Nelson County, Virginia Housing Market

In Nelson County, Virginia, the median home value is $321,700, with a median monthly rent of $946. This places Nelson County at #522 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #46 within Virginia.

Median Home Value $321,700
Median Rent $946/mo
Owner Occupancy 79.7%
Price/Rent Ratio 28.3

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

📊 Recent Market Momentum (FHFA HPI)

FHFA House Price Index — All-Transactions, Annual (2000 = 100) · Latest: 2025

💡 Year-over-Year Trend: Home prices in Nelson County rose +7.0% year-over-year as of 2025. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

3,170
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $943
  • Establishments: 500
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

62
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 62
  • Multi-family: 0
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+392
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 6,556 (avg $96,000)
  • Outflow: 6,164 (avg $93,272)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Nelson County Compares

MetricNelson CountyVirginia AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $321,700 $295,807 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $946 $1,169 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 79.7% 70.8% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 28.3 20.3 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Nelson County is 8.8% above the Virginia state average and 41.3% above the U.S. national average. The median rent of $946/month is 19.1% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 28.3, Nelson County is a strongly rent-favored market. Home prices are high relative to rents, meaning renting is typically far cheaper than owning in the near term.

Nelson County has an owner-occupancy rate of 79.7%, compared to 70.8% in Virginia and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more homeowner-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Douglas County Minnesota $321,400 $927
Iredell County North Carolina $321,400 $1,252
Wilson County Texas $321,300 $1,069
Kerr County Texas $321,200 $1,109
Kendall County Illinois $322,400 $1,781

Other Counties in Virginia

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Lancaster County $327,000 $1,033 81.5%
Northampton County $316,200 $829 66.1%
King William County $315,700 $1,166 88.9%
Louisa County $315,300 $1,220 82.2%
Fluvanna County $314,100 $1,204 88.7%

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 5-Year Estimates (2017–2024). Variables: B25077 (Median Home Value), B25064 (Median Gross Rent), B25003 (Tenure). Data collected on 2026-10-14. The price-to-rent ratio is calculated as Median Home Value ÷ (Median Monthly Rent × 12).