Map the Block › Places › Virginia › Nelson County
Nelson County, Virginia: crime rate, income and local data
The violent-crime rate in Nelson County was 1.9 per 1,000 residents (2021-2025 average, FBI), 16% lower than the statewide rate (2.3). The median household earns $72,589 and the unemployment rate was 3.2% in August 2026. About 14,732 people live in the county.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Nelson County?
Over 2021-2025, the county's police agencies sent the FBI reports of about 28 violent and 163 property crimes per year. The violent rate, 1.9 per 1,000 people, is 16% lower than the Virginia rate (2.3); nationally it is 3.7. Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 11.0 per 1,000 residents, compared with 15.5 across Virginia.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Nelson County | Per 1,000 | Virginia per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 28 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 0 | 0.00 | 0.06 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 5 | 0.34 | 0.30 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 1 | 0.07 | 0.35 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 22 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 163 | 11.0 | 15.5 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 30 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 121 | 8.2 | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 12 | 0.83 | 1.5 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (2 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Nelson County?
The median household in Nelson County earns $72,589 a year, 22% lower than the Virginia median ($93,170). The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $321,700 by its owners; renters pay a median $946. 11.4% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 9.1%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.2% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 223 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Nelson County | Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,732 | 8,705,170 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $72,589 | $93,170 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $321,700 | $383,700 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $946 | $1,579 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 3.3% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 12.5% | 9.9% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 11.4% | 9.1% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 36.3% | 42.2% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 79.7% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 51.3 | 39.0 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 84.9% | 91.0% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 7.1% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Nelson County?
Nelson County carries a “Very Low” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in Nelson County: U.S. Titanium. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
Nelson County has 4 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. 2 are rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 2 Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Black Fox Hills Dam (48 ft) and Lake Monocan Dam (33 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Disasters, air and water
Nelson County was covered by 3 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Tropical Storm 1, Severe Storm 1, Hurricane 1), not counting COVID-19. Of 7 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 9 traffic deaths in the county in 2024.
Is there road construction in Nelson County?
No highway work zones were listed in Nelson County in the October 11, 2026 state feed. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel. The map's layer refreshes every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Nelson County?
Federal school lists show 4 public and 1 private schools in the county. USGS mapping shows 8 fire or EMS stations and 1 police or sheriff station.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Nelson County
Gun shops
No gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Nelson County. There are 3 licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown).
Liquor stores
2 liquor stores are on the map in Nelson County: VA ABC (Lovingston) and Virginia ABC (Nellysford). Virginia has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Nelson County on the map.
See them on the map: liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Nelson County?
Nelson County averaged 28 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 1.9 per 1,000 residents, 16% lower than the Virginia rate (2.3). The property-crime rate was 11.0 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Nelson County?
$72,589 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $93,170 for Virginia and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Nelson County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.2% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 223 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Nelson County?
Nelson County carries a “Very Low” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here.
Are there Superfund sites in Nelson County?
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in Nelson County: U.S. Titanium.
Is there road construction in Nelson County right now?
No highway work zones were listed in Nelson County in the October 11, 2026 state feed. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel.
How does Nelson County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albemarle County | 114,919 | 1.0 | $104,392 |
| Amherst County | 31,485 | 2.3 | $68,724 |
| Appomattox County | 16,610 | 1.4 | $62,853 |
| Augusta County | 78,033 | 1.0 | $82,049 |
| Buckingham County | 16,976 | 1.2 | $60,828 |
| Rockbridge County | 22,531 | 1.6 | $65,469 |
More: Virginia statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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