Bedford County Demographics

A map of Bedford County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	68,786	68,128	85.0%	85.7%
Black	5,093	4,864	6.3%	6.1%
Multiracial	2,713	2,919	3.4%	3.7%
Hispanic	2,283	2,055	2.8%	2.6%
Asian	1,038	967	1.3%	1.2%
Native American/Other	981	529	1.2%	0.7%

Bedford County, Virginia has an estimated population of 80,894, a slight increase from the 79,462 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 85.0% White, 6.3% Black, 3.4% Multiracial, 2.8% Hispanic, 1.3% Asian, and 1.2% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Bedford County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Bedford has become more racially diverse since 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 Bedford County, that probability was 25.9% in 2020 and 27.1% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Bedford County is ranked the 26th most populous county in Virginia, out of 133 counties. Bedford County was ranked the 25th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Bedford County's White Population

68,786 residents of Bedford County, or 85.0% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Bedford County is significantly higher than in Virginia overall, where 58.4% of the population is White. Bedford County ranks 29th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bedford County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Bedford County's population has decreased from 85.7% to 85.0%.

Bedford County is more White than neighboring Lynchburg County (59.9% White), Roanoke County (55.3% White), Campbell County (76.8% White), and Buena Vista County (84.7% White). Bedford County is less White than neighboring Botetourt County (90.4% White).

Bedford County's Black Population

5,093 residents of Bedford County, or 6.3% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Bedford County is considerably lower than in Virginia overall, where 18.3% of the population is Black. Bedford County ranks 93rd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bedford County's Black population has grown by an estimated 4.7%. Black residents' share of Bedford County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 6.3%.

Bedford County is more Black than neighboring Botetourt County (2.6% Black), and Buena Vista County (2% Black). Bedford County is less Black than neighboring Lynchburg County (27% Black), Roanoke County (27.7% Black), and Campbell County (14.2% Black).

Bedford County's Asian Population

1,038 residents of Bedford County, or 1.3% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Bedford County is lower than in Virginia overall, where 6.9% of the population is Asian. Bedford County ranks 49th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bedford County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 7.3%. Asian residents' share of Bedford County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.3%.

Bedford County is more Asian than neighboring Botetourt County (0.7% Asian), Campbell County (1% Asian), and Buena Vista County (0.9% Asian). Bedford County is less Asian than neighboring Lynchburg County (2.2% Asian), and Roanoke County (3.1% Asian).

Bedford County's Hispanic Population

2,283 residents of Bedford County, or 2.8% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Bedford County is lower than in Virginia overall, where 11% of the population is Hispanic. Bedford County ranks 99th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bedford County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 11.1%. Hispanic residents' share of Bedford County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.8%.

Bedford County is more Hispanic than neighboring Botetourt County (2.5% Hispanic), and Buena Vista County (0.2% Hispanic). Bedford County is less Hispanic than neighboring Lynchburg County (5.1% Hispanic), Roanoke County (9% Hispanic), and Campbell County (3.5% Hispanic).

Bedford County's Native American/Other Population

981 residents of Bedford County, or 1.2% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Bedford County is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Bedford County ranks 67th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bedford County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 85.4%. Native American/Other residents' share of Bedford County's population has increased from 0.7% to 1.2%.

Bedford County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Botetourt County (0.7% Native American/Other), Roanoke County (0.8% Native American/Other), and Campbell County (0.6% Native American/Other). Bedford County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Lynchburg County (1.4% Native American/Other), and Buena Vista County (2.1% Native American/Other).

Bedford County's Multiracial Population

2,713 residents of Bedford County, or 3.4% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Bedford County is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 4.7% of the population is Multiracial. Bedford County ranks 81st statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Bedford County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 7.1%. Multiracial residents' share of Bedford County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.4%.

Bedford County is more Multiracial than neighboring Botetourt County (3.1% Multiracial). Bedford County is less Multiracial than neighboring Lynchburg County (4.4% Multiracial), Roanoke County (4.1% Multiracial), Campbell County (3.9% Multiracial), and Buena Vista County (10% 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.