Census-designated place · Nelson County, Virginia

Nellysford, Virginia

Nellysford is a census-designated place in Nelson County, Virginia, part of the Charlottesville, VA metro area. It has 1,584 residents. Nellysford, Virginia has a quality-of-life score of 64 out of 100 (high), ranking #5,583 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Virginia it ranks #214 of 375 cities and towns. It ranks best on bachelor's degree or higher (high), math scores (high) and voter turnout (high). It ranks worst on pharmacies (low), traffic deaths (high) and rent as share of income (high).

64High

Quality-of-life score: #5,583 of 15,651 cities and towns
Virginia: #214 of 375 in VA
Population: 1,584 (2020-2024)
Land area: 10 mi²
Density: 164.6 /mi²
FIPS code: 5155400

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 71 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety48#8,170/15,637
Economy79#3,278/15,631
Housing32#10,155/14,977
Health74#4,079/15,609
Healthcare37#9,800/15,650
Environment61#6,096/15,453
Education95#741/15,649
Infrastructure53#7,295/15,650
Community77#3,666/15,651
Leisure & amenities17#13,046/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Nellysford, Virginia ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Nelson County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Bachelor's degree or higher · high69.2%
96/100Virginia 42.2%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Math scores · high3.48
95/100Virginia 3.27United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteNelson County value
Voter turnout · high79.8%
95/100Virginia 70.7%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionNelson County value
Preventable hospital stays · low1,740 /100k
93/100Virginia 2,649 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteNelson County value
Food insecurity · low7.8%
93/100Virginia 13.5%United States 15.6%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Lack of reliable transportation · low5.1%
93/100Virginia 7.7%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate

Weaknesses

Pharmacies · low0.0 /10k
1/100Virginia 1.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsNelson County value
Traffic deaths · high50.2 /100k
2/100Virginia 10.7 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataNelson County value
Rent as share of income · high51.0%
2/100Virginia 29.4%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071At least this value: the publisher's top bracket is open-ended
Distance to an emergency room · high20.9 mi
3/100Virginia 5.8 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesNelson County value
Drought exposure · high97%
3/100Virginia 70%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAANelson County value
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.0 /10k
4/100Virginia 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsNelson County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
1,305 (2015-2019) → 1,584 (2020-2024)
+21%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
26.4% (2015-2019) → 100.0% (2020-2024)
+74 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
13.4% (2015-2019) → 51.0% (2020-2024)
+38 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Child poverty rateImproving
42.6% (2015-2019) → 22.5% (2020-2024)
−20 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Median household incomeImproving
$84,038 (2015-2019) → $136,442 (2020-2024)
+62%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
61.8% (2015-2019) → 69.2% (2020-2024)
+7.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Nellysford, Virginia improved on 0 of 8 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 7 moved within the margin of error and 1 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 8 measures

Change of every measure of Nellysford, Virginia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Bachelor's degree or higher	61.8%2015-2019	69.2%2020-2024	+7.5 points	Within the margin of error	82%
Broadband subscriptions	96.0%2015-2019	91.8%2020-2024	−4.3 points	Within the margin of error	3%
Effective property tax rate	0.77%2015-2019	0.50%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	69%
High school diploma or higher	96.3%2015-2019	98.3%2020-2024	+2 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Home price to income ratio	4.7×2015-2019	4.1×2020-2024	−0.7×	Within the margin of error	95%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4332015-2019	0.4312020-2024	−0.002	Within the margin of error	53%
Median household income	$84,0382015-2019	$136,4422020-2024	+62%	Within the margin of error	92%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Nellysford, Virginia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Nellysford, Virginia in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Nellysford, Virginia itself moved +1.9 points in standing on average over the same 7 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,584 residents (±451)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 60–69 women (−13.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,584 residents (±451)

Nellysford, Virginia
Virginia share

White93%1,468
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino4.0%†63

Education

1,294 residents (±305)

Nellysford, Virginia
Virginia share

No high school diploma1.7%†22
High school or GED6.6%†85
Some college12%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

742 households (±176)

Nellysford, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $25k6.7%†50
$25k–50k9.4%†70
$50k–75k14%†107
$75k–100k15%†108
$100k–150k10%†76
$150k–200k15%†108
$200k or more30%†223

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+18.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

742 households (±176)

Nellysford, Virginia
Virginia share

Own89%658
Rent11%†84

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

71 households (±73)

Nellysford, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $7500.0%0
$750–1,00045%†32
$1,000–1,5000.0%0

Home values

658 homes (±163)

Nellysford, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $150k3.6%†24
$150k–250k3.3%†22
$250k–400k2.4%†16

Age of homes

829 homes (±189)

Nellysford, Virginia
Virginia share

2010 or later11%†94
2000–200936%†301
1980–199943%†356

Size of homes

829 homes (±189)

Nellysford, Virginia
Virginia share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom0.0%0
2 bedrooms4.6%†38

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

421 workers (±154)

Nellysford, Virginia
Virginia share

Drive alone55%†233
Carpool0.0%0
Public transit0.0%0
Walk2.6%†11
Bike0.0%0
Work from home37%†156
Other5.0%†21

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+22.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

265 workers (±124)

Nellysford, Virginia
Virginia share

Under 15 min47%†125
15–29 min17%†44
30–44 min20%†53

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Charlottesville, VA

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Nelson County, the county holding most of Nellysford's residents.

Nelson County has 372 employer establishments, 254 for every 10,000 residents (1.02× the US rate of 248; 1.05× Virginia's), with 3,265 paid employees at an average annual pay of $38,085. The Census Bureau also counts 1,379 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 372; 1,379 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 254; US 248 · Virginia 241
Paid employees: 3,265
Average annual pay: $38,085; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Nelson County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	44	30	1.94×More than typical	135	$40,000	123
Construction of buildings	24	16.4	2.17×More than typical	63	$39,746	66
Lessors of real estate	21	14.3	1.16×About typical	57	$51,211	132
Other specialty trade contractors	19	13	5.17×More than typical	55	$44,000	38
Religious organizations	17	11.6	2.09×More than typical	104	$28,125	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	17	11.6	1.72×More than typical	107	$47,523	121
Gasoline stations	13	8.9	2.74×More than typical	66	$30,045	—
Landscaping services	12	8.2	2.34×More than typical	98	$49,663	51
Restaurants and other eating places	12	8.2	0.45×Fewer than typical	254	$41,890	4
Traveler accommodation	12	8.2	4.54×More than typical	795	$23,190	21
Ambulatory health care services	11	7.5	0.36×Fewer than typical	87	$59,034	52
Foundation, structure and building exterior contractors	11	7.5	2.38×More than typical	32	$25,938	19

Rank places for an industry Open Nelson County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 14,652 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $12.1K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Nellysford, Virginia: $7.61 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $12.1K; +23% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7.61; US $1,994
Sole-source: 100%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Army$12.1K100%

Top recipients

WINTERGREEN PACIFIC LLC$12.1K100%

Spending by fiscal year

9.8KFY2025
12.1KFY2026

What was bought

Education & social services$12.1K100%

Top industries (NAICS)

Traveler accommodation · 7211$12.1K100%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Nellysford, Virginia, so they do not add up across cities.

Nellysford, Virginia's figures are part of those of Nelson County, VA ($187.8K in FY2026), never added to them: 6.4% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Nellysford is mostly in Nelson County.

See federal money in Nelson County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Nellysford, Virginia is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

John J. McGuire IIIR-VA-5 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 1.6%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Nelson County57100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Charlottesville, VA96

Other cities and towns in Nelson County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

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