Rockbridge County, Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Rockbridge County, Virginia had an estimated 22,368 residents on July 1, 2024, down 1.3 percent since the 2020 census base of 22,658, across 598 square miles. 458 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 9 7(a) approvals worth $14.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Rockbridge County
How many people live in Rockbridge County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202422,531
- Households9,552
- Average household size2.36
- Median household income$65,469
- Median age49.8
- Median gross rent$925 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$248,800
- Home value to household income3.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher32.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree16.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over17,054
- Population under 183,839
- Share under 1817.0 percent
- Population 65 and over6,183
- Share 65 and over27.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6412,509
- Civilian labor force10,674
- Unemployment rate3.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.1 percent
- Rank by population among Virginia counties76th of 133
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1747th of 3,222
Rockbridge County is the 76th largest of 133 Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 3.8 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 27.4 percent against 17.0 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.
Rockbridge County
Is Rockbridge County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202422,368
- Census 2020 base population22,658
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.28 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-26
- Births, 202499
- Deaths, 2024307
- Natural change, 2024-208
- Net domestic migration, 2024177
- Net international migration, 20247
- Total net migration, 2024184
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024592
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2284th of 3,144
The county has lost 1.28 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Rockbridge County
Where are people moving to Rockbridge County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving630
- People arriving, from those returns1,166
- Tax returns filed by households leaving540
- Net household movement90
- Adjusted gross income arriving$45.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$10.2 m
- Average income of an arriving household$72,419
- Average income of a leaving household$65,624
- Largest single originLexington city (87 households)
- Largest single destinationBuena Vista city (74 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington city | 87 | 154 | $7.2 m |
| Buena Vista city | 72 | 148 | $2.8 m |
| Augusta County | 50 | 83 | $2.1 m |
Households arriving report $6,795 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 Lexington city, 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.
Rockbridge County
Employment by industry in Rockbridge County
- Covered employment, annual average6,110
- Establishments reporting562
- Average annual pay$44,224
- Average weekly wage$850
- Retail trade, employment1,102
- Retail trade, average annual pay$34,538
- Manufacturing, employment859
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$53,463
- Accommodation and food services, employment649
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$23,512
- Construction, employment427
- Construction, average annual pay$56,471
- Other services, except public administration, employment242
- Wholesale trade, employment167
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,102 | 61 | $34,538 |
| Manufacturing | 859 | 29 | $53,463 |
| Accommodation and food services | 649 | 51 | $23,512 |
| Construction | 427 | 70 | $56,471 |
| Other services, except public administration | 242 | 47 | $33,727 |
| Wholesale trade | 167 | 16 | $56,761 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 152 | 38 | $54,890 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 109 | 12 | $32,983 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,102 jobs, 18.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Rockbridge County
How many businesses are in Rockbridge County?
- Establishments, all industries458
- Employment at those establishments5,356
- Annual payroll$214.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.3
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.
Rockbridge County
Building permits in Rockbridge County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024105
- Declared construction value permitted$32.7 m
- Single family units authorized105
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$311,016
- Units authorized per 1,000 households11.0
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.
Rockbridge County
SBA loans in Rockbridge County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded9
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$14.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,624,722
- Median 7(a) approval$772,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)106
- Jobs per approval11.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals8
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer11.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter8
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals11.1 percent
- Most active lenderReadycap Lending, LLC (4)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$896,000
- Average 504 approval$448,000
- Median 504 approval$448,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval4.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved8.9
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$15.5 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.
Rockbridge County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Rockbridge County
Do SBA loans in Rockbridge County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
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.
Rockbridge County
SBA lending by place in Rockbridge County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending4
- Lexington, approvals4
- Fairfield, approvals3
- Goshen, approvals1
- Vesuvius, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Lexington | 4 | $12,110,000 |
| Fairfield | 3 | $1,462,500 |
| Goshen | 1 | $1,000,000 |
| Vesuvius | 1 | $50,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Rockbridge County
How large is Rockbridge County?
- Land area598 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Virginia counties11th of 133
- Width, east to west28.8 mi
- Height, north to south38.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary9
- Residents per square mile of land38
- Establishments per square mile0.77
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.
Rockbridge County
Flood risk in Rockbridge County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Rockbridge County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 510205
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Rockbridge County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Rockbridge County (community 510205), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Rockbridge County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 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 Rockbridge 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 Rockbridge County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202422,531
- Households9,552
- Average household size2.36
- Median household income$65,469
- Median age49.8
Common questions
Rockbridge County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Rockbridge County, Virginia?
The Census Bureau estimates 22,368 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 22,531, in 9,552 households, ranking 76th of 133 Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Rockbridge County's population growing?
The population has fallen 1.28 percent since the 2020 census base of 22,658, to 22,368 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 99 births against 307 deaths, with net migration of 184. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Rockbridge County?
$65,469. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $248,800, which is 3.8 times income, and median gross rent is $925 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Rockbridge County?
458 establishments, employing 5,356 people with an annual payroll of $214.8 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 Rockbridge County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,102 jobs, 18.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 6,110 jobs at an average annual pay of $44,224, or $850 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Rockbridge County?
9 7(a) approvals totaling $14.6 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $772,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $896,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Rockbridge County?
105 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $32.7 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Rockbridge County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Rockbridge County come from?
The largest single origin is Lexington city, with 87 households. Arriving households report an average income of $72,419 against $65,624 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Rockbridge 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 Rockbridge 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.
Rockbridge County
Cities and places in Rockbridge.
4 Census places lie wholly or partly in Rockbridge County. All 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Lexington | CDP | 1,652 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Glasgow | town | 1,330 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fairfield | CDP | 566 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Goshen | town | 271 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
A further 5 of the county's 9 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Rockbridge County, the largest being Lexington (4), Vesuvius (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.