Mathews County, Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Mathews County, Virginia had an estimated 8,602 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 8,534, across 86 square miles. County output reached $260.5 m in 2024, 191 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $1.0 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Mathews County
How many people live in Mathews County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20248,540
- Households3,987
- Average household size2.14
- Median household income$75,880
- Median age55.0
- Median gross rent$1,032 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$360,900
- Home value to household income4.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over6,687
- Population under 181,229
- Share under 1814.4 percent
- Population 65 and over2,845
- Share 65 and over33.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,466
- Civilian labor force3,619
- Unemployment rate4.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over49.5 percent
- Rank by population among Virginia counties118th of 133
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2609th of 3,222
Mathews County is the 118th largest of 133 Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 4.8 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 33.3 percent against 14.4 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.
Mathews County
Is Mathews County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20248,602
- Census 2020 base population8,534
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.80 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202434
- Births, 202464
- Deaths, 2024125
- Natural change, 2024-61
- Net domestic migration, 202496
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 202496
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024408
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1552nd of 3,144
The county has grown 0.80 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.
Mathews County
Where are people moving to Mathews County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving289
- People arriving, from those returns552
- Tax returns filed by households leaving239
- Net household movement50
- Adjusted gross income arriving$31.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$15.9 m
- Average income of an arriving household$107,893
- Average income of a leaving household$63,887
- Largest single originGloucester County (57 households)
- Largest single destinationGloucester County (62 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gloucester County | 57 | 131 | $3.9 m |
Households arriving report $44,006 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 Gloucester 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.
Mathews County
What is the Mathews County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$260.5 m
- County GDP, 2023$252.4 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.2 percent
- GDP change over five years24.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Virginia areas BEA publishes101st of 105
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2784th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$30,506
Output grew 3.2 percent in the latest year and 24.5 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.
Mathews County
Employment by industry in Mathews County
- Covered employment, annual average1,576
- Establishments reporting257
- Average annual pay$41,476
- Average weekly wage$798
- Retail trade, employment195
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,063
- Accommodation and food services, employment148
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$21,076
- Construction, employment138
- Construction, average annual pay$49,174
- Manufacturing, employment99
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$42,756
- Arts, entertainment and recreation, employment69
- Other services, except public administration, employment68
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 195 | 24 | $31,063 |
| Accommodation and food services | 148 | 14 | $21,076 |
| Construction | 138 | 41 | $49,174 |
| Manufacturing | 99 | 8 | $42,756 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 69 | 3 | $26,743 |
| Other services, except public administration | 68 | 16 | $50,532 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 54 | 19 | $48,756 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 29 | 6 | $50,889 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 195 jobs, 12.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Mathews County
How many businesses are in Mathews County?
- Establishments, all industries191
- Employment at those establishments1,196
- Annual payroll$41.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.4
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.
Mathews County
Building permits in Mathews County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202437
- Declared construction value permitted$12.8 m
- Single family units authorized37
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$344,941
- Units authorized per 1,000 households9.3
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.
Mathews County
SBA loans in Mathews County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$250,825
- Median 7(a) approval$114,150
- Largest single approval$760,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)32
- Jobs per approval8.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer25.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Mathews County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Mathews County
Do SBA loans in Mathews County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 1 loan has 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.
Mathews County
SBA lending by place in Mathews County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Hudgins, approvals2
- Mathews, approvals1
- Port Haywood, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Hudgins | 2 | $193,300 |
| Mathews | 1 | $760,000 |
| Port Haywood | 1 | $50,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Mathews County
How large is Mathews County?
- Land area86 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Virginia counties97th of 133
- Width, east to west10.6 mi
- Height, north to south15.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land99
- Establishments per square mile2.22
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.
Mathews County
Flood risk in Mathews County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Mathews County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 510096
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book1
- Of those, participating in the NFIP1
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Mathews 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 Mathews County (community 510096), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Mathews 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 Mathews 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 Mathews County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20248,540
- Households3,987
- Average household size2.14
- Median household income$75,880
- Median age55.0
Common questions
Mathews County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Mathews County, Virginia?
The Census Bureau estimates 8,602 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 8,540, in 3,987 households, ranking 118th of 133 Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Mathews County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.80 percent since the 2020 census base of 8,534, to 8,602 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 64 births against 125 deaths, with net migration of 96. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Mathews County?
$75,880. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $360,900, which is 4.8 times income, and median gross rent is $1,032 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Mathews County?
191 establishments, employing 1,196 people with an annual payroll of $41.0 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 Mathews County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 195 jobs, 12.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,576 jobs at an average annual pay of $41,476, or $798 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Mathews County?
4 7(a) approvals totaling $1.0 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $114,150. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Mathews County?
37 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $12.8 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Mathews 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 Mathews County come from?
The largest single origin is Gloucester County, with 57 households. Arriving households report an average income of $107,893 against $63,887 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Mathews 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 Mathews 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.
Mathews County
Cities and places in Mathews.
2 Census places lie wholly or partly in Mathews County. All 2 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathews | CDP | 941 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Gwynn | CDP | 514 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 3 of the county's 4 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Mathews County, the largest being Hudgins (2), Port Haywood (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.
Nearby