Counties in Virginia by poverty rate

Lee County had the highest poverty rate of 133 counties in 2020, at 26%. Loudoun County had the lowest, at 3.2%. The median was 11.6% and the figure for Virginia was 9.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest26Lee County
Median11.6133 counties
Virginia9.2History

Top 40 counties, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

Lee CountyLee County: 26 %26Radford cityRadford city: 24.6 %24.6Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 23.7 %23.7Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County: 23.6 %23.6Harrisonburg cityHarrisonburg city: 22.2 %22.2Danville cityDanville city: 22.1 %22.1Greensville CountyGreensville County: 21.5 %21.5Martinsville cityMartinsville city: 21.3 %21.3Petersburg cityPetersburg city: 20.8 %20.8Norton cityNorton city: 20.5 %20.5Wise CountyWise County: 20.3 %20.3Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 20.2 %20.2Dickenson CountyDickenson County: 19.3 %19.3Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 19.3 %19.3Nottoway CountyNottoway County: 19.2 %19.2Emporia cityEmporia city: 19.1 %19.1Sussex CountySussex County: 18.9 %18.9Galax cityGalax city: 18.8 %18.8Lexington cityLexington city: 18.5 %18.5Franklin cityFranklin city: 18.1 %18.1Richmond cityRichmond city: 17.9 %17.9Halifax CountyHalifax County: 17.8 %17.8Accomack CountyAccomack County: 17.6 %17.6Norfolk cityNorfolk city: 17.6 %17.6Scott CountyScott County: 17.6 %17.6Hopewell cityHopewell city: 17.4 %17.4Bristol cityBristol city: 17.2 %17.2Charlotte CountyCharlotte County: 17.2 %17.2Buckingham CountyBuckingham County: 16.8 %16.8Williamsburg cityWilliamsburg city: 16.8 %16.8Lunenburg CountyLunenburg County: 16.5 %16.5Tazewell CountyTazewell County: 16.4 %16.4Grayson CountyGrayson County: 16.2 %16.2Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 16.2 %16.2Russell CountyRussell County: 16.2 %16.2Richmond CountyRichmond County: 16 %16Roanoke cityRoanoke city: 15.9 %15.9Charlottesville cityCharlottesville city: 15.8 %15.8Lynchburg cityLynchburg city: 15.5 %15.5Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 15.4 %15.4
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Lee County26-1.1 pts
2Radford city24.6-5.9 pts
3Buchanan County23.7+2 pts
4Prince Edward County23.6+3 pts
5Harrisonburg city22.2-2.7 pts
6Danville city22.1-1.4 pts
7Greensville County21.5-3 pts
8Martinsville city21.3+1.8 pts
9Petersburg city20.8-0.8 pts
10Norton city20.5+1.2 pts
11Wise County20.3-0.1 pts
12Brunswick County20.2-0.7 pts
13Dickenson County19.3-4.9 pts
13Montgomery County19.3-1.2 pts
15Nottoway County19.2-2.3 pts
16Emporia city19.1-1.4 pts
17Sussex County18.9-2.7 pts
18Galax city18.8-0.2 pts
19Lexington city18.5-4.4 pts
20Franklin city18.1-1.1 pts
21Richmond city17.9-1.3 pts
22Halifax County17.8+0.7 pts
23Accomack County17.6+1.2 pts
23Norfolk city17.6-1.4 pts
23Scott County17.6+2.8 pts
26Hopewell city17.4-1.9 pts
27Bristol city17.2-4.6 pts
27Charlotte County17.2-2.1 pts
29Buckingham County16.80 pts
29Williamsburg city16.8-1.4 pts
31Lunenburg County16.5-2.7 pts
32Tazewell County16.4-5.3 pts
33Grayson County16.2-2.6 pts
33Northampton County16.2-1.9 pts
33Russell County16.2-3.8 pts
36Richmond County16-1.8 pts
37Roanoke city15.9-3.6 pts
38Charlottesville city15.8-6.3 pts
39Lynchburg city15.5-1.3 pts
40Mecklenburg County15.4-1.9 pts
41Portsmouth city15.3-3.2 pts
42Smyth County15.2-1.3 pts
43Covington city14.8+0.3 pts
44Newport News city14.5-0.6 pts
45Patrick County14.2-1.3 pts
46Buena Vista city14-3.2 pts
46Pittsylvania County14-1.1 pts
48Cumberland County13.5-0.3 pts
49Hampton city13.4-0.4 pts
50Carroll County13.2-0.7 pts
50Washington County13.2+0.9 pts
50Winchester city13.2-0.1 pts
53Henry County12.9-1.7 pts
53Westmoreland County12.9-3 pts
55Appomattox County12.60 pts
56Pulaski County12.5-2.1 pts
56Southampton County12.5-0.8 pts
58Essex County12.3-3.9 pts
58Northumberland County12.3-0.4 pts
58Staunton city12.3+1 pts
61Fredericksburg city12.2-4.7 pts
61Highland County12.2-0.2 pts
63Bland County12.1-1.3 pts
64Wythe County12-0.8 pts
65Alleghany County11.7+0.2 pts
66Middlesex County11.6-2.2 pts
66Surry County11.6-0.3 pts
68Franklin County11.50 pts
69Page County11.30 pts
69Waynesboro city11.3-1 pts
71Amherst County11.2-0.8 pts
71Bath County11.2+1.3 pts
73Dinwiddie County11.1+0.4 pts
73King and Queen County11.1-0.6 pts
75Floyd County10.9-0.5 pts
76Giles County10.7-0.7 pts
76Nelson County10.7-1.1 pts
78Rockbridge County10.5-1 pts
79Craig County10.4-0.8 pts
80Lancaster County10.3-3 pts
81Shenandoah County10.1-0.2 pts
81Warren County10.1+0.4 pts
83Charles City County9.9-2.6 pts
84Caroline County9.8+0.2 pts
85Madison County9.4+0.1 pts
85Orange County9.4-0.3 pts
87Amelia County9-0.3 pts
87Salem city9-0.4 pts
87Suffolk city9-0.8 pts
90Campbell County8.9-1.9 pts
90Rappahannock County8.9+0.4 pts
92Colonial Heights city8.7-0.7 pts
93Culpeper County8.5-0.7 pts
93Mathews County8.5-0.3 pts
95Augusta County8.3+1 pts
95Henrico County8.3-0.4 pts
95Rockingham County8.3+0.2 pts
98Prince George County8.2-0.1 pts
99Greene County8.1+0.5 pts
99Virginia Beach city8.1+0.8 pts
101Alexandria city8-0.6 pts
102Gloucester County7.9-0.7 pts
102Louisa County7.9-1.6 pts
102Manassas city7.9+0.5 pts
105Chesapeake city7.6-0.7 pts
105Isle of Wight County7.6-1.5 pts
107Frederick County7.4+0.9 pts
108Fairfax city7.2+0.1 pts
109Bedford County6.8-1.8 pts
109Fluvanna County6.8-0.5 pts
111Manassas Park city6.7+0.4 pts
112Botetourt County6.6+0.9 pts
112Chesterfield County6.60 pts
112Spotsylvania County6.60 pts
115James City County6.5+0.7 pts
116Albemarle County6.3-0.4 pts
117Clarke County6.2-0.1 pts
117King William County6.2-0.7 pts
119Arlington County6-1.6 pts
119Fauquier County6-0.1 pts
119King George County6+0.1 pts
119Roanoke County6-0.5 pts
123Goochland County5.8-0.4 pts
124Stafford County5.40 pts
125Fairfax County5.3-0.7 pts
125Powhatan County5.3-0.1 pts
127Hanover County5-0.1 pts
128Prince William County4.9-1.2 pts
129Poquoson city4.7-0.6 pts
129York County4.7-0.4 pts
131New Kent County4.6-0.4 pts
132Falls Church city3.3-0.2 pts
133Loudoun County3.2+0.1 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/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Lee County, with 26% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Loudoun County, with 3.2% in 2020.

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