Counties in Virginia by poverty rate

Radford city had the highest poverty rate of 133 counties in 2019, at 30.5%. Loudoun County had the lowest, at 3.1%. The median was 12.3% and the figure for Virginia was 9.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest30.5Radford city
Median12.3133 counties
Virginia9.9History

Top 40 counties, 2019

CSVChart (SVG)

Radford cityRadford city: 30.5 %30.5Lee CountyLee County: 27.1 %27.1Harrisonburg cityHarrisonburg city: 24.9 %24.9Greensville CountyGreensville County: 24.5 %24.5Dickenson CountyDickenson County: 24.2 %24.2Danville cityDanville city: 23.5 %23.5Lexington cityLexington city: 22.9 %22.9Charlottesville cityCharlottesville city: 22.1 %22.1Bristol cityBristol city: 21.8 %21.8Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 21.7 %21.7Tazewell CountyTazewell County: 21.7 %21.7Petersburg cityPetersburg city: 21.6 %21.6Sussex CountySussex County: 21.6 %21.6Nottoway CountyNottoway County: 21.5 %21.5Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 20.9 %20.9Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County: 20.6 %20.6Emporia cityEmporia city: 20.5 %20.5Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 20.5 %20.5Wise CountyWise County: 20.4 %20.4Russell CountyRussell County: 20 %20Martinsville cityMartinsville city: 19.5 %19.5Roanoke cityRoanoke city: 19.5 %19.5Charlotte CountyCharlotte County: 19.3 %19.3Hopewell cityHopewell city: 19.3 %19.3Norton cityNorton city: 19.3 %19.3Franklin cityFranklin city: 19.2 %19.2Lunenburg CountyLunenburg County: 19.2 %19.2Richmond cityRichmond city: 19.2 %19.2Galax cityGalax city: 19 %19Norfolk cityNorfolk city: 19 %19Grayson CountyGrayson County: 18.8 %18.8Portsmouth cityPortsmouth city: 18.5 %18.5Williamsburg cityWilliamsburg city: 18.2 %18.2Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 18.1 %18.1Richmond CountyRichmond County: 17.8 %17.8Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 17.3 %17.3Buena Vista cityBuena Vista city: 17.2 %17.2Halifax CountyHalifax County: 17.1 %17.1Fredericksburg cityFredericksburg city: 16.9 %16.9Buckingham CountyBuckingham County: 16.8 %16.8
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Radford city30.5+0.1 pts
2Lee County27.1+2.3 pts
3Harrisonburg city24.9-3.1 pts
4Greensville County24.5-2.2 pts
5Dickenson County24.2-1 pts
6Danville city23.5-2.1 pts
7Lexington city22.9-0.9 pts
8Charlottesville city22.1-1 pts
9Bristol city21.8+1.3 pts
10Buchanan County21.7-5.9 pts
10Tazewell County21.7+3.5 pts
12Petersburg city21.6-2.5 pts
12Sussex County21.6-1.3 pts
14Nottoway County21.5-0.9 pts
15Brunswick County20.9-1.6 pts
16Prince Edward County20.6+0.6 pts
17Emporia city20.5-0.2 pts
17Montgomery County20.5-3.6 pts
19Wise County20.4-5 pts
20Russell County20-1.5 pts
21Martinsville city19.5-5.2 pts
21Roanoke city19.5-0.7 pts
23Charlotte County19.30 pts
23Hopewell city19.3-0.4 pts
23Norton city19.3-1.5 pts
26Franklin city19.2+0.9 pts
26Lunenburg County19.2+1 pts
26Richmond city19.2-3.1 pts
29Galax city19-2.7 pts
29Norfolk city19-0.7 pts
31Grayson County18.8+0.4 pts
32Portsmouth city18.5-0.7 pts
33Williamsburg city18.2-4.8 pts
34Northampton County18.1-0.7 pts
35Richmond County17.8+1.9 pts
36Mecklenburg County17.3-1.4 pts
37Buena Vista city17.2+2 pts
38Halifax County17.1+2.6 pts
39Fredericksburg city16.9+2.4 pts
40Buckingham County16.8-3.4 pts
40Lynchburg city16.8-4 pts
42Smyth County16.5-3.9 pts
43Accomack County16.4-0.9 pts
44Essex County16.2+2.5 pts
45Westmoreland County15.9-0.5 pts
46Patrick County15.50 pts
47Newport News city15.1-0.1 pts
47Pittsylvania County15.1-1.3 pts
49Scott County14.8-3.7 pts
50Henry County14.6-5.4 pts
50Pulaski County14.60 pts
52Covington city14.5-0.9 pts
53Carroll County13.9-1.8 pts
54Cumberland County13.8-1.9 pts
54Hampton city13.8-1.6 pts
54Middlesex County13.8+1.1 pts
57Bland County13.4-0.7 pts
58Lancaster County13.3+1 pts
58Southampton County13.3-1.4 pts
58Winchester city13.3-2 pts
61Wythe County12.8-2.6 pts
62Northumberland County12.7-2.1 pts
63Appomattox County12.6-0.9 pts
64Charles City County12.5+0.2 pts
65Highland County12.4-0.3 pts
66Washington County12.3-2.9 pts
66Waynesboro city12.3-2.8 pts
68Amherst County12-1 pts
69Surry County11.9-1 pts
70Nelson County11.8-0.5 pts
71King and Queen County11.7-0.5 pts
72Alleghany County11.5-3.3 pts
72Franklin County11.5-3.8 pts
72Rockbridge County11.5-0.5 pts
75Floyd County11.4-0.9 pts
75Giles County11.4-1 pts
77Page County11.3-2.6 pts
77Staunton city11.3-1 pts
79Craig County11.2-0.7 pts
80Campbell County10.8-0.5 pts
81Dinwiddie County10.7-1.8 pts
82Shenandoah County10.3-0.1 pts
83Bath County9.9-0.8 pts
84Suffolk city9.8-1.1 pts
85Orange County9.7+0.3 pts
85Warren County9.7-0.6 pts
87Caroline County9.6-0.1 pts
88Louisa County9.5-1.8 pts
89Colonial Heights city9.4-0.6 pts
89Salem city9.4-0.3 pts
91Amelia County9.3-0.6 pts
91Madison County9.3-0.8 pts
93Culpeper County9.2+0.5 pts
94Isle of Wight County9.1-0.1 pts
95Mathews County8.8-0.5 pts
96Henrico County8.7-0.3 pts
97Alexandria city8.6-1.5 pts
97Bedford County8.6-1.8 pts
97Gloucester County8.6-0.5 pts
100Rappahannock County8.5-0.2 pts
101Chesapeake city8.3-0.2 pts
101Prince George County8.3-0.6 pts
103Rockingham County8.1-0.6 pts
104Arlington County7.6+1.3 pts
104Greene County7.6-0.5 pts
106Manassas city7.4-1 pts
107Augusta County7.3-1.7 pts
107Fluvanna County7.3+0.4 pts
107Virginia Beach city7.3-0.2 pts
110Fairfax city7.1-0.5 pts
111King William County6.9-0.4 pts
112Albemarle County6.7-2 pts
113Chesterfield County6.6-1 pts
113Spotsylvania County6.6-0.9 pts
115Frederick County6.5-0.5 pts
115Roanoke County6.5-0.2 pts
117Clarke County6.3-0.2 pts
117Manassas Park city6.3-0.7 pts
119Goochland County6.2-0.5 pts
120Fauquier County6.10 pts
120Prince William County6.1-0.3 pts
122Fairfax County6-0.1 pts
123King George County5.9-0.9 pts
124James City County5.8-1.2 pts
125Botetourt County5.7-1.7 pts
126Powhatan County5.4-1.5 pts
126Stafford County5.40 pts
128Poquoson city5.3+0.2 pts
129Hanover County5.1-0.1 pts
129York County5.1-0.4 pts
131New Kent County5-0.2 pts
132Falls Church city3.5-0.1 pts
133Loudoun County3.1-0.5 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/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Radford city, with 30.5% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Loudoun County, with 3.1% in 2019.

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