Counties in Virginia by poverty rate, 2024

Radford city had the highest poverty rate of 133 counties in 2024, at 27.2%. Loudoun County had the lowest, at 4.3%. The median was 11.8% and the figure for Virginia was 9.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest27.2Radford city
Median11.8133 counties
Virginia9.8History

Top 40 counties, 2024

CSVChart (SVG)

Radford cityRadford city: 27.2 %27.2Harrisonburg cityHarrisonburg city: 26.4 %26.4Greensville CountyGreensville County: 26.2 %26.2Lee CountyLee County: 26 %26Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 23.5 %23.5Petersburg cityPetersburg city: 23.3 %23.3Williamsburg cityWilliamsburg city: 23.3 %23.3Danville cityDanville city: 22.9 %22.9Lexington cityLexington city: 22.7 %22.7Sussex CountySussex County: 21.9 %21.9Galax cityGalax city: 21.6 %21.6Emporia cityEmporia city: 20.6 %20.6Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 20.6 %20.6Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 20.2 %20.2Scott CountyScott County: 20.1 %20.1Dickenson CountyDickenson County: 19.9 %19.9Lunenburg CountyLunenburg County: 19.9 %19.9Franklin cityFranklin city: 19.7 %19.7Wise CountyWise County: 19.5 %19.5Nottoway CountyNottoway County: 19 %19Martinsville cityMartinsville city: 18.8 %18.8Bristol cityBristol city: 18.6 %18.6Buckingham CountyBuckingham County: 18.4 %18.4Richmond cityRichmond city: 18.2 %18.2Lynchburg cityLynchburg city: 17.8 %17.8Grayson CountyGrayson County: 17.6 %17.6Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County: 17.6 %17.6Norton cityNorton city: 17.5 %17.5Smyth CountySmyth County: 17.5 %17.5Tazewell CountyTazewell County: 17.4 %17.4Hopewell cityHopewell city: 17.1 %17.1Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 16.8 %16.8Richmond CountyRichmond County: 16.7 %16.7Patrick CountyPatrick County: 16.6 %16.6Charlottesville cityCharlottesville city: 16.5 %16.5Roanoke cityRoanoke city: 16.2 %16.2Henry CountyHenry County: 16 %16Charlotte CountyCharlotte County: 15.9 %15.9Russell CountyRussell County: 15.9 %15.9Winchester cityWinchester city: 15.7 %15.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024 (%)Change on 2023
1Radford city27.2+0.8 pts
2Harrisonburg city26.4+2.6 pts
3Greensville County26.2-1.1 pts
4Lee County26+1 pts
5Buchanan County23.5+0.7 pts
6Petersburg city23.3+2.1 pts
6Williamsburg city23.3+4.5 pts
8Danville city22.9-0.5 pts
9Lexington city22.7+1.3 pts
10Sussex County21.9+1 pts
11Galax city21.6+0.8 pts
12Emporia city20.6+0.5 pts
12Montgomery County20.6-3.2 pts
14Brunswick County20.2-0.6 pts
15Scott County20.1-0.4 pts
16Dickenson County19.9+0.5 pts
16Lunenburg County19.9+0.8 pts
18Franklin city19.7-0.1 pts
19Wise County19.5+1.3 pts
20Nottoway County19+1.2 pts
21Martinsville city18.8-3.7 pts
22Bristol city18.6-3.2 pts
23Buckingham County18.4+0.3 pts
24Richmond city18.2+0.6 pts
25Lynchburg city17.8-1.3 pts
26Grayson County17.6+1.2 pts
26Prince Edward County17.6-7.5 pts
28Norton city17.5-3.1 pts
28Smyth County17.5+2.4 pts
30Tazewell County17.4-3.6 pts
31Hopewell city17.1-2.9 pts
32Northampton County16.8-0.7 pts
33Richmond County16.7+1.1 pts
34Patrick County16.6+2.2 pts
35Charlottesville city16.5-3.1 pts
36Roanoke city16.2-2.2 pts
37Henry County16-0.9 pts
38Charlotte County15.9-4.9 pts
38Russell County15.9-2.6 pts
40Winchester city15.7-0.5 pts
41Buena Vista city15.6+1 pts
42Norfolk city15.3-3 pts
43Portsmouth city15.2-3.5 pts
44Halifax County15-4.7 pts
45Covington city14.8-2.9 pts
46Bland County14.6+0.7 pts
47Mecklenburg County14.5-0.1 pts
48Carroll County14.4-1.7 pts
49Hampton city13.9+0.5 pts
50Westmoreland County13.8+1.3 pts
51Pittsylvania County13.5-0.2 pts
52Pulaski County13.3-3.2 pts
53Accomack County13.1-4.2 pts
53Staunton city13.1+1.8 pts
55Cumberland County12.7-1.5 pts
55Southampton County12.7-0.6 pts
57Highland County12.6-0.3 pts
57Newport News city12.6-3.1 pts
59Amherst County12.50 pts
59King and Queen County12.5-0.2 pts
61Franklin County12.3+0.9 pts
62Appomattox County12.2+0.8 pts
62Fredericksburg city12.2-0.5 pts
62Northumberland County12.2+0.1 pts
62Page County12.2-2 pts
66Waynesboro city11.8-1.1 pts
66Wythe County11.8-1.7 pts
68Essex County11.7-1.3 pts
68Surry County11.7-0.7 pts
68Washington County11.7-1.1 pts
71Alleghany County11.5-2.4 pts
71Giles County11.5+0.2 pts
71Nelson County11.5-2.3 pts
74Charles City County11.4+0.1 pts
74Floyd County11.4+0.3 pts
76Bath County11.3+0.8 pts
76Prince George County11.30 pts
78Campbell County11.2-1.2 pts
78Middlesex County11.2-1.7 pts
80Lancaster County11-1.6 pts
81Chesapeake city10.5+0.5 pts
81Craig County10.5-1.8 pts
83Caroline County10.4+1.1 pts
84Henrico County10.3+0.9 pts
84Madison County10.3+0.2 pts
84Shenandoah County10.3+0.4 pts
87Dinwiddie County10.1-1.7 pts
88Rockbridge County9.9-1.5 pts
89Warren County9.8+0.5 pts
90Amelia County9.6-0.4 pts
90Colonial Heights city9.6-0.8 pts
90Culpeper County9.60 pts
90Mathews County9.6+0.4 pts
90Salem city9.6-0.8 pts
95Manassas city9.1-1.6 pts
95Rappahannock County9.1+0.1 pts
97Bedford County8.9-1 pts
98Orange County8.5+0.5 pts
99Greene County8.4-0.5 pts
100Albemarle County8.3+0.3 pts
100Louisa County8.3-1.1 pts
100Suffolk city8.3-2.8 pts
103Isle of Wight County8.2+0.9 pts
103Rockingham County8.2-1.9 pts
105Arlington County8+0.9 pts
106Virginia Beach city7.9-0.8 pts
107Fairfax city7.8+0.4 pts
108Alexandria city7.5-1 pts
108Clarke County7.5+0.2 pts
108Gloucester County7.5-0.4 pts
111Augusta County7.3-0.9 pts
111Manassas Park city7.3-0.4 pts
113Chesterfield County7.1+0.2 pts
113Fluvanna County7.1-0.5 pts
113Roanoke County7.1-0.1 pts
116Spotsylvania County7+0.4 pts
117Goochland County6.9+0.2 pts
118Powhatan County6.7+0.6 pts
119Fauquier County6.6+0.5 pts
119King George County6.6+0.3 pts
119King William County6.6-0.5 pts
119Prince William County6.6-0.1 pts
123James City County6.4-0.8 pts
124Frederick County6.3-1.1 pts
125Hanover County6.1+0.8 pts
126Fairfax County6-0.1 pts
127Poquoson city5.80 pts
128Stafford County5.4+0.1 pts
129York County5.3-1.2 pts
130Botetourt County5.2-1.1 pts
131Falls Church city4.6-0.5 pts
132New Kent County4.4-1.2 pts
133Loudoun County4.3+0.2 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People living in families or alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), all ages.

Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

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. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Radford city, with 27.2% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Loudoun County, with 4.3% in 2024.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Poverty rate (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in Virginia: more rankings