Town · Virginia
Drakes Branch, Virginia
Drakes Branch, town, in Charlotte County, Virginia. Drakes Branch had 519 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 533 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 435 (±161). GEOID 5123376.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
519
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 533 · ACS 2020-2024: 435 ±161
Median household income
$25,938
±$23,529 (90% margin)
Virginia: $93,170
Median home value
$111,000
±$57,591 (90% margin)
Virginia: $383,700
Median gross rent
$569
±$345 (90% margin)
Virginia: $1,579
Where is Drakes Branch and what county is it in?
Drakes Branch is a town in Charlotte County, Virginia. It covers 4.1 square miles of land, 129 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Drakes Branch, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 519 people lived in Drakes Branch on July 1, 2025, down 1.7% since 2020, while Virginia grew 2.9%. The 2020 Census counted 533 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 435 (±161).
| Measure | Drakes Branch | Charlotte County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 435 ±161 | 11,422 | no clear change |
| Households | 203 ±71 | 4,704 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.14 ±0.39 | 2.40 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 291 ±87 | 5,973 | no clear change |
Drakes Branch's population since 2000
From 504 in 2000 to 519 in 2025: up 3.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Drakes Branch as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Drakes Branch?
The median resident of Drakes Branch is 52.2 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 60.0%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 35.9%.
| Measure | Drakes Branch | Charlotte County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 52.2 ±8.7 | 44.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 13.3% ±9.9 pts | 21.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 30.6% ±10.7 pts | 22.7% | – |
| Male | 42.8% ±11.7 pts | 50.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.7% ±2.0 pts | 2.6% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 60.0% ±17.0 pts | 68.2% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 35.9% ±17.7 pts | 24.7% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.8 pts | 0.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±2.6 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.8% ±3.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±8.8 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±9.0 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.3% ±5.2 pts | 7.4% | – |
| With a disability | 38.9% ±11.5 pts | 21.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.8% ±3.3 pts | 6.4% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 78.3% ±11.3 pts | 83.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 14.3% ±7.2 pts | 20.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 9.2% ±6.6 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.3% ±5.9 pts | 94.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.1% ±3.6 pts | 0.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Drakes Branch earn?
Drakes Branch's median household income is published as $25,938 with a margin of ±$23,529, too wide to rely on.
| Measure | Drakes Branch | Charlotte County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $25,938 ±$23,529 | $58,000 | – |
| Mean household income | $49,250 ±$12,349 | $77,519 | – |
| Per capita income | $25,299 ±$5,109 | $33,110 | +$9,402 |
| People below the poverty line | 14.9% ±12.0 pts | 18.9% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 22.4% ±25.4 pts | 27.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 28.1% ±14.3 pts | 21.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 59.6% ±17.6 pts | 85.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 53.2% ±16.4 pts | 75.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Drakes Branch?
Owners occupy 68.5% of Drakes Branch's occupied homes and renters 31.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $111,000 by its owner (±$57,591). The median renter pays $569 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Drakes Branch | Charlotte County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $111,000 ±$57,591 | $144,100 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $569 ±$345 | $732 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 29.1% ±28.0 pts | 41.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,031 ±$234 | $1,285 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 68.5% ±16.6 pts | 74.7% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 31.5% ±16.6 pts | 25.3% | – |
| Housing units | 291 ±87 | 5,973 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 6.1% ±9.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±41.1 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 78.7% ±7.8 pts | 71.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 11.7% ±7.7 pts | 24.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.4% ±2.0 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 8.2% ±9.2 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 13.1% ±8.3 pts | 14.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 24.1% ±19.2 pts | 6.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Drakes Branch work and get to work?
87.9% of Drakes Branch's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 29.2 minutes.
| Measure | Drakes Branch | Charlotte County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 40.1% ±13.5 pts | 54.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.0% ±23.0 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 87.9% ±13.1 pts | 83.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.4% ±10.9 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±23.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±23.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.4% ±5.7 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 29.2 min ±11.0 | 32.2 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Drakes Branch?
No census tract lies mostly in Drakes Branch; 4 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9301.01Charlotte County | 2,974 | $47,109 |
| Tract 9302Charlotte County | 2,910 | $76,442 |
| Tract 9303Charlotte County | 3,342 | $50,278 |
| Tract 9301.02Charlotte County | 2,196 | $71,667 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Drakes Branch) · Census block assignment files
How does Drakes Branch compare with other places in Virginia?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Drakes Branch is the 13,043rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 165th-most populous of 227 in Virginia.
Drakes Branch is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 165th | 227 |
Drakes Branch's figures with every place in Virginia (CSV)
Every place in Virginia, sortable · Compare Drakes Branch with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Drakes Branch?
27 of the 57 figures for Drakes Branch on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Drakes Branch are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Drakes Branch.