ExecutivePulse
Official Federal Data

Isle of Wight County, Virginia

FIPS 51093 · Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC · Population 39,974
9 Sources Updated June 22, 2026
$95,241
Median Income
$80,734 national
3.3%
Unemployment
4% national
$1.7B
GDP
30.8%
Bachelor's+
35.7% national

Demographics & Population

Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates

Household Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$95,241
Per Capita
$47,015
Mean Household
$117,279
Poverty Rate
6.8%
Median Income Comparison
Isle of Wight County$95,241
Virginia$93,170
National$80,734

Population Profile

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
65+: 20.1% (8,027 residents) 55-64: 16.1% (6,418 residents) 35-54: 25.3% (10,102 residents) 18-34: 17.3% (6,925 residents) Under 18: 21.3% (8,502 residents) 44 Median Age
Cohorts
Under 18 · 21.3%
18-34 · 17.3%
35-54 · 25.3%
55-64 · 16.1%
65+ · 20.1%
Race & Ethnicity
White69.2%
Black or African American21.4%
Asian1.3%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)4.1%
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.

Educational Attainment

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
92.1%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +2.5 pts
30.8%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 4.9 pts
11.4%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 2.7 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
39,974
Population
20,373
Labor Force
Employed
18,976
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
3.3% ▲ +0.5 pts YoY
Mean Commute 3 min above national avg
29.5 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
11.2%
Key Takeaways
  • Income premium: Households earn well above the national median, supporting strong retail and housing markets.
  • Aging population: Median age of 44 is materially above the U.S. norm; succession planning and senior-services demand are real factors.

Economy & Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis

$1.7B
Gross Domestic Product · 2024
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis · CAGDP1 Regional GDP

Top Industries by Employment

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics · Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages 2025 Annual
Top industries by employment in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, with employment, share of top sectors, and average wage
IndustryEmploymentShare of Top 10Avg Wage
1Manufacturing
1,730 27.0%
$71,953
2Retail Trade
1,157 18.1%
$28,721
3Accommodation and Food Services
1,115 17.4%
$24,015
4Construction
538 8.4%
$64,297
5Management of Companies and Enterprises
375 5.9%
$339,909
6Transportation and Warehousing
371 5.8%
$55,245
7Other Services (except Public Administration)
327 5.1%
$49,466
8Administrative and Support and Waste Management
315 4.9%
$52,956
9Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
289 4.5%
$70,339
10Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
180 2.8%
$15,509
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Key Takeaways
  • Largest sector: Manufacturing employs 1,730 workers (27% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $71,953.
  • Economic scale: Regional GDP of $1.7B (2024).
  • Wage stratification: Management of Companies and Enterprises averages $339,909 while Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation averages $15,509, a 21.9x spread in the same local economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
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Industry Concentration

Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.

Location Quotient Analysis

Concentrated Industries
Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector · Location Quotient vs. national employment share
Same source as the Top Industries table above, sub-sector view surfaces the specialization the supersector view masks (e.g., Plastics & Rubber Manufacturing inside the Manufacturing supersector).
Crop Production
3.83x
128
Food and Beverage Retailers
2.69x
553
2.49x
36
Management of Companies and Enterprises
2.28x
375
Private Households
2.24x
29
Repair and Maintenance
1.96x
181
1.73x
2,470
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
1.55x
103

Cluster Depth

Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Dominant Cluster
Goods-Producing Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
2,470
Cluster Employment
1.73x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
Crop Production
3.83x 128
Food and Beverage Retailers
2.69x 553
2.49x 36
Management of Companies and Enterprises
2.28x 375
Private Households
2.24x 29
Repair and Maintenance
1.96x 181
1.73x 2,470
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
1.55x 103

Attraction Opportunities

LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, realistic diversification targets. Source: BLS QCEW
0.43x
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
289 employed
0.46x
Insurance Carriers and Related Activities
76 employed
Key Takeaways
  • Top specialization: Crop Production concentrates at 3.83x the national norm, strong concentration that anchors the local economy and supports supply-chain attraction strategy.
  • Cluster depth: 8 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base rather than reliance on a single employer or sector.
  • Attraction whitespace: 3 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment depending on labor-market fit.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Isle of Wight County's Top Sectors by Workforce Share
Each rectangle's area is proportional to that sector's share of total private-sector employment across all NAICS supersectors. Hover for exact employment.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2025 Annual · Private sector, NAICS supersectors

Housing & Affordability

Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026

Housing Overview

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$356,500
Median Home Value vs 2019
$1,359
Rent/Mo
80.1%
Owner-Occ
8%
Vacancy
3.7x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average

HUD Fair Market Rents

Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$1,492/mo
1 Bedroom
$1,512/mo
2 Bedroom
$1,713/mo
3 Bedroom
$2,376/mo
4 Bedroom
$2,797/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$2,381/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
  • In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 3.7x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
  • High home ownership: 80.1% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
  • Affordable rent tiers: 4 of 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$2,381/mo).
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.

Workforce Pipeline

Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition

Labor Market Overview

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
23,445
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 3 min above national avg
29.5 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
11.2%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
80%
of prime-age population
Labor force participation rate: 64.7% of working-age population (18-64) 65% Participation
▼ vs 2019

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
30.8%
HS Diploma+
92.1%
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
72,277/yr
Liberty University 25,513/yr
George Mason University 10,335/yr
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 10,020/yr
University of Virginia-Main Campus 9,615/yr
Northern Virginia Community College 9,087/yr
Virginia Commonwealth University 7,707/yr

Aging Workforce

Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
27.4%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
43.6%
Service
15.9%
Sales & Office
18.9%
Construction / Maint.
8.9%
Production / Transport
12.7%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 18,976 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
  • Succession risk is real: 27.4% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
  • Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 45,868 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.

AI Insights

AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 9 federal data sources

Sample AI Insight

Isle of Wight County shows meaningful potential for crop production attraction, with a 3.83x concentration and 128 jobs in this sub-sector. Near-term succession risk is elevated, with 27.4% of the working-age population within 10 years of retirement age.

The interconnected base across crop production, food and beverage retailers, and creates supply-chain attraction leverage rather than single-employer risk, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.

Industry Shift Analysis

Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100

Prospect Match Scores

Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example

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Data Sources

Updated from official federal government data.

Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2023
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23

Frequently Asked Questions

Key economic and demographic figures for Isle of Wight County, Virginia, from federal data sources.

What is the population of Isle of Wight County, Virginia?

39,974 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the median household income in Isle of Wight County, Virginia?

$95,241 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Isle of Wight County, Virginia?

3.3% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).

What is the GDP of Isle of Wight County, Virginia?

$1.7B (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).