Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Ettrick gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $211K for a typical one, or 2.4 years of the Richmond metro’s $87K median household income. It grades A− overall, 95th among Virginia's 249 graded towns. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. 9.6% of residents are under 18 in Ettrick, below both Virginia’s towns (23%) and U.S. towns (22%). Ettrick has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Azurest South and South Chappell Street Car Barn. Only 9 of the 253 Virginia towns we compare have a lower median age than Ettrick.
Where Ettrick beats most towns.
Azurest SouthWhere Ettrick’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Ettrick is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Azurest South is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 4,890 in 1980, 7,241 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1933 and 7 maps from 1894 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ettrick is unincorporated, so Chesterfield County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Ettrick.
Ettrick trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, is shaped by its college students and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
The Chesterfield County Public Schools runs its public schools. Its one school is below. Ettrick’s only public school teaches 560 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ettrick ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 560 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
Of the losses FEMA expects in Ettrick, 47% come from inland flooding and 17% from hurricanes. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 97% of U.S. communities. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2004.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The average commute for its 2,137 working residents takes 20.7 minutes, against 27.3 across Virginia.
Among working residents in Ettrick, 1.8% work locally. This Virginia town had 1,364 jobs in 2023, down 271 from 2013. The median household income for Ettrick comes to $58,000. The top destinations are Richmond (9%), Petersburg (7%) and Colonial Heights (4%).
| Ettrick | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.8% | 5% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
There are 1.3 miles of trail across 1 park or preserve. Ettrick Park, at 31 acres with 1.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. In Ettrick, the trail density is 0.4 miles per square mile.
| Ettrick | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.7% | 4.6% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ettrick Park | 1.1 mi | 31 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 8,383 U.S. towns with household incomes like Ettrick’s, it is healthier than 89%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income.
Among 253 Virginia towns, just one has a higher share of adults who feel lonely than Ettrick. Of 32 CDC measures, Ettrick beats the Virginia average on 8 and trails it on 12. 24% of adults report frequent mental distress locally.
| Ettrick | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 16% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 34% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 12% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 33% | 35% |
| What stands out | Ettrick | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 3.2% | 7.7% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 3.4% | 6.1% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 15.2% | 7.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Homes are within reach (A for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 21 miles. At 2.4 years of the Richmond metro’s $87K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in 99% of Virginia towns; that ratio is one input to its A for cost of living.
Ettrick’s going rate for rent comes in at $1,191 a month. Bidding over the asking price: 29% of homes sold here. Homes sold in Ettrick spent a median 28 days on the market.
| Ettrick | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,191 a month | $1,764 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ettrick. Close and well known come first.
20 mi LandmarkHollywood Cemetery
10 mi Ancient siteHenricus
21 mi LandmarkRobert E. Lee Monument
20 mi MuseumWhite House of the Confederacy
21 mi Stadium & arenaRichmond Coliseum
36 mi MuseumJamestown SettlementHollywood Cemetery: Andrew Bain, Public domain · Henricus: Morgan Riley, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Robert E. Lee Monument: Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · White House of the Confederacy: AlbertHerring, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Richmond Coliseum: Mentes at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Jamestown Settlement: Warfieldian, CC BY-SA 3.0
4 within 15 miles of the center of Ettrick
College town 41 of every 100 Ettrick residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
3 places in Ettrick on the National Register of Historic Places.
CDP in Virginia, United States
Ettrick is a census-designated place (CDP) in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 7,241. The town is home to Virginia State University and the Petersburg Amtrak train station. Most of Ettrick has a Petersburg mailing address, ZIP code 23803, although the community is not part of the city of Petersburg.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Ettrick.
It grades higher overall than all 3 graded towns on its borders; Colonial Heights (C+) comes closest.
| Town | VA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ettrick | #95 | A− | A | — | B | B |
| Petersburg | #241 | D− | B | D | D | D |
| Colonial Heights | #186 | C+ | B | D | B− | B |
| Matoaca | #212 | C− | B | — | B | C |
Ettrick and Matoaca report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Ettrick with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Ettrick grades A− overall, better than 82% of U.S. towns and #95 of 249 in Virginia. It grades B for health and B for schools.
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $211,000, 49% below the Virginia typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
2 notable people were born here, including Rudi Johnson and Lennie Pond.
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