A row of houses along Melfa's main street, 2018
Melfa’s story
Melfa in pictures
Census counts: 409 in 1960, 396 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 2018 and 3 maps from 1957 on.
Explore the history →
MelfaVA
A town of 405.
Photo: self · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
405
2025 Census estimate · +1.5% since 2020
Typical home
$247K
−0% in a year
Household income
$29K
median
Median age
29.8
years
Jobs based here
40
A commuter town
Is Melfa a good place to live?
25% of residents live below the poverty line in Melfa, above both Virginia’s towns (7.7%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). No town among the 254 in Virginia we compare has a lower middle household income than Melfa. Melfa has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
405 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Melfa: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Melfa, and how to reach them.
PowerA & N Electric Coop14.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet6 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offTasley Convenience Center, 4 miOpenStreetMap
Register to voteOnlineIn Virginia you can register online until 11 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 11 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereAccomack General RegistrarAccomack County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2016
ZIP code2341023410 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Melfa.
Housing
A typical Melfa home is worth about $247K
Among households in Melfa, 57% live in a home they own. The going rate for rent for Melfa comes to $841 a month, below both the Virginia town median ($1,762 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
$247KZillow home value
| Melfa | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $841 a month | $1,762 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 57% | 68% | 73% |
Typical home value
Melfa$247K
Virginia$412K
−0%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
With 0.3 jobs for every working resident, most of Melfa’s workers commute out
Since 2013, Melfa has lost 146 jobs, to 40 in 2023. The top destinations are Accomac (8%), Exmore (7%) and Norfolk (5%). Half commute less than 25 miles.
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Melfa0%
Accomac8%
Exmore7%
Norfolk5%
Onley3%
25 mi
median commute distance
40
jobs based in Melfa
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
High risk in Melfa, with hurricanes at the top
Only 8 of the 254 Virginia towns we compare have a higher natural-hazard score from FEMA than Melfa. 61% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from hurricanes, followed by inland flooding at 19%. Federal aid has come to Melfa households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2006.
71risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingCoastal flooding
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Melfa has four seasons and pleasant summers
Summer afternoons peak near 87° in July, and January nights bottom out around 29°; snowfall runs to about 7 inches a winter. Melfa has mild winters and warm summers.
7″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–49°
Spring46–66°
Summer67–85°
Fall51–70°
Nov 7
typical first frost
Apr 4
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Melfa is
13% of adults binge drink in Melfa. The town beats the Virginia average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12.
| Melfa | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 33% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 11% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 23% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Virginia
1 better19 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Melfa | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.6% | 76.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.9% | 6.2% |
Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital
3.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Melfa
17pages on Melfa
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Melfa
About 1 of every 100 Melfa residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Melfa for work
Where Melfa’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
40jobs based in Melfa
0%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Melfa
Town in Virginia, United States
Melfa is a town in Accomack County on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, United States. The population was 396 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 49 ft
- ZIP code
- 23410
- Area code
- 757
Questions about Melfa
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Melfa, VA a good place to live?
Melfa has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.