Pocomoke Farm · National Register of Historic Places
Sanford’s story
141 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 maps from 1942 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1885Sanford is settled
SanfordVA
With 44 residents, this town was settled in 1885.
Pitts Neck · Public domain
Population
44
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$134K
Census ACS
Household income
$61K
median
Median age
71.8
years
Jobs based here
7
A commuter town
Settled
1885
141 years ago
Is Sanford a good place to live?
Sanford’s midpoint age is 71.8 years, above both the Virginia town median (38.5 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). No town among the 254 in Virginia we compare has a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than Sanford. 39% of the land in Sanford is conserved, above both Virginia’s towns (4.7%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Pocomoke Farm and Pitts Neck is on the National Register of Historic Places. Sanford has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
By the sea
Sanford lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 30% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
30%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding
100thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally
94thpercentile for hurricane risk
On the water
- Saxis Marsh State Waterfoul Management Area and Refuge
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Sanford.
Outdoors
In Sanford, nearly a third of the land is conserved
38.8%conserved
Parks and preserves in Sanford: 2, covering 508 acres.
38.8%
conserved · 710 of 1,832 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Saxis Marsh State Waterfoul Management Area and Refuge | — | 506 |
| 2. Makemie Monument Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
In Sanford, the FEMA risk score runs higher than in the typical Virginia or U.S. town
87risk score of 100
Of the losses FEMA expects in Sanford, 38% come from hurricanes and 30% from coastal flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 87% of U.S. communities.
FEMA risk score
HurricanesCoastal floodingInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Most of Sanford’s workers commute out: the town has 0.1 jobs for each of them
1%work in town
The top destinations are Newport News (5%), Richmond (5%) and Onancock (4%). Just 1% of Sanford’s working residents have a job in town. The median commute is under 52 miles.
Where working residents work
In Sanford1%
Newport News5%
Richmond5%
Onancock4%
Pocomoke City3%
52 mi
median commute distance
7
jobs based in Sanford
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Sanford
8″snow a winter
Winters in Sanford are mild and summers warm. Summer afternoons peak near 87° in July, and January nights bottom out around 30°; snowfall runs to about 8 inches a winter.
Typical low → high °F
Winter32–48°
Spring47–65°
Summer69–85°
Fall52–69°
Nov 11
typical first frost
Mar 31
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A larger share of adults have high blood pressure in Sanford than in most of Virginia or the rest of the country
No town among the 254 in Virginia we compare has a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Sanford. A fifth of adults have diabetes here. Only 4 of the 254 Virginia towns we compare have a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Sanford. Against the Virginia average, Sanford comes out ahead on 2 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 20.
| Sanford | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 17% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 12% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 51% | 33% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Virginia
2 better10 too close to call20 worse
| What stands out | Sanford | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.3% | 14.5% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 83.5% | 76.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 14.2% | 6.2% |
Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital
16.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0
homes sold in September
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sanford
16pages on Sanford
The big questions
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All 16 attractions →USS Texas and 7 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sanford. Close and well known come first.
27 mi Ancient siteUSS Texas
15 mi National SeashoreAssateague Island National Seashore2.3M visitors a year
37 mi State parkPoint Lookout State Park30 mi Zoo & aquariumSalisbury Zoo
10 mi MuseumEastern Shore Railway Museum
12 mi MuseumNASA Visitor CenterSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
USS Texas: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Assateague Island National Seashore: Fritz Geller-Grimm, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Point Lookout State Park: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Eastern Shore Railway Museum: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0 · NASA Visitor Center: Leonard J. DeFrancisci, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
Moving to Sanford: who provides what
Sanford is unincorporated, so Accomack County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerA & N Electric Coop14.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesAccomack CountyAccomack County provides services here
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 codes23426, 23359, 2344223426 65% · 23359 18% · 23442 17%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Small town
44 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Sanford; the nearest are
University of Maryland Eastern ShoreUniversity or college · Public · Princess Anne, MD19 mi$9,076 in-state tuitionEastern Shore Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Melfa20.8 mi$5,082 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Sanford residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
About Sanford
Census-designated place in Virginia, United States
Sanford is a census-designated place (CDP) in Accomack County, Virginia, United States. It was first listed as a CDP in 2010. Per the 2020 census, the population was 168. Pocomoke Farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3 ft
- ZIP code
- 23426
Questions about Sanford
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sanford, VA a good place to live?
Sanford has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Sanford is in here
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