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Shipman
Virginia›Nelson County

ShipmanVA

A town settled in 1907, now home to 472 people.

Oak Ridge Railroad Overpass · Photo: Rob Tucher, Photographer · Public domain
Photo of Shipman

Shipman, VA · Oak Ridge Railroad Overpass · Photo: Rob Tucher, Photographer · Public domain

Is Shipman a good place to live?

Shipman’s average trip to work is 40 minutes, against 27 minutes in Virginia’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. No town among the 254 in Virginia we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Shipman. Shipman has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Oak Ridge Railroad Overpass and Ryan Hall Elementary School. Shipman has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Oak Ridge Railroad Overpass
Oak Ridge Railroad Overpass · National Register of Historic Places
Shipman’s story

119 years in pictures

The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2016 and 2 maps from 1969 on.

3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

  • 1907Shipman is settled
Explore the history →
Small town

472 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Shipman.

Housing

The typical home in Shipman: about $249K

$249KZillow home value

The share of households in Shipman who own their home: 53%. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 2.3%.

Typical home value

Shipman$249K
Virginia$412K
+2.3%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in September

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Work & commute

Shipman has 0.0 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work

0%work in town

In Shipman, just over a fifth of residents live below the poverty line. For half of commuters, work is under 29 miles away. Its middle household income comes in at $49,000. The top destinations are Charlottesville (14%), Lovingston (11%) and University of Virginia (9%).

ShipmanVirginia townsU.S. towns
Below the poverty line21%7.7%9.6%
Median household income$49,000$102,000$80,000

Where working residents work

In Shipman0%
Charlottesville14%
Lovingston11%
University of Virginia9%
Lynchburg3%
29 mi
median commute distance
11
jobs based in Shipman
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Shipman’s year

87°summer high

July afternoons reach 87° and January nights drop to 27°.

Typical low → high °F

Winter28–49°
Spring44–68°
Summer64–85°
Fall46–69°
Oct 25
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
87°
typical summer high

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Natural hazards

Shipman faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding

64risk score of 100

In Shipman, the risk rating from FEMA is 64 of 100. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Shipman once, in 2003. FEMA puts 76% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding.

FEMA risk score
64High riskLowerHigher
Inland flooding
1
federal disasters paid out here

FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Health

How healthy Shipman is

For adults in Shipman, the share who had a checkup this year is 81%. Against the Virginia average, Shipman comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 11. Two figures for adults in the town: 16% have diabetes, 16% report frequent physical distress.

ShipmanVirginia townsU.S. towns
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)42%33%35%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)16%11%12%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)16%12%14%
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)13%14%16%
32 measures vs. Virginia
1 better20 too close to call11 worse
What stands outShipmanVA
More adults treating high blood pressure80.6%76.8%
More adults with COPD8.7%6.2%
Augusta Health
26.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Outdoors

0.1% of Shipman is conserved land

0.1%conserved

1.1 miles of trail. Shipman’s trail density stands at 0.4 miles per square mile.

ShipmanVirginia townsU.S. towns
Conserved land0.1%4.7%4.3%
Miles of trail per square mile0.4 miles per square mile0.70.4
0.1%
conserved · 2 of 1,711 acres
1.1 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Shipman

16pages on Shipman
Getting set up

Moving to Shipman: who provides what

Shipman is unincorporated, so Nelson County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerAppalachian Power17.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNcsa - Lovingston water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesNelson CountyNelson County provides services here
SchoolsNelson County Public SchoolsWhich school depends on your addressNCES
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.gov
Who runs elections hereNelson General RegistrarNelson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code2297122971 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.

A commuter town

100% of working residents leave Shipman for work

Where Shipman’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

14% → Charlottesville Charlottesville 14% 11% → Lovingston Lovingston 11% 9% → University of Virginia University of Virginia 9% 3% → Lynchburg Lynchburg 3% 2% → Roanoke Roanoke 2% 2% → Pantops Pantops 2% Shipman · 0% stay
11jobs based in Shipman
0%of working residents work in town
29 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Shipman; the nearest are

About Shipman

American census-designated place in Nelson County, Virginia

Shipman is a census-designated place (CDP) in Nelson County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, Shipman had a population of 492. Bon Aire and the Oak Ridge Railroad Overpass are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
2.7 sq mi
Elevation
630 ft
ZIP code
22971

Questions about Shipman

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Shipman, VA a good place to live?

Shipman has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Shipman is in here

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