Census-designated place · Virginia
Merrimac, Virginia
Merrimac, census-designated place, in Montgomery County, Virginia. Merrimac had 2,858 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,733 (±407). GEOID 5151208.
Residents, 2020 Census
2,858
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 2,733 ±407
Median household income
$53,611
±$9,466 (90% margin)
Virginia: $93,170
Median home value
not published
Virginia: $383,700
Median gross rent
$1,101
±$235 (90% margin)
Virginia: $1,579
Where is Merrimac and what county is it in?
Merrimac is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Montgomery County, Virginia. It covers 1.7 square miles of land, 1,664 residents per square mile in 2020.
Merrimac is in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 5 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Merrimac, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 2,858 residents in Merrimac, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 2,733 (±407).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Merrimac is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Merrimac | Montgomery County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,733 ±407 | 99,101 | no clear change |
| Households | 1,492 ±187 | 36,961 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 1.73 ±0.20 | 2.39 | −0.31 |
| Housing units | 1,686 ±212 | 42,794 | no clear change |
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 Merrimac?
The median resident of Merrimac is 43.7 years old; 7.7% are under 18 and 35.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 75.7%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 7.9%. 16.5% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Merrimac | Montgomery County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.7 ±7.0 | 30.2 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 7.7% ±3.4 pts | 15.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 35.4% ±7.2 pts | 14.1% | – |
| Male | 45.5% ±6.5 pts | 51.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.9% ±7.9 pts | 4.6% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 75.7% ±9.6 pts | 80.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 4.5% ±3.0 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 5.6% ±3.2 pts | 6.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.0% ±3.0 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 2.8% ±4.4 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 16.5% ±7.4 pts | 9.5% | +11.4 pts |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 13.9% ±8.2 pts | 10.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 2.7% ±1.4 pts | 3.9% | – |
| With a disability | 16.8% ±4.9 pts | 10.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 14.0% ±7.8 pts | 4.8% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.0% ±4.5 pts | 95.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 45.9% ±9.8 pts | 48.8% | +15.9 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 29.5% ±8.3 pts | 26.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 83.9% ±6.3 pts | 78.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.9% ±2.2 pts | 4.2% | – |
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 Merrimac earn?
Half of Merrimac's 1,492 households earn less than $53,611 a year (±$9,466), against $72,715 in Montgomery County and $93,170 in Virginia. In 2015-2019 it was $53,961 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 12.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Merrimac | Montgomery County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,611 ±$9,466 | $72,715 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $71,303 ±$10,495 | $99,780 | – |
| Per capita income | $39,003 ±$6,843 | $38,426 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 12.6% ±4.6 pts | 23.9% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 7.1% ±8.2 pts | 14.3% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 5.0% ±3.4 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 89.1% ±6.0 pts | 96.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.9% ±7.3 pts | 91.4% | – |
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 Merrimac?
Owners occupy 26.6% of Merrimac's occupied homes and renters 73.4%. The median renter pays $1,101 a month including utilities, and 30.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Merrimac | Montgomery County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,101 ±$235 | $1,240 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 30.4% ±8.7 pts | 45.4% | no clear change |
| Owner-occupied homes | 26.6% ±8.8 pts | 55.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 73.4% ±8.8 pts | 44.7% | – |
| Housing units | 1,686 ±212 | 42,794 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±9.6 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 11.3% ±7.4 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 15.0% ±6.8 pts | 53.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 28.1% ±9.4 pts | 9.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 5.8% ±5.1 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 21.2% ±7.3 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.7% ±1.1 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 22.7% ±6.9 pts | 6.4% | – |
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 Merrimac work and get to work?
67.4% of Merrimac's workers drive alone and 11.4% work from home. The average trip to work takes 12.6 minutes.
| Measure | Merrimac | Montgomery County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 46.6% ±5.1 pts | 57.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% ±5.7 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 67.4% ±12.6 pts | 68.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 6.8% ±5.0 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 10.7% ±9.6 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Walked | 3.7% ±4.5 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 11.4% ±6.0 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 12.6 min ±1.6 | 18.2 min | −3.5 min |
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 Merrimac?
1 census tract lies mostly in Merrimac, and 2 more reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 202.02Montgomery County | 2,983 | $49,858 |
| Tract 211.02Montgomery County | 4,439 | $74,446 |
| Tract 212.01Montgomery County | 3,245 | $97,102 |
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 Merrimac) · Census block assignment files
How does Merrimac compare with other places in Virginia?
Merrimac ranks 306th of 365 places in Virginia with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 255th | 374 |
| Residents per square mile | 163rd | 374 |
| Median household income | 306th | 365 |
| Per capita income | 209th | 374 |
| Median gross rent | 219th | 341 |
| Poverty rate | 111th | 263 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 134th | 359 |
| Median age | 95th | 372 |
| Owner-occupied share | 365th | 368 |
| Work from home | 215th | 286 |
| Travel time to work | 369th | 372 |
Merrimac's figures with every place in Virginia (CSV)
Every place in Virginia, sortable · Compare Merrimac 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 Merrimac?
16 of the 55 figures for Merrimac 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 Merrimac 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' school search.