Southampton County Demographics

A map of Southampton County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	10,856	10,959	60.4%	60.9%
Black	5,240	5,908	29.2%	32.8%
Multiracial	1,144	604	6.4%	3.4%
Hispanic	453	332	2.5%	1.8%
Asian	140	67	0.8%	0.4%
Native American/Other	131	126	0.7%	0.7%

Southampton County, Virginia has an estimated population of 17,964, a less than 1% change from the 17,996 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 60.4% White, 29.2% Black, 6.4% Multiracial, 2.5% Hispanic, 0.8% Asian, and 0.7% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Southampton County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Southampton 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 Southampton County, that probability was 52.0% in 2020 and 54.5% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Southampton County is ranked the 85th most populous county in Virginia, out of 133 counties. Southampton County was ranked the 84th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Southampton County's White Population

10,856 residents of Southampton County, or 60.4% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Southampton County is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 58.4% of the population is White. Southampton County ranks 89th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Southampton County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Southampton County's population has decreased from 60.9% to 60.4%.

Southampton County is more White than neighboring Franklin County (37.7% White), Sussex County (40.7% White), Hertford County (32.2% White), Northampton County (39% White), and Emporia County (18.3% White).

Southampton County's Black Population

5,240 residents of Southampton County, or 29.2% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Southampton County is considerably higher than in Virginia overall, where 18.3% of the population is Black. Southampton County ranks 24th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Southampton County's Black population has declined by an estimated 11.3%. Black residents' share of Southampton County's population has decreased from 32.8% to 29.2%.

Southampton County is less Black than neighboring Franklin County (54.8% Black), Sussex County (54.1% Black), Hertford County (55.6% Black), Northampton County (54.4% Black), and Emporia County (64.3% Black).

Southampton County's Asian Population

140 residents of Southampton County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Southampton County is lower than in Virginia overall, where 6.9% of the population is Asian. Southampton County ranks 108th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Southampton County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 109.0%. Asian residents' share of Southampton County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Southampton County is more Asian than neighboring Franklin County (0% Asian), Sussex County (0.5% Asian), Northampton County (0% Asian), and Emporia County (0.6% Asian). Southampton County is less Asian than neighboring Hertford County (1.1% Asian).

Southampton County's Hispanic Population

453 residents of Southampton County, or 2.5% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Southampton County is lower than in Virginia overall, where 11% of the population is Hispanic. Southampton County ranks 117th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Southampton County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 36.4%. Hispanic residents' share of Southampton County's population has increased from 1.8% to 2.5%.

Southampton County is more Hispanic than neighboring Sussex County (1.1% Hispanic), and Northampton County (2.4% Hispanic). Southampton County is less Hispanic than neighboring Franklin County (3.2% Hispanic), Hertford County (6.4% Hispanic), and Emporia County (7.9% Hispanic).

Southampton County's Native American/Other Population

131 residents of Southampton County, or 0.7% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Southampton County is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Southampton County ranks 65th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Southampton County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 4.0%. Native American/Other residents' share of Southampton County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Southampton County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Franklin County (0% Native American/Other), Sussex County (0.2% Native American/Other), Northampton County (0.6% Native American/Other), and Emporia County (0% Native American/Other). Southampton County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Hertford County (1.2% Native American/Other).

Southampton County's Multiracial Population

1,144 residents of Southampton County, or 6.4% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Southampton County is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 4.7% of the population is Multiracial. Southampton County ranks 92nd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Southampton County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 89.4%. Multiracial residents' share of Southampton County's population has increased from 3.4% to 6.4%.

Southampton County is more Multiracial than neighboring Franklin County (4.2% Multiracial), Sussex County (3.3% Multiracial), Hertford County (3.6% Multiracial), and Northampton County (3.5% Multiracial). Southampton County is less Multiracial than neighboring Emporia County (8.9% 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.