882
- Retail trade, employment839
- Retail trade, average annual pay$34,897
- Accommodation and food services, employment359
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$21,064
- Manufacturing, employment299
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$49,614
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment218
- Administrative and support and waste management services, average annual pay$44,267
- Wholesale trade, employment198
- Other services, except public administration, employment120
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 839 | 59 | $34,897 |
| Accommodation and food services | 359 | 24 | $21,064 |
| Manufacturing | 299 | 12 | $49,614 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 218 | 20 | $44,267 |
| Wholesale trade | 198 | 12 | $61,311 |
| Other services, except public administration | 120 | 32 | $34,704 |
| Construction | 83 | 32 | $44,763 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 76 | 12 | $64,486 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 839 jobs, 23.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Essex County
How many businesses are in Essex County?
- Establishments, all industries309
- Employment at those establishments3,180
- Annual payroll$124.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents29.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Essex County
Building permits in Essex County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202438
- Declared construction value permitted$7.7 m
- Single family units authorized38
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$201,880
- Units authorized per 1,000 households8.5
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Essex County
SBA loans in Essex County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded10
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$14.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,423,120
- Median 7(a) approval$312,500
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)148
- Jobs per approval14.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active7
- Distinct industries receiving approvals7
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer10.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter8
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals20.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGrain and Field Bean Merchant Wholesalers (4)
- Most active lenderThe First Bank and Trust Company (4)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.2 m
- Average 504 approval$397,333
- Median 504 approval$164,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval9.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved22.7
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$15.4 m
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.
Essex County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Essex County
Do SBA loans in Essex County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
Only 2 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Essex County
SBA lending by place in Essex County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Tappahannock, approvals5
- Center Cross, approvals4
- Dunnsville, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Tappahannock | 5 | $3,631,200 |
| Center Cross | 4 | $10,500,000 |
| Dunnsville | 1 | $100,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Essex County
How large is Essex County?
- Land area257 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Virginia counties78th of 133
- Width, east to west26.6 mi
- Height, north to south29.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land41
- Establishments per square mile1.20
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.
Essex County
Flood risk in Essex County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Essex County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 510048
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Essex County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Essex County (community 510048), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Essex County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Essex 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 Essex County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202410,623
- Households4,447
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$56,520
- Median age47.1
Common questions
Essex County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Essex County, Virginia?
The Census Bureau estimates 10,683 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 10,623, in 4,447 households, ranking 115th of 133 Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Essex County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.79 percent since the 2020 census base of 10,599, to 10,683 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 96 births against 168 deaths, with net migration of 139. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Essex County?
$56,520. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $238,100, which is 4.2 times income, and median gross rent is $972 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Essex County?
309 establishments, employing 3,180 people with an annual payroll of $124.7 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Essex County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 839 jobs, 23.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 3,546 jobs at an average annual pay of $45,848, or $882 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Essex County?
10 7(a) approvals totaling $14.2 m since FY2020, across 7 lenders, with a median approval of $312,500, plus 3 504 approvals worth $1.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Essex County?
38 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $7.7 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Essex County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Essex County come from?
The largest single origin is Westmoreland County, with 37 households. Arriving households report an average income of $77,643 against $53,480 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Essex 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 Essex County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Essex County
Cities and places in Essex.
1 Census place lies wholly or partly in Essex County. It carries enough published place level data for a page of its own and is linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tappahannock | town | 1,908 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
A further 5 of the county's 10 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Essex County, the largest being Center Cross (4), Dunnsville (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.