Greene County is a county in Virginia in the eastern United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,552. Its county seat is Stanardsville. Greene County is part of the Charlottesville, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area. In recent years, Greene County has become a tourist destination for metropolitan areas to escape to the Shenandoah National Park and Virginia's scenic foothills.

History

Greene County was established in 1838 from Orange County. The county is named for American Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene, who was a general in the Continental Army. A major incident occurred on October 24, 1979, when a natural gas main ruptured, causing an explosion. The resulting fire destroyed the bell tower of the county courthouse and county office building. However, quick action by the firefighters on the scene saved the county records secured in the vault.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 156.8 sqmi, of which 156.1 sqmi is land and 0.7 sqmi (0.4%) is water. It is the second-smallest county in Virginia by total area.

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Major highways

Demographics

2020 census

2020 Census

As of the census of 2010, there were 18,403 people, 6,780 households, and 5,072 families residing in the county. The population density was 117.8 /mi2. There were 7,509 housing units at an average density of 48.1 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 87.6% White, 6.3% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. 4.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 6,780 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.08. The median age for all individuals in the county was 59.3 years. The median income for a household in the county was $54,307 and median family income was $60,414. The per capita income for the county was $24,696. 8.4% of the population and 4.9% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 8.6% of those under the age of 18 and 11.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Government

Local Representation at Federal and State Level

History

Before the 2024 session, Greene County had been part of Virginia's 58th House of Delegates district and Virginia's 24th Senate district. Before the 2022 session, Greene County had been part of the Virginia's 5th congressional district. In May 2022, County Commissioner of Revenue Larry Vernon Snow resigned and pled guilty to federal charges of witness tampering. He had held the position since 1987 and had been reelected while under indictment. His son, Bryant Austin Snow, also pled guilty to charges of drug distribution.

Board of Supervisors

The Board of Supervisors contains five members:

Constitutional officers

Law enforcement

The Greene County Sheriff's Office (GCSO) is Greene County, Virginia's primary law enforcement agency. After a 1994 study rated Greene County the second most dangerous county in Virginia for traffic, the Sheriff's office cracked down on speeding. In 1997, the office wrote 15 times more tickets than in 1992. In November 2016, a few days before election day, the Sheriff's department held a public seminar at Piedmont Virginia Community College on Islam and jihadism. Counter-protestors described the content as islamophobic, and the group that spoke at the seminar was later added to the Southern Poverty Law Center's list of hate groups.

Presidential election results

Public services

Jefferson-Madison Regional Library is the regional library system that provides services to the citizens of Greene.

Education

Greene County is served by a high school, a middle school, and two elementary schools. Greene County is the location of the Piedmont VA CC - Eugene Giuseppe Center.

Communities

(Population according to the 2020 United States Census)