Counties in Virginia by black or African American population share

Petersburg city had the highest black or African American population share of 133 counties in 2023, at 74.6%. Highland County had the lowest, at 0%. The median was 12.8% and the figure for Virginia was 18.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest74.6Petersburg city
Median12.8133 counties
Virginia18.4History

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Petersburg cityPetersburg city: 74.6 %74.6Emporia cityEmporia city: 63.6 %63.6Sussex CountySussex County: 54.7 %54.7Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 53.2 %53.2Greensville CountyGreensville County: 52.7 %52.7Franklin cityFranklin city: 51.7 %51.7Portsmouth cityPortsmouth city: 51.2 %51.2Danville cityDanville city: 50.3 %50.3Hampton cityHampton city: 47.9 %47.9Martinsville cityMartinsville city: 44.2 %44.2Richmond cityRichmond city: 41.7 %41.7Suffolk citySuffolk city: 41.5 %41.5Hopewell cityHopewell city: 41.2 %41.2Surry CountySurry County: 41 %41Newport News cityNewport News city: 40.4 %40.4Charles City CountyCharles City County: 40.3 %40.3Norfolk cityNorfolk city: 39.1 %39.1Nottoway CountyNottoway County: 37.5 %37.5Essex CountyEssex County: 37.4 %37.4Halifax CountyHalifax County: 34.7 %34.7Lunenburg CountyLunenburg County: 33.3 %33.3Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 32.9 %32.9Buckingham CountyBuckingham County: 31.9 %31.9Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 31.2 %31.2Dinwiddie CountyDinwiddie County: 30.6 %30.6Prince George CountyPrince George County: 30.5 %30.5Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County: 30.3 %30.3Southampton CountySouthampton County: 29.6 %29.6Henrico CountyHenrico County: 29.4 %29.4Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 28.8 %28.8Chesapeake cityChesapeake city: 28.5 %28.5Roanoke cityRoanoke city: 28.5 %28.5Richmond CountyRichmond County: 27.9 %27.9Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 27.6 %27.6Lynchburg cityLynchburg city: 27.4 %27.4Accomack CountyAccomack County: 27.1 %27.1Charlotte CountyCharlotte County: 25.1 %25.1King and Queen CountyKing and Queen County: 23.9 %23.9Westmoreland CountyWestmoreland County: 23.7 %23.7Caroline CountyCaroline County: 23.5 %23.5
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Petersburg city74.6-0.8 pts
2Emporia city63.6+3.3 pts
3Sussex County54.70 pts
4Brunswick County53.2-0.9 pts
5Greensville County52.70 pts
6Franklin city51.7+0.3 pts
7Portsmouth city51.2+0.2 pts
8Danville city50.3+0.3 pts
9Hampton city47.9-0.1 pts
10Martinsville city44.2-0.1 pts
11Richmond city41.7-2.1 pts
12Suffolk city41.5+0.5 pts
13Hopewell city41.2-0.7 pts
14Surry County41-0.7 pts
15Newport News city40.4-0.2 pts
16Charles City County40.3-3.3 pts
17Norfolk city39.1-1 pts
18Nottoway County37.5-0.5 pts
19Essex County37.4-0.3 pts
20Halifax County34.7-0 pts
21Lunenburg County33.3+0.6 pts
22Mecklenburg County32.9-0.4 pts
23Buckingham County31.9-0.1 pts
24Northampton County31.2-0 pts
25Dinwiddie County30.6-0.2 pts
26Prince George County30.5+0.3 pts
27Prince Edward County30.3+0.6 pts
28Southampton County29.6-0.4 pts
29Henrico County29.40 pts
30Cumberland County28.8-1.2 pts
31Chesapeake city28.5-0 pts
32Roanoke city28.5-0.2 pts
33Richmond County27.9+0.7 pts
34Lancaster County27.6+0.4 pts
35Lynchburg city27.40 pts
36Accomack County27.1-1.2 pts
37Charlotte County25.1-1 pts
38King and Queen County23.9-0.3 pts
39Westmoreland County23.7-0.4 pts
40Caroline County23.5-0.7 pts
41Chesterfield County23-0.2 pts
42Henry County22.3-0.5 pts
43Isle of Wight County21.8+0.1 pts
44Alexandria city20.7-0.2 pts
45Pittsylvania County20.6+1.1 pts
46Amelia County20.3+0.2 pts
47Prince William County20-0.2 pts
48Fredericksburg city19.8-0.9 pts
49Northumberland County19.6-1.3 pts
50Stafford County18.9+0.3 pts
51Virginia Beach city18.3+0.1 pts
52Colonial Heights city17.8+1.2 pts
53Amherst County17.5-0.7 pts
54Appomattox County17-1 pts
55Charlottesville city16.8-0.2 pts
56Spotsylvania County16.40 pts
57King George County15.4-0.3 pts
58King William County15.3+0.4 pts
59Williamsburg city15.20 pts
60Middlesex County14.8+0.3 pts
61Goochland County14.4-0.1 pts
62Campbell County14.3+0.3 pts
63Louisa County13.3-0.2 pts
64New Kent County13.2+0.1 pts
65York County13-0 pts
66Culpeper County12.8-0.2 pts
67James City County12.8+0.2 pts
68Fluvanna County12.7-0.3 pts
69Manassas city12.4-0.6 pts
70Covington city12.3-0.8 pts
71Waynesboro city11+1.4 pts
72Manassas Park city10.9-1.5 pts
73Orange County10.4-1.8 pts
74Nelson County10.3-2.1 pts
75Staunton city10-0.1 pts
76Fairfax County9.6-0.1 pts
77Arlington County9.2+0.2 pts
78Radford city9.2+0.4 pts
79Winchester city8.8-0.9 pts
80Albemarle County8.8-0.1 pts
81Powhatan County8.70 pts
82Hanover County8.4-0.1 pts
83Madison County8.4+0.5 pts
83Mathews County8.4-0.6 pts
85Gloucester County8.1-0 pts
86Franklin County7.70 pts
87Salem city7.7-0.1 pts
88Loudoun County7.5+0.1 pts
89Harrisonburg city7+0.1 pts
90Greene County6.8+0.3 pts
91Bristol city6.7+0.4 pts
92Fairfax city6.4+0.5 pts
93Roanoke County6.4+0.3 pts
94Fauquier County6.2-0.4 pts
95Bedford County6-0.2 pts
96Alleghany County5.5+0.4 pts
97Patrick County5.4-0.2 pts
98Wise County5.3+0.7 pts
99Grayson County5.20 pts
100Warren County5-0.2 pts
101Clarke County4.9+0.4 pts
102Galax city4.9-0.2 pts
103Rappahannock County4.8+0.4 pts
104Falls Church city4.8+0.2 pts
105Lexington city4.7-0.5 pts
106Bland County4.6+0.7 pts
107Pulaski County4.6-0.4 pts
108Augusta County4.3-0.1 pts
109Frederick County4.2-0 pts
110Lee County4.1+0.1 pts
111Montgomery County3.9-0.1 pts
112Bath County3.8-1.1 pts
113Tazewell County3.3-0.2 pts
114Rockbridge County3-0.6 pts
115Floyd County2.8-0.2 pts
116Shenandoah County2.7+0.2 pts
117Wythe County2.4+0.2 pts
118Botetourt County2.4-0.2 pts
118Buchanan County2.4+0.5 pts
120Rockingham County2.3+0.1 pts
121Giles County2.3-0 pts
122Smyth County2+0.2 pts
123Page County1.9+0.1 pts
124Washington County1.70 pts
125Poquoson city1.7-0.1 pts
126Buena Vista city1.6-2.5 pts
127Norton city1.3-0.7 pts
128Russell County1.2-0.7 pts
129Scott County1.20 pts
130Dickenson County1+0.3 pts
131Carroll County0.3+0.1 pts
132Craig County0.10 pts
133Highland County00 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People who are not Hispanic or Latino and report Black or African American as their only race, as a percentage of the total population. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

US federal statistics ask about Hispanic origin and race separately, and Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race. The shares for White, Black and Asian count people who are not Hispanic and report that race alone, so the published shares do not add up to 100 (people of two or more races and other races are not shown). Calculated from counts in ACS table B03002, which are stored as inputs. EU and Spanish statistics do not collect race.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B03002: Black or African American alone, not Hispanic or Latino, as a percentage of the total population, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b03002.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

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Questions

Which county has the highest black or African American population share?

Petersburg city, with 74.6% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest black or African American population share?

Highland County, with 0% in 2023.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B03002: Black or African American alone, not Hispanic or Latino, as a percentage of the total population, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Black or African American population share: other rankings

Counties in Virginia: more rankings