The Town Files

Ettrick, Virginia

Community in Chesterfield County · population 7,241 (2020 Census)

Map: where Ettrick is in VirginiaEttrick
Median home
$211,200
Household income
$58,137
Jan low / Jul high
28° / 89°
Snow a year
4 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
22
Median age
24.3

Ettrick is a community of 7,241 people in Chesterfield County, Virginia. The median home is worth $211,200, below the typical Virginia town ($298,050). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 95% of Virginia towns, more walkable than 91% of Virginia towns, more of a college town than 88% of Virginia towns.

Ettrick in our rankings:

How Ettrick ranks

Percentile among Virginia towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Virginia towns.

Ettrick lifestyle rankings vs other Virginia townsRetirement4th pctFamilies19th pctQuiet20th pctWalkability91st pctFirst-time buyers95th pctYoung professionals76th pctVibrancy70th pctHip & trendy62nd pctCollege town88th pctUpscale35th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit35th pctDriving27th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Ettrick is worth $211,200, below the typical Virginia town ($298,050). Homes cost about 3.6 times the median household income of $58,137, which is more affordable than 63% of Virginia towns. Median rent is $1,191 a month. 71.9% of households own their home.

Ettrick vs Chesterfield County vs typical Virginia townEttrickChesterfield CountyTypical Virginia townHome value$211,200$366,000$298,050Household income$58,137$101,931$78,595Monthly rent$1,191$1,629$1,254
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Virginia towns with 500+ people.
HousingEttrickTypical Virginia town
Median home value$211,200$298,050
Median rent$1,191$1,254
Median household income$58,137$78,595
Home value ÷ income3.6×3.8×
Homeownership71.9%69.2%
Median year built19781980
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Ettrick

PeopleEttrickTypical Virginia town
Median age24.339.8
Age 65 and over12.4%17.3%
Under 189.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher26.0%31.2%
Below the poverty line12.9%8.8%
Veterans7.3%—
Born outside the U.S.8.9%—
Work from home11.5%12.8%
Average commute20.7 min26.3 min
Homes with broadband91.8%91.8%

Weather in Ettrick

July highs average 89.3°F and January lows 28.3°F. About 47.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 3.5 inches of snow (typical Virginia town: 13.4 in). Expect about 44 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 85 nights at or below freezing.

Ettrick monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing49°28°Jan52°29°Feb60°36°Mar70°46°Apr78°55°May86°64°Jun89°69°Jul87°67°Aug82°61°Sep72°48°Oct62°37°Nov53°31°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.02.12.71.04.43.64.44.24.75.34.63.43.23.50.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Petersburg station (2.2 mi away); snow from Hopewell (9.2 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

22 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ettrick since 1950, compared with 11 for the typical Virginia town. 9 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on August 6, 1993 about 2.4 miles from the town center and killed 4. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 4 deaths and 304 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 1, 2012.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Ettrick by decade01950s11960s11970s51980s61990s82000s12010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 82 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on May 27, 2017.

Severe weather in Chesterfield County since 1996

Storm events in Chesterfield County since 1996 by typeHail103Flood10Tornado8Lightning15Heavy Rain66Flash Flood105Frost/Freeze2Funnel Cloud4
NOAA Storm Events Database, Chesterfield County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Chesterfield County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, freezing.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
January 23, 2026Winter StormEM-3631: Severe Winter Storm
May 10, 2021Severe Ice StormDR-4602: Severe Winter Storms
April 2, 2020BiologicalDR-4512: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3448: Covid-19
December 18, 2018HurricaneDR-4411: Tropical Storm Michael

Jobs and pay in Chesterfield County

Chesterfield County had 145,905 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,685 a year. Unemployment was 2.9% in 2023; in Ettrick itself the ACS puts it at 16.6%.

Largest industries in Chesterfield CountyRetail18,165 jobs · $39,109Health care & social assistan…17,487 jobs · $59,481Transportation & warehousing13,120 jobs · $63,530Hotels & restaurants13,032 jobs · $24,550Construction11,020 jobs · $79,883Administrative & support9,344 jobs · $48,360
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Chesterfield County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Chesterfield 2.9%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Ettrick

2 public schools with 2,164 students, about 13.5 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Matoaca High9-121,65014.2
Ettrick ElementaryPK-551411.7

Towns near Ettrick

Ettrick questions

Is Ettrick, Virginia a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Ettrick scores better for retirees than 4% of Virginia towns and quieter than 20%. 12.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 24.3).

How much does a house cost in Ettrick?

The median owner-occupied home in Ettrick is valued at $211,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $58,137, so homes cost about 3.6 times income. Median rent is $1,191 a month.

What is the weather like in Ettrick?

July highs average 89.3°F and January lows 28.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 47.0 inches of precipitation a year and 3.5 inches of snow.

Does Ettrick get tornadoes?

22 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ettrick since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on August 6, 1993. The typical Virginia town has had 11.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Ettrick's Census boundary (GEOID 5126128). Comparisons use the median of Virginia towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.