24521 ZIP Code — Amherst, VA

Amherst County, Virginia

ZIP code 24521 is located in Amherst, Virginia, within Amherst County. It covers approximately 217.14 square miles and serves a population of 9,955 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 434.

About ZIP code 24521

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $206,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 75%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($64,700) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 40% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 29 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 26% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 24521 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

9,955

population

217.14

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

24521 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 24521

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 24521. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Amherst	Acceptable
Amherst	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

22964 Piney River (8.7 mi) 24574 Monroe (9.1 mi) 22922 Arrington (9.9 mi) 24572 Madison Heights (11.5 mi) 22967 Roseland (14 mi) 24503 Lynchburg (14.5 mi) 24483 Vesuvius (14.5 mi) 22976 Tyro (14.6 mi) 24513 Lynchburg (14.7 mi) 24515 Lynchburg (14.8 mi) 24514 Lynchburg (14.8 mi) 24536 Coleman Falls (15.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	9,955
Population density	46 / sq mi
State FIPS	51
County FIPS	009

Geography
Land area	217.14 sq mi
Water area	1.08 sq mi
Latitude	37.6235
Longitude	-79.0923
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	434

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	41.7%	44.9%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	27.4%	31.2%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	26.2%	20.3%	26.3%
Over $200k	4.7%	3.5%	11.6%

Demographics & statistics

9,955

Population

People per sq mi

46.8

Median age

$64,700

Median household income

$38,171

Per capita income

$206,900

Median home value

$831

Median monthly rent

75.4%

Home ownership

12.2%

Poverty rate

4.7%

Unemployment

3,690

Housing units

25.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

206

Under 5

222

273

5–9

295

258

10–14

278

322

15–19

347

181

20–24

196

551

25–34

594

489

35–44

526

648

45–54

699

326

55–59

352

438

60–64

473

608

65–74

655

353

75–84

381

137

85+

147

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,935	19.4%
18 and over	8,020	80.6%
65 and over	2,281	22.9%
Median age	46.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 71.9%

Black or African American 13.7%

Hispanic or Latino 5.1%

Two or more races 4.9%

Other race 2.7%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%

Asian 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	7,539	71.9%
Black or African American	1,442	13.7%
Hispanic or Latino	537	5.1%
Two or more races	510	4.9%
Other race	287	2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	142	1.4%
Asian	30	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	41.7%	44.9%	32.9%
$50k – $100k	27.4%	31.2%	29.2%
$100k – $200k	26.2%	20.3%	26.3%
Over $200k	4.7%	3.5%	11.6%

Under $10k 5.0%

$10k–$15k 3.8%

$15k–$25k 12.1%

$25k–$35k 9.7%

$35k–$50k 10.2%

$50k–$75k 17.5%

$75k–$100k 9.8%

$100k–$150k 16.1%

$150k–$200k 8.3%

$200k+ 7.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.0%
$10k–$15k	3.8%
$15k–$25k	12.1%
$25k–$35k	9.7%
$35k–$50k	10.2%
$50k–$75k	17.5%
$75k–$100k	9.8%
$100k–$150k	16.1%
$150k–$200k	8.3%
$200k+	7.6%
Median income	$64,700

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.5%

$50k–$100k 7.3%

$100k–$150k 19.1%

$150k–$200k 16.8%

$200k–$300k 31.2%

$300k–$500k 13.0%

$500k–$1M 7.1%

$1M+ 0.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$206,900
Median rent / month	$831
Owner occupied	75.4%
Renter occupied	24.6%
Vacant	12.6%
Single-family detached	77.7%
Large apartment buildings	0.1%
Mobile homes	12.8%
Median rooms	6.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.41

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.6%
2010–2019	2.3%
2000–2009	9.9%
1990–1999	18.3%
1980–1989	13.6%
1970–1979	18.8%
1960–1969	9.9%
1950–1959	12.5%
1940–1949	5.9%
1939 or earlier	8.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.5%
1 bedroom	4.5%
2 bedrooms	14.4%
3 bedrooms	59.4%
4 bedrooms	14.6%
5+ bedrooms	6.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.6%
1 vehicle	25.7%
2 vehicles	29.8%
3 or more	41.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	0.5%
Electricity	82.0%
Propane / LP gas	3.6%
Fuel oil	6.5%
Wood	5.7%
No fuel used	1.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,045	49.8%
Cohabiting couple	425	10.3%
Male householder, no spouse	566	13.8%
Female householder, no spouse	1,072	26.1%
Households with children under 18	969	23.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,558	37.9%
Average household size	2.37

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.8%	20.6%
Married	54.7%	50.0%
Separated	1.1%	4.1%
Widowed	3.4%	15.2%
Divorced	12.9%	10.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 6.4%

Some HS, no diploma 8.6%

HS graduate 36.6%

Some college, no degree 14.4%

Associate's degree 8.2%

Bachelor's degree 15.6%

Graduate / professional 10.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	85.0%
Bachelor's or higher	25.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	214	10.6%
Kindergarten	154	7.6%
Elementary school	890	44.0%
High school	449	22.2%
College / grad school	317	15.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.9%

Manufacturing 15.4%

Construction 11.4%

Retail trade 8.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.4%

Public administration 7.4%

Professional & management 6.7%

Other services 6.5%

Transportation & utilities 5.3%

Finance & real estate 4.1%

Agriculture & mining 2.2%

Information 1.6%

Wholesale trade 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	36.8%
Service	14.9%
Sales & office	15.9%
Natural resources & construction	13.8%
Production & transportation	18.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	72.9%
Government	20.4%
Self-employed	6.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	80.0%
Carpool	7.3%
Public transit	0.5%
Walk	1.8%
Work from home	10.1%
Other means	0.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	28.8

Poverty

All people 12.2%

Under 18 years 18.1%

18 and over 10.8%

Married-couple families 2.9%

Female-led households 21.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	39.7%
Retirement income	31.5%
Supplemental Security	4.7%
Cash public assistance	1.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	9.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.4%
High blood pressure	40.7%
High cholesterol	35.3%
Diabetes	14.2%
Heart disease	7.9%
Stroke	4.2%
Asthma	10.2%
Arthritis	31.0%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	9.0%
Cancer	7.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.6%
Binge drinking	13.7%
No physical activity	26.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.6%
Depression	20.8%
Fair or poor health	18.9%
Poor mental health	14.4%
Poor physical health	12.1%
No health insurance	13.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.4%
Visited dentist	62.4%
Cholesterol screening	91.2%
Teeth loss	15.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	539	6.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.8%
Under 18	5.4%
18–64 years	11.5%
65 and over	32.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	63.7%
Public insurance	40.7%
No insurance	9.9%
Uninsured under 19	7.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	9,527	95.7%
Spanish	69	0.7%
Other Indo-European	52	0.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	17	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	9,654	97.0%
Born in same state	9,570	96.1%
Born in different state	7,294	73.3%
Foreign born	84	0.8%
Naturalized citizen	301	3.0%
Not a US citizen	130	43.2%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	2,451	24.6%
French	1,090	10.9%
Italian	844	8.5%
Polish	71	0.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	44	0.4%
English	29	0.3%
German	10	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.3%
Internet access	85.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 24521

What city is ZIP code 24521 in?

ZIP code 24521 is primarily assigned to Amherst, Virginia.

What county is ZIP code 24521 in?

ZIP code 24521 falls within Amherst County, Virginia.

Does ZIP code 24521 have a large retiree population?

40% of households in ZIP code 24521 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 24521?

ZIP code 24521 has an estimated population of 9,955 residents, with a density of 46 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 24521?

The median home value in ZIP code 24521 is $206,900.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 24521?

The median household income in ZIP code 24521 is $64,700, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 24521 in?

ZIP code 24521 observes the EST timezone.