Amherst County Demographics

A map of Amherst County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	23,215	22,967	73.7%	73.4%
Black	5,326	5,346	16.9%	17.1%
Multiracial	1,396	1,561	4.4%	5.0%
Hispanic	926	838	2.9%	2.7%
Native American/Other	405	413	1.3%	1.3%
Asian	217	182	0.7%	0.6%

Amherst County, Virginia has an estimated population of 31,485, a less than 1% change from the 31,307 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 73.7% White, 16.9% Black, 4.4% Multiracial, 2.9% Hispanic, 1.3% Native American/Other, and 0.7% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Amherst County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Amherst is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Virginia overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Amherst County, that probability was 42.9% in 2020 and 42.5% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Amherst County is ranked the 57th most populous county in Virginia, out of 133 counties. Amherst County was ranked the 55th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Amherst County's White Population

23,215 residents of Amherst County, or 73.7% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Amherst County is significantly higher than in Virginia overall, where 58.4% of the population is White. Amherst County ranks 63rd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Amherst County's White population has grown by an estimated 1.1%. White residents' share of Amherst County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 73.7%.

Amherst County is more White than neighboring Lynchburg County (59.9% White). Amherst County is less White than neighboring Buena Vista County (84.7% White), Nelson County (79.8% White), Lexington County (78.2% White), and Rockbridge County (89.4% White).

Amherst County's Black Population

5,326 residents of Amherst County, or 16.9% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Amherst County is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 18.3% of the population is Black. Amherst County ranks 54th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Amherst County's Black population has remained roughly the same. Black residents' share of Amherst County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 16.9%.

Amherst County is more Black than neighboring Buena Vista County (2% Black), Nelson County (11% Black), Lexington County (5.8% Black), and Rockbridge County (2.6% Black). Amherst County is less Black than neighboring Lynchburg County (27% Black).

Amherst County's Asian Population

217 residents of Amherst County, or 0.7% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Amherst County is lower than in Virginia overall, where 6.9% of the population is Asian. Amherst County ranks 86th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Amherst County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 19.2%. Asian residents' share of Amherst County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Amherst County is less Asian than neighboring Lynchburg County (2.2% Asian), Buena Vista County (0.9% Asian), Nelson County (0.9% Asian), Lexington County (3.5% Asian), and Rockbridge County (0.9% Asian).

Amherst County's Hispanic Population

926 residents of Amherst County, or 2.9% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Amherst County is lower than in Virginia overall, where 11% of the population is Hispanic. Amherst County ranks 94th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Amherst County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 10.5%. Hispanic residents' share of Amherst County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.9%.

Amherst County is more Hispanic than neighboring Buena Vista County (0.2% Hispanic), and Rockbridge County (2.3% Hispanic). Amherst County is less Hispanic than neighboring Lynchburg County (5.1% Hispanic), Nelson County (4.8% Hispanic), and Lexington County (6.3% Hispanic).

Amherst County's Native American/Other Population

405 residents of Amherst County, or 1.3% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Amherst County is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Amherst County ranks 7th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Amherst County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 1.9%. Native American/Other residents' share of Amherst County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.3%.

Amherst County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Nelson County (0.3% Native American/Other), and Lexington County (0.3% Native American/Other). Amherst County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Lynchburg County (1.4% Native American/Other), Buena Vista County (2.1% Native American/Other), and Rockbridge County (1.4% Native American/Other).

Amherst County's Multiracial Population

1,396 residents of Amherst County, or 4.4% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Amherst County is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 4.7% of the population is Multiracial. Amherst County ranks 25th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Amherst County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 10.6%. Multiracial residents' share of Amherst County's population has decreased from 5.0% to 4.4%.

Amherst County is more Multiracial than neighboring Nelson County (3.2% Multiracial), and Rockbridge County (3.5% Multiracial). Amherst County is less Multiracial than neighboring Buena Vista County (10% Multiracial), and Lexington County (5.9% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.