Nelson County GIS Maps
Nelson County, Virginia, has 14,775 residents and covers 470.8 square miles. The population declined 1.6% between the 2010 and 2020 census. More residents left than arrived over that decade. The FIPS code for Nelson County is 51125.
Nellysford is the county's largest population center. Nelson County also includes 12 zip codes, 1 public school district and 16 municipalities. Those boundaries help explain why population, schools, and housing can look different from one part of the county to another. The map below shows how those county lines, zip codes, and school districts fit together, and the sections that follow use that same geography to show population, demographics, school enrollment and housing patterns in more detail.
Maps, GIS layers and sample data. Paid packages add full layers, analytics and database files.
Nelson County Trends
- Population
- 14,775▾
- Median Home Value
- $283,000▴
- K-12 Enrollment
- 1,492▾
County analytics dashboards with historical trends & projections included in package downloads.
Free starter access previews county maps, lightweight GIS, and sample data. Paid packages unlock full GIS layers, analytics, and database files.
Nelson County Maps
The maps below show a few of the county map styles included in our downloads. County packages include map exports in JPEG, PNG, SVG, PDF and GeoTIFF formats plus more than 20 GIS layers for mapping, research and analysis. Available layers include zip codes, area codes, subdivisions, school districts, political boundaries, roads, water features, points of interest and more.
County packages also include historical county demographics, business intelligence, analytical dashboards, AI-ready prompts, markdown files and related reference data. Everything is organized to save hours of manual work collecting current data, cleaning it and joining it together. That makes it easier to move faster on analytics, due diligence, business planning and location research. Paid packages are built for commercial use, but some package contents include source-specific attribution or notice guidance. Review Licensing & Data Source Notices.
Nelson County Population
Nelson County had 14,775 residents in 2020. That was 1.6% lower than in 2010. Nelson County added 330 people between 2000 and 2020, which points to steady long-term growth. The county is fairly spread out, with about 31 people per square mile. Some of the county's most populated postal areas include Afton, Arrington and Nellysford.
Population Trend in Nelson County VA
Nelson County Population per 2000, 2010 and 2020 census counts with a baseline 2030 projection.
Nelson County Zip Codes
Nelson County has 12 zip codes. Some of the county's most populated zip codes include Afton (22920), Arrington (22922) and Nellysford (22958). Afton is the largest zip by population, with about 4,192 residents or 28% of the county total. Together, the three largest zips account for about 55% of all county residents based on 2020 population estimates.
Most Populated Zip Codes in Nelson County VA
| ZIP | Area | Population | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22920 | Afton | 4,192 | ▴ 0.1% |
| 22922 | Arrington | 1,997 | ▴ 0.2% |
| 22958 | Nellysford | 1,981 | ▴ 21% |
| 22967 | Roseland | 1,857 | ▾ -5.1% |
| 22971 | Shipman | 1,709 | ▾ -1.5% |
| Download all zip code data | |||
Nelson County Zip Code populations and trends per most recent census data.
Nelson County Demographics
Nelson County has a median age of 51.3, which makes the county a little older than Virginia overall. About 17.7% of residents are under 18, while 29.3% are 65 or older. That gives the county a fairly even mix of younger families and older adults. The largest age group is 65 and over at about 29.3% of the population, which points to an older population profile. About 33.7% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the statewide figure of 41.5%. The county is mostly White by population, though Hispanic, Asian, Black and multiracial residents are also part of the local mix.
Key Demographics for Nelson County VA
Median Age
51.3
Under 18
17.7%
Age 65+
29.3%
Bachelor's+
33.7%
Nelson County School Districts
Nelson County is served by 1 public school district with 1,492 students enrolled in 2024. Several larger districts account for a substantial share of students across the county map area. Those three districts account for about 100% of public school enrollment in the map area. Total enrollment has stayed fairly steady in recent years, but it is slightly lower than it was in 2017.
Largest School Districts by Enrollment in Nelson County VA
| District | Enrollment | Share | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson County Public Schools | 1,492 | 100% | ▾ -0.2% |
| Download all school district data | |||
Nelson County school district enrollment and trends per most recent NCES reporting data.
Nelson County Housing & Real Estate
Nelson County has a median home value of $283,000 and a median gross rent of $950. About 79% of occupied homes in the county are owner-occupied, so the local housing market leans heavily toward ownership. Home values run below the Virginia median, while rents come in below the state average. In March 2026, the median listing price was $474,950 and homes spent about 80 days on the market.
Nelson County Housing Mix
Nelson County housing mix: owner, renter and vacant units.
Nelson County Housing Trends
Nelson County median home value and rent trend (last 5 years).
Businesses in Nelson County, VA
Nelson County has 732 business listings across 227 categories. The largest categories in Nelson County business listings are Churches & Religious Organizations (31, 4.2%), Baptist Church (26, 3.6%), and Farm (25, 3.4%). The full Nelson County business listings dataset includes names, categories, addresses and contact details where available. Nelson County packages also include U.S. Census County Business Patterns data with establishment counts, employment and payroll by industry sector.
Top Business Categories in Nelson County, VA
| Category | Businesses | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Churches & Religious Organizations | 31 | 4.2% |
| Baptist Church | 26 | 3.6% |
| Farm | 25 | 3.4% |
| Community & Nonprofits | 21 | 2.9% |
| Mountain | 21 | 2.9% |
| Landmark And Historical Building | 20 | 2.7% |
| Bed And Breakfast | 19 | 2.6% |
| Convenience Stores | 15 | 2.0% |
| Hotels | 15 | 2.0% |
| Winery | 14 | 1.9% |
Nelson County Business Listings
| Business | Category | City |
|---|---|---|
| Maria C. McMullen | Accountant | Nellysford |
| Shamokin Springs Trail | Active Life | Roseland |
| Deep Roots Milling | Agricultural Cooperatives | Roseland |
| Colleen Feed and Seed | Agricultural Service | Arrington |
| Rockfish Airpark | Airport | Nellysford |
| Wintergreen Rescue Squad | Ambulance And Ems Services | Nellysford |
| The Blue Toad | American Restaurants | Afton |
| Blue Ridge Mountain Maze- Corn Maze & Fall Festival | Amusement Park | Roseland |
| Doolittle's Country Kennel | Animal Shelters | Roseland |
| Tuckahoe Antiques | Antique Store | Nellysford |
| Download Nelson County business listings | ||
Nelson County business listings sourced from Overture Maps. Includes locations with a high level of confidence.
Nelson County Basemaps
Nelson County map and data packages include a set of useful basemaps to help you get started quickly. These include a custom light grey canvas, USGS topo, imagery and other reference layers that make it easier to build clear, meaningful county maps using the included GIS layers, your own data or both. Pre-rendered map tiles for the light grey basemap are included so you can use them offline or host them on your own CDN.
Get the Full Nelson County Data Package
This page shows a preview of what's included in the Nelson County data package. The full package gives you a ready-to-use county data system with GIS layers, historical data, maps, database files and planning tools that save hours of manual data gathering, cleanup and joins. Everything is organized to help you skip data wrangling and start analysis faster.
- 20+ GIS layers for zip codes, school districts, roads, water, boundaries and more
- Historical county demographics, housing, income and trend data
- ZIP code population files and school district enrollment history
- Database files, markdowns, AI-ready prompts and documentation
- Map exports in PNG, JPEG, PDF, SVG and GeoTIFF formats
- Offline-ready data explorer, map and analytics tools
Paid packages support commercial use, client work, and derived outputs. Some package contents may include source-specific attribution or provider notices. See Licensing & Data Source Notices.
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Nearby Counties
Browse county data pages for the counties that border Nelson County. These nearby pages include the same mix of county maps, demographic summaries, school district context, housing trends and package links.