Counties in Virginia by poverty rate

Radford city had the highest poverty rate of 133 counties in 2018, at 30.4%. Loudoun County had the lowest, at 3.6%. The median was 13% and the figure for Virginia was 10.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest30.4Radford city
Median13133 counties
Virginia10.7History

Top 40 counties, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

Radford cityRadford city: 30.4 %30.4Harrisonburg cityHarrisonburg city: 28 %28Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 27.6 %27.6Greensville CountyGreensville County: 26.7 %26.7Danville cityDanville city: 25.6 %25.6Wise CountyWise County: 25.4 %25.4Dickenson CountyDickenson County: 25.2 %25.2Lee CountyLee County: 24.8 %24.8Martinsville cityMartinsville city: 24.7 %24.7Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 24.1 %24.1Petersburg cityPetersburg city: 24.1 %24.1Lexington cityLexington city: 23.8 %23.8Charlottesville cityCharlottesville city: 23.1 %23.1Williamsburg cityWilliamsburg city: 23 %23Sussex CountySussex County: 22.9 %22.9Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 22.5 %22.5Nottoway CountyNottoway County: 22.4 %22.4Richmond cityRichmond city: 22.3 %22.3Galax cityGalax city: 21.7 %21.7Russell CountyRussell County: 21.5 %21.5Lynchburg cityLynchburg city: 20.8 %20.8Norton cityNorton city: 20.8 %20.8Emporia cityEmporia city: 20.7 %20.7Bristol cityBristol city: 20.5 %20.5Smyth CountySmyth County: 20.4 %20.4Buckingham CountyBuckingham County: 20.2 %20.2Roanoke cityRoanoke city: 20.2 %20.2Henry CountyHenry County: 20 %20Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County: 20 %20Hopewell cityHopewell city: 19.7 %19.7Norfolk cityNorfolk city: 19.7 %19.7Charlotte CountyCharlotte County: 19.3 %19.3Portsmouth cityPortsmouth city: 19.2 %19.2Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 18.8 %18.8Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 18.7 %18.7Scott CountyScott County: 18.5 %18.5Grayson CountyGrayson County: 18.4 %18.4Franklin cityFranklin city: 18.3 %18.3Lunenburg CountyLunenburg County: 18.2 %18.2Tazewell CountyTazewell County: 18.2 %18.2
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Radford city30.4+1.8 pts
2Harrisonburg city28+4.7 pts
3Buchanan County27.6-0.3 pts
4Greensville County26.7+2.8 pts
5Danville city25.6+1.2 pts
6Wise County25.4+2.1 pts
7Dickenson County25.2+0.2 pts
8Lee County24.8-3.4 pts
9Martinsville city24.7+2.2 pts
10Montgomery County24.1+1.1 pts
10Petersburg city24.1+2.3 pts
12Lexington city23.8-0.7 pts
13Charlottesville city23.1+2.8 pts
14Williamsburg city23+0.5 pts
15Sussex County22.9+0.5 pts
16Brunswick County22.5+1 pts
17Nottoway County22.4+0.3 pts
18Richmond city22.3-1.7 pts
19Galax city21.7+0.2 pts
20Russell County21.5+1.3 pts
21Lynchburg city20.8+2 pts
21Norton city20.8-1.5 pts
23Emporia city20.7-2.7 pts
24Bristol city20.5+1.2 pts
25Smyth County20.4+2.7 pts
26Buckingham County20.2+2.7 pts
26Roanoke city20.2+0.9 pts
28Henry County20+3.8 pts
28Prince Edward County20-3.4 pts
30Hopewell city19.7-0.2 pts
30Norfolk city19.7-1.2 pts
32Charlotte County19.3+1.9 pts
33Portsmouth city19.2+0.7 pts
34Northampton County18.8+0.2 pts
35Mecklenburg County18.7+1.2 pts
36Scott County18.5+0.9 pts
37Grayson County18.4-0.7 pts
38Franklin city18.3-2.5 pts
39Lunenburg County18.2-2.3 pts
39Tazewell County18.2+0.1 pts
41Accomack County17.3-0.5 pts
42Pittsylvania County16.4+3.8 pts
42Westmoreland County16.4+0.9 pts
44Richmond County15.9-2.5 pts
45Carroll County15.7-1.1 pts
45Cumberland County15.7+0.4 pts
47Patrick County15.5+1 pts
48Covington city15.4-0.5 pts
48Hampton city15.4-0.1 pts
48Wythe County15.4+1.6 pts
51Franklin County15.3+2 pts
51Winchester city15.3+2.7 pts
53Buena Vista city15.2+1.2 pts
53Newport News city15.2-2 pts
53Washington County15.2+1.3 pts
56Waynesboro city15.1+0.2 pts
57Alleghany County14.8+0.3 pts
57Northumberland County14.8+0.4 pts
59Southampton County14.70 pts
60Pulaski County14.6-0.2 pts
61Fredericksburg city14.5+0.4 pts
61Halifax County14.5-3.4 pts
63Bland County14.1+0.4 pts
64Page County13.9-1.5 pts
65Essex County13.7+0.1 pts
66Appomattox County13.5+1.6 pts
67Amherst County13+0.3 pts
68Surry County12.9+0.1 pts
69Highland County12.7+0.2 pts
69Middlesex County12.7-0.9 pts
71Dinwiddie County12.5+2.4 pts
72Giles County12.4+1 pts
73Charles City County12.3+0.3 pts
73Floyd County12.3-0.1 pts
73Lancaster County12.3-0.6 pts
73Nelson County12.3-0.9 pts
73Staunton city12.3-0.8 pts
78King and Queen County12.2-0.1 pts
79Rockbridge County12-0.6 pts
80Craig County11.9+0.2 pts
81Campbell County11.30 pts
81Louisa County11.3+0.5 pts
83Suffolk city10.9-0.4 pts
84Bath County10.7+0.6 pts
85Bedford County10.4+1.4 pts
85Shenandoah County10.4+0.9 pts
87Warren County10.3+1 pts
88Alexandria city10.10 pts
88Madison County10.1-1.2 pts
90Colonial Heights city10+0.2 pts
91Amelia County9.9-1.5 pts
92Caroline County9.7+0.1 pts
92Salem city9.7-1.1 pts
94Orange County9.4+0.3 pts
95Mathews County9.3-0.4 pts
96Isle of Wight County9.2+0.7 pts
97Gloucester County9.1-0.7 pts
98Augusta County9+0.1 pts
98Henrico County9-0.5 pts
100Prince George County8.9-1.8 pts
101Albemarle County8.7+0.8 pts
101Culpeper County8.7-1.2 pts
101Rappahannock County8.7-0.2 pts
101Rockingham County8.7+0.3 pts
105Chesapeake city8.5-0.8 pts
106Manassas city8.4-0.3 pts
107Greene County8.1-0.2 pts
108Chesterfield County7.6+0.9 pts
108Fairfax city7.6-0.1 pts
110Spotsylvania County7.5+0.6 pts
110Virginia Beach city7.5-0.8 pts
112Botetourt County7.4+1 pts
113King William County7.3+0.5 pts
114Frederick County7+0.3 pts
114James City County7+0.2 pts
114Manassas Park city7-0.1 pts
117Fluvanna County6.9+0.2 pts
117Powhatan County6.9+1.5 pts
119King George County6.80 pts
120Goochland County6.7+0.6 pts
120Roanoke County6.7-0.6 pts
122Clarke County6.5-0.2 pts
123Prince William County6.4+0.3 pts
124Arlington County6.3+0.6 pts
125Fairfax County6.1-0.6 pts
125Fauquier County6.1+0.4 pts
127York County5.5+0.5 pts
128Stafford County5.4+0.8 pts
129Hanover County5.2-0.2 pts
129New Kent County5.2-0.3 pts
131Poquoson city5.1+0.1 pts
132Falls Church city3.6+0.2 pts
132Loudoun County3.6+0.6 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Radford city, with 30.4% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Loudoun County, with 3.6% in 2018.

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