Residential delivery area · Virginia
ZIP Code 24521: Amherst, VA
ZIP code 24521 uses the postal name Amherst, Virginia and lies mostly in Amherst County (96% of its land) with the rest in Nelson County (Census 2020 ZIP-county file). About 11,000 people live there (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Median household income is $73,571 (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). By Census place, 2% of its land lies in Amherst; 98% is outside any Census place.
- ACS2020-24
- Census2020
- FHFA2025
- ZBP2023
- IRS2022
- Town
- Amherst · its only residential ZIP
- County
- Amherst County (96%); Nelson County (4%)
- Census places
- Amherst
- Metro area
- Lynchburg, VA
- House district
- VA-5 119th Congress
- State
- Virginia
- Time zone
- Eastern
- Land area
- 217.1 sq mi · 49 people per sq mi
Where is ZIP code 24521?
24521 centers on 37.633°, -79.101° and covers 217.1 square miles of land plus 1.1 of water. It borders 8 ZIP codes: 24595, 22964, 24574, 22922, 24572, 22967, 24483, 24553.
The map draws ZIP code areas only. For the streets inside 24521, open its center on OpenStreetMap.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA cartographic boundaries and the 2023 Gazetteer (2020 ZCTAs); ZIP-to-county shares, Census places and House districts (119th Congress) from the Census 2020 relationship files (shares of land); metro area from the OMB delineation (July 2023); town name and time zone from simplemaps US ZIP Codes (CC BY 4.0).
How does 24521 compare with the rest of Amherst County?
| Measure | 24521 | In Amherst County | In VA |
|---|---|---|---|
| People (ACS 2020-2024) | 10,599 | 2nd of 9 | 239th of 903 |
| Median household income | $74k | 1st of 3 | 258th of 461 |
| Median home value | $241k | 1st of 3 | 370th of 552 |
Its median household income is higher than in 53% of U.S. residential ZIP codes, and it is denser than 42% of all U.S. residential ZIP codes. ZIP codes at the ACS caps ($250,000 or more for household income, $2,000,000 or more for home value) share the top rank.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B19013, B25077); ranks by PlainZIP over residential ZIP codes (ZCTAs).
How many people live in 24521?
The 2020 Census counted 9,902 people in 24521; the ACS, which samples households over 2020-2024, estimates 10,599. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell 6.4% (its boundary stayed at least 90% the same).
- People, ACS 2020-2024
- 10,599
- 2020 Census count
- 9,902−6.4% since 2010 (10,576)
- Households
- 4,136
- Median age
- 43.0
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B01002, B11001); 2020 Census (DHC P1); 2010 Census (SF1 P1).
Who lives in 24521?
Of the 10,599 people the ACS estimates in 24521, 21.9% are under 18 and 22.1% are 65 or older. The largest group by race and Hispanic origin is White (not Hispanic) (78.1%), then Black (not Hispanic) (13.5%).
- Under 1821.9%
- 18 to 6456.0%
- 65 and older22.1%
- White, not Hispanic78.1%
- Black, not Hispanic13.5%
- Other or two or more5.8%
- Hispanic or Latino2.6%
- Asian, not Hispanic0.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01001 age by sex, B03002 Hispanic or Latino origin by race); shares of the estimated population, small ZIP codes carry wide margins.
What do households in 24521 earn?
Median household income is $73,571 (ACS 2020-2024), the highest of the 3 ranked ZIP codes in Amherst County. It is not measurably different from 2015-2019 ($67,131 in 2024 dollars): the change is within the surveys' margins of error.
- Median household income
- $73,571±$8,480
- Income per person
- $40,299
- Below the poverty line
- 10.8%
- Unemployed (of the labor force)
- 4.9%
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree
- 29.1%
- Adjusted gross income per tax return, 2022
- $64,2694,500 returns; wages 68% of AGI (IRS)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 and 2015-2019 5-year estimates (B19013, B19301, B17001, B23025, B15003; 2015-2019 dollars converted with the BLS CPI-U, 1.22699); IRS Statistics of Income, ZIP code data, tax year 2022 (adjusted gross income per return, filed under the address on the return).
What are homes worth in 24521?
FHFA's house price index for 24521, built from repeat sales and appraisals of the same homes, rose 57% from 2015 to 2025 and rose 38% from 2020 to 2025, and moved −5.6% in 2025.
- Median home value (owners' estimate)
- $240,900
- Median gross rent
- $846
- Homes owned by their occupants
- 81.6%
- Housing units
- 4,627
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B25077, B25064, B25003, B25001); FHFA House Price Index, annual five-digit ZIP, updated 2026-03-31.
What businesses are in 24521?
205 business establishments had a location in this ZIP code in 2023, 16 fewer than in 2018; the most are in other services (except public administration) (ZIP Code Business Patterns).
- Other services (except public administration)35
- Construction31
- Retail trade29
- Manufacturing23
- Professional, scientific, and technical services17
- Health care and social assistance12
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023 and 2018 (establishments with paid employees, by the business's ZIP code).
Which ZIP codes are next to 24521?
| ZIP | Town | People | Household income | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24595 | Sweet Briar | 630 | $93k | 5.1 mi |
| 22964 | Piney River | 99 | – | 8.7 mi |
| 24574 | Monroe | 3,666 | $69k | 8.8 mi |
| 22922 | Arrington | 2,226 | $60k | 10.5 mi |
| 24572 | Madison Heights | 15,744 | $62k | 11.6 mi |
| 22967 | Roseland | 2,413 | $87k | 12.3 mi |
| 24483 | Vesuvius | 475 | $78k | 14.4 mi |
| 24553 | Gladstone | 1,610 | $50k | 17.0 mi |
| 24503 | Lynchburg | 20,419 | $89k | 14.6 mi (near) |
Source: PlainZIP from the Census 2020 ZCTA boundaries (shared edges) and internal points; figures ACS 2020-2024.