How many people live in Essex County, VA?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 10,700 people living in Essex County, VA. That makes Essex County the 115th-most populous county in Virginia. It is home to 0.12% of people living in the state.
10.7K
population of Essex County, VA (2024)
0.12%
County share of the Virginia population (2024)
About 10,700 people lived in Essex County, VA in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Essex County, VA’s age demographics?
About 2,700 Essex County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 25.5% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 17.8% of Virginia’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 1,900 Essex County residents, or 18% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 21.6% of Virginia’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Essex County, VA's population is aged 65 or older than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Essex County, VA’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic Black or African American residents make up 35.7% of the Essex County, VA population, higher than the national share of 12.6%. Essex County, VA also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic two or more races (3.4%) than the US overall (2.5%).
In contrast, Essex County’s Hispanic population accounts for 5.1%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Asian population makes up 1% of the county, compared with 6.5% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Essex County, VA has a higher share of a non-Hispanic Black or African American population than Virginia as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Essex County, VA is Tappahannock with about 2,200 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Essex County, VA ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Tappahannock | 2,199 |
| 2. | Balance of Essex County | 8,484 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
