Counties in Virginia by poverty rate

Lee County had the highest poverty rate of 133 counties in 2016, at 29.9%. Loudoun County had the lowest, at 3.5%. The median was 13.6% and the figure for Virginia was 11%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest29.9Lee County
Median13.6133 counties
Virginia11History

Top 40 counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

Lee CountyLee County: 29.9 %29.9Harrisonburg cityHarrisonburg city: 28.4 %28.4Radford cityRadford city: 27.2 %27.2Richmond cityRichmond city: 26.2 %26.2Dickenson CountyDickenson County: 25.6 %25.6Greensville CountyGreensville County: 25.4 %25.4Petersburg cityPetersburg city: 25.2 %25.2Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 25.1 %25.1Bristol cityBristol city: 23.6 %23.6Wise CountyWise County: 23.5 %23.5Emporia cityEmporia city: 23.2 %23.2Martinsville cityMartinsville city: 23.2 %23.2Sussex CountySussex County: 23.1 %23.1Norton cityNorton city: 23 %23Nottoway CountyNottoway County: 22.9 %22.9Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 22.8 %22.8Charlottesville cityCharlottesville city: 22.8 %22.8Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County: 22.6 %22.6Danville cityDanville city: 22.3 %22.3Roanoke cityRoanoke city: 22.3 %22.3Lexington cityLexington city: 22.2 %22.2Norfolk cityNorfolk city: 21.3 %21.3Williamsburg cityWilliamsburg city: 21.1 %21.1Charlotte CountyCharlotte County: 20.8 %20.8Hopewell cityHopewell city: 20.7 %20.7Galax cityGalax city: 20.5 %20.5Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 20.3 %20.3Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 20.3 %20.3Accomack CountyAccomack County: 20 %20Lunenburg CountyLunenburg County: 19.8 %19.8Scott CountyScott County: 19.5 %19.5Richmond CountyRichmond County: 19.3 %19.3Halifax CountyHalifax County: 18.7 %18.7Henry CountyHenry County: 18.4 %18.4Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 18.2 %18.2Franklin cityFranklin city: 18.2 %18.2Portsmouth cityPortsmouth city: 18.2 %18.2Smyth CountySmyth County: 18.1 %18.1Tazewell CountyTazewell County: 18 %18Patrick CountyPatrick County: 17.9 %17.9
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Lee County29.9+4 pts
2Harrisonburg city28.4-2.5 pts
3Radford city27.2-5.6 pts
4Richmond city26.2+1.8 pts
5Dickenson County25.6+0.6 pts
6Greensville County25.4-2.5 pts
7Petersburg city25.2-3.2 pts
8Buchanan County25.1-3.7 pts
9Bristol city23.6+4.3 pts
10Wise County23.5+0.8 pts
11Emporia city23.2+0.7 pts
11Martinsville city23.2-0.5 pts
13Sussex County23.1+1 pts
14Norton city23-0.7 pts
15Nottoway County22.9-0.8 pts
16Brunswick County22.8+0.7 pts
16Charlottesville city22.8+2.1 pts
18Prince Edward County22.6+0.3 pts
19Danville city22.3-1.2 pts
19Roanoke city22.3+1 pts
21Lexington city22.2-0.7 pts
22Norfolk city21.3-0.2 pts
23Williamsburg city21.1-0.9 pts
24Charlotte County20.8+1.6 pts
25Hopewell city20.7+0.1 pts
26Galax city20.5-3.7 pts
27Montgomery County20.3-0.5 pts
27Northampton County20.3-0.2 pts
29Accomack County20-0.4 pts
30Lunenburg County19.8-1.3 pts
31Scott County19.5+0.3 pts
32Richmond County19.3+1.6 pts
33Halifax County18.7+1.8 pts
34Henry County18.4-1.2 pts
35Cumberland County18.2-1.4 pts
35Franklin city18.2-1.2 pts
35Portsmouth city18.2-0.4 pts
38Smyth County18.10 pts
39Tazewell County18+0.8 pts
40Patrick County17.9+0.9 pts
41Lynchburg city17.8-5.3 pts
42Buckingham County17.6-2.6 pts
43Grayson County17.4-2.7 pts
44Russell County16.9-4.3 pts
45Hampton city16.4+1.2 pts
45Page County16.4+1.4 pts
47Carroll County16.3+1.3 pts
48Buena Vista city16.2-1.1 pts
49Covington city15.9-2.4 pts
49Mecklenburg County15.9-4.5 pts
51Southampton County15.6+0.4 pts
52Winchester city15-2.8 pts
53Alleghany County14.9-3.3 pts
54Westmoreland County14.8+0.7 pts
55Newport News city14.7-2.1 pts
55Washington County14.7-1.6 pts
57Fredericksburg city14.6-1.3 pts
57Waynesboro city14.6-1.4 pts
59Pulaski County14.4-0.6 pts
59Wythe County14.40 pts
61Amherst County14.3-0.7 pts
62Middlesex County14.2+1.4 pts
63Lancaster County14+0.9 pts
64Appomattox County13.9-0.3 pts
65Bland County13.8+0.2 pts
66Floyd County13.7+1.8 pts
67Pittsylvania County13.6-3.5 pts
68King and Queen County13.4-0.6 pts
68Northumberland County13.4-0.3 pts
68Surry County13.4+0.4 pts
71Campbell County13.3+1.6 pts
71Highland County13.3-0.5 pts
73Franklin County13.2+0.1 pts
74Essex County13.1-2.4 pts
75Dinwiddie County13+0.6 pts
76Staunton city12.8-2.4 pts
77Craig County12.6+0.7 pts
77Nelson County12.6-1.3 pts
79Charles City County12.4+0.8 pts
80Rockbridge County12.3-0.5 pts
81Giles County12.2+1.6 pts
81Louisa County12.2+1.6 pts
83Bath County11.7+1.4 pts
83Suffolk city11.7-1.4 pts
85Madison County11.2+0.8 pts
86Shenandoah County10.8-0.7 pts
87Alexandria city10.5+1.4 pts
88Amelia County10.4-0.7 pts
88Colonial Heights city10.4-0.2 pts
90Warren County10.3-0.5 pts
91Mathews County10.1-0.1 pts
92Caroline County9.9-2.1 pts
92Rappahannock County9.9+0.1 pts
94Culpeper County9.8-0.4 pts
95Manassas city9.7+0.1 pts
95Rockingham County9.7-1.3 pts
97Bedford County9.6+0.5 pts
98Isle of Wight County9.5-0.4 pts
98Prince George County9.5-0.4 pts
100Gloucester County9.4+0.1 pts
101Augusta County9.2-0.1 pts
101Henrico County9.2-0.1 pts
101Orange County9.2-1.2 pts
101Salem city9.2-1 pts
105Chesapeake city8.6-1.1 pts
106Albemarle County8.5-1 pts
107Greene County8.4-0.9 pts
108Virginia Beach city8.3+0.1 pts
109Clarke County7.9-0.5 pts
110Botetourt County7.8+0.4 pts
110Manassas Park city7.8+0.1 pts
112King William County7.7-0.2 pts
113Arlington County7.5+0.4 pts
113Fluvanna County7.5-0.3 pts
115Prince William County7.4+0.7 pts
115Roanoke County7.4+0.1 pts
115Spotsylvania County7.4-0.3 pts
118Chesterfield County7+0.1 pts
119Fairfax city6.8-0.5 pts
119Frederick County6.8-0.9 pts
119King George County6.8-0.3 pts
122Powhatan County6.6+0.2 pts
123James City County6.5-0.6 pts
124Goochland County6.4-1 pts
125Fairfax County6-0.2 pts
126New Kent County5.9-0.8 pts
127Fauquier County5.8-1 pts
127Hanover County5.8-0.4 pts
129Stafford County5.7+0.3 pts
130Poquoson city5.40 pts
131York County5.1-0.2 pts
132Falls Church city3.6+0.2 pts
133Loudoun County3.5-0.2 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/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Lee County, with 29.9% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Loudoun County, with 3.5% in 2016.

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