Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in Virginia

Counties in Virginia by poverty rate

Radford city had the highest poverty rate of 133 counties in 2015, at 32.8%. Falls Church city had the lowest, at 3.4%. The median was 13.9% and the figure for Virginia was 11.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest32.8Radford city
Lowest3.4Falls Church city
Median13.9133 counties
Virginia11.2History

Top 40 counties, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

Radford cityRadford city: 32.8 %32.8Harrisonburg cityHarrisonburg city: 30.9 %30.9Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 28.8 %28.8Petersburg cityPetersburg city: 28.4 %28.4Greensville CountyGreensville County: 27.9 %27.9Lee CountyLee County: 25.9 %25.9Dickenson CountyDickenson County: 25 %25Richmond cityRichmond city: 24.4 %24.4Galax cityGalax city: 24.2 %24.2Martinsville cityMartinsville city: 23.7 %23.7Norton cityNorton city: 23.7 %23.7Nottoway CountyNottoway County: 23.7 %23.7Danville cityDanville city: 23.5 %23.5Lynchburg cityLynchburg city: 23.1 %23.1Lexington cityLexington city: 22.9 %22.9Wise CountyWise County: 22.7 %22.7Emporia cityEmporia city: 22.5 %22.5Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County: 22.3 %22.3Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 22.1 %22.1Sussex CountySussex County: 22.1 %22.1Williamsburg cityWilliamsburg city: 22 %22Norfolk cityNorfolk city: 21.5 %21.5Roanoke cityRoanoke city: 21.3 %21.3Russell CountyRussell County: 21.2 %21.2Lunenburg CountyLunenburg County: 21.1 %21.1Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 20.8 %20.8Charlottesville cityCharlottesville city: 20.7 %20.7Hopewell cityHopewell city: 20.6 %20.6Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 20.5 %20.5Accomack CountyAccomack County: 20.4 %20.4Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 20.4 %20.4Buckingham CountyBuckingham County: 20.2 %20.2Grayson CountyGrayson County: 20.1 %20.1Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 19.6 %19.6Henry CountyHenry County: 19.6 %19.6Franklin cityFranklin city: 19.4 %19.4Bristol cityBristol city: 19.3 %19.3Charlotte CountyCharlotte County: 19.2 %19.2Scott CountyScott County: 19.2 %19.2Portsmouth cityPortsmouth city: 18.6 %18.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015 (%)
1Radford city32.8
2Harrisonburg city30.9
3Buchanan County28.8
4Petersburg city28.4
5Greensville County27.9
6Lee County25.9
7Dickenson County25
8Richmond city24.4
9Galax city24.2
10Martinsville city23.7
10Norton city23.7
10Nottoway County23.7
13Danville city23.5
14Lynchburg city23.1
15Lexington city22.9
16Wise County22.7
17Emporia city22.5
18Prince Edward County22.3
19Brunswick County22.1
19Sussex County22.1
21Williamsburg city22
22Norfolk city21.5
23Roanoke city21.3
24Russell County21.2
25Lunenburg County21.1
26Montgomery County20.8
27Charlottesville city20.7
28Hopewell city20.6
29Northampton County20.5
30Accomack County20.4
30Mecklenburg County20.4
32Buckingham County20.2
33Grayson County20.1
34Cumberland County19.6
34Henry County19.6
36Franklin city19.4
37Bristol city19.3
38Charlotte County19.2
38Scott County19.2
40Portsmouth city18.6
41Covington city18.3
42Alleghany County18.2
43Smyth County18.1
44Winchester city17.8
45Richmond County17.7
46Buena Vista city17.3
47Tazewell County17.2
48Pittsylvania County17.1
49Patrick County17
50Halifax County16.9
51Newport News city16.8
52Washington County16.3
53Waynesboro city16
54Fredericksburg city15.9
55Essex County15.5
56Hampton city15.2
56Southampton County15.2
56Staunton city15.2
59Amherst County15
59Carroll County15
59Page County15
59Pulaski County15
63Wythe County14.4
64Appomattox County14.2
65Westmoreland County14.1
66King and Queen County14
67Nelson County13.9
68Highland County13.8
69Northumberland County13.7
70Bland County13.6
71Franklin County13.1
71Lancaster County13.1
71Suffolk city13.1
74Surry County13
75Middlesex County12.8
75Rockbridge County12.8
77Dinwiddie County12.4
78Caroline County12
79Craig County11.9
79Floyd County11.9
81Campbell County11.7
82Charles City County11.6
83Shenandoah County11.5
84Amelia County11.1
85Rockingham County11
86Warren County10.8
87Colonial Heights city10.6
87Giles County10.6
87Louisa County10.6
90Madison County10.4
90Orange County10.4
92Bath County10.3
93Culpeper County10.2
93Mathews County10.2
93Salem city10.2
96Isle of Wight County9.9
96Prince George County9.9
98Rappahannock County9.8
99Chesapeake city9.7
100Manassas city9.6
101Albemarle County9.5
102Augusta County9.3
102Gloucester County9.3
102Greene County9.3
102Henrico County9.3
106Alexandria city9.1
106Bedford County9.1
108Clarke County8.4
109Virginia Beach city8.2
110King William County7.9
111Fluvanna County7.8
112Frederick County7.7
112Manassas Park city7.7
112Spotsylvania County7.7
115Botetourt County7.4
115Goochland County7.4
117Fairfax city7.3
117Roanoke County7.3
119Arlington County7.1
119James City County7.1
119King George County7.1
122Chesterfield County6.9
123Fauquier County6.8
124New Kent County6.7
124Prince William County6.7
126Powhatan County6.4
127Fairfax County6.2
127Hanover County6.2
129Poquoson city5.4
129Stafford County5.4
131York County5.3
132Loudoun County3.7
133Falls Church city3.4

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/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Rank Counties in Virginia by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Radford city, with 32.8% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Falls Church city, with 3.4% in 2015.

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