Counties in Virginia by poverty rate

Harrisonburg city had the highest poverty rate of 133 counties in 2022, at 28.5%. Loudoun County had the lowest, at 3.8%. The median was 12.9% and the figure for Virginia was 10.6%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Median12.9133 counties
Virginia10.6History

Top 40 counties, 2022

CSVChart (SVG)

Harrisonburg cityHarrisonburg city: 28.5 %28.5Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 26.9 %26.9Danville cityDanville city: 26.8 %26.8Radford cityRadford city: 24.6 %24.6Lee CountyLee County: 24.4 %24.4Sussex CountySussex County: 23.5 %23.5Dickenson CountyDickenson County: 23.4 %23.4Petersburg cityPetersburg city: 22.8 %22.8Emporia cityEmporia city: 22.2 %22.2Wise CountyWise County: 22.2 %22.2Galax cityGalax city: 22 %22Lunenburg CountyLunenburg County: 21.9 %21.9Charlottesville cityCharlottesville city: 21.8 %21.8Richmond cityRichmond city: 21.6 %21.6Nottoway CountyNottoway County: 21.2 %21.2Greensville CountyGreensville County: 21.1 %21.1Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 21 %21Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 20.8 %20.8Bristol cityBristol city: 20.7 %20.7Martinsville cityMartinsville city: 20.6 %20.6Norton cityNorton city: 20.3 %20.3Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County: 20.3 %20.3Lexington cityLexington city: 20 %20Roanoke cityRoanoke city: 19.9 %19.9Portsmouth cityPortsmouth city: 19.8 %19.8Smyth CountySmyth County: 19.7 %19.7Lynchburg cityLynchburg city: 19.6 %19.6Scott CountyScott County: 19.5 %19.5Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 19.4 %19.4Grayson CountyGrayson County: 19.3 %19.3Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 19.1 %19.1Franklin cityFranklin city: 19 %19Norfolk cityNorfolk city: 18.8 %18.8Williamsburg cityWilliamsburg city: 18.6 %18.6Buckingham CountyBuckingham County: 18.4 %18.4Russell CountyRussell County: 18.4 %18.4Charlotte CountyCharlotte County: 18.2 %18.2Hopewell cityHopewell city: 17.9 %17.9Tazewell CountyTazewell County: 17.6 %17.6Newport News cityNewport News city: 17.2 %17.2
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Harrisonburg city28.5+3.5 pts
2Buchanan County26.9+3 pts
3Danville city26.8+2.6 pts
4Radford city24.6-1 pts
5Lee County24.4-0.7 pts
6Sussex County23.5+4 pts
7Dickenson County23.4+1.4 pts
8Petersburg city22.80 pts
9Emporia city22.2+1.1 pts
9Wise County22.2+3 pts
11Galax city22+1 pts
12Lunenburg County21.9+3.2 pts
13Charlottesville city21.8+0.2 pts
14Richmond city21.6+0.5 pts
15Nottoway County21.2+0.2 pts
16Greensville County21.1-3.3 pts
17Montgomery County21-2.3 pts
18Brunswick County20.8-0.5 pts
19Bristol city20.7+2.3 pts
20Martinsville city20.6+0.7 pts
21Norton city20.3-0.1 pts
21Prince Edward County20.3+1.6 pts
23Lexington city20-1 pts
24Roanoke city19.9+2 pts
25Portsmouth city19.8+2.2 pts
26Smyth County19.7+2.2 pts
27Lynchburg city19.6+1.8 pts
28Scott County19.5-0.1 pts
29Mecklenburg County19.4+3.7 pts
30Grayson County19.3+1.7 pts
31Northampton County19.1+1.5 pts
32Franklin city19-0.6 pts
33Norfolk city18.8+1.9 pts
34Williamsburg city18.6-0.7 pts
35Buckingham County18.4+1.6 pts
35Russell County18.40 pts
37Charlotte County18.2+1.3 pts
38Hopewell city17.9-2.9 pts
39Tazewell County17.6-2 pts
40Newport News city17.2+1.4 pts
41Henry County17.1+0.1 pts
42Halifax County16.5+0.5 pts
43Richmond County16.3-0.6 pts
43Winchester city16.3+3.8 pts
45Covington city16.2-1.2 pts
46Westmoreland County16.1+1 pts
47Accomack County16-0.2 pts
48Carroll County15.8+1.2 pts
49Buena Vista city15.7+0.6 pts
49Wythe County15.7-1.2 pts
51Cumberland County15.1+0.3 pts
52Fredericksburg city15+0.8 pts
52Southampton County15+0.9 pts
54Hampton city14.4+2 pts
54Patrick County14.4+0.1 pts
54Pittsylvania County14.4+1.3 pts
57King and Queen County14.2+0.1 pts
57Lancaster County14.2+2.2 pts
59Pulaski County14+0.5 pts
60Alleghany County13.5+0.2 pts
61Bland County13.4-1 pts
62Essex County13.3+1.8 pts
62Franklin County13.3+2.1 pts
62Northumberland County13.3+0.2 pts
65Page County13.1-0.3 pts
66Highland County12.9-0.2 pts
66Waynesboro city12.9+0.6 pts
68Amherst County12.8+0.4 pts
68Nelson County12.8+0.4 pts
70Campbell County12.7+1.8 pts
71Bath County12.6+1.5 pts
72Shenandoah County12.4+2.6 pts
72Staunton city12.4+0.4 pts
72Surry County12.4+0.2 pts
75Floyd County12.3+0.2 pts
76Middlesex County12.2-0.8 pts
77Rockbridge County12.1+1.9 pts
78Appomattox County12+0.5 pts
78Giles County12+0.2 pts
80Charles City County11.8+0.4 pts
80Craig County11.8+0.3 pts
82Suffolk city11.6+1 pts
83Prince George County11.4+1 pts
84Amelia County11.3+1.4 pts
84Washington County11.3-2 pts
86Dinwiddie County11-0.9 pts
87Salem city10.9+0.4 pts
88Louisa County10.7+0.7 pts
88Madison County10.7+1.3 pts
90Caroline County10.5-0.4 pts
90Rockingham County10.5+2.2 pts
92Colonial Heights city10.4+1 pts
93Orange County10.1+1.2 pts
94Virginia Beach city9.9+0.5 pts
95Rappahannock County9.8+0.7 pts
95Warren County9.8+0.6 pts
97Henrico County9.2+2.2 pts
98Manassas city9.1+0.5 pts
99Alexandria city9-0.9 pts
100Manassas Park city8.9+1.6 pts
101Mathews County8.8-0.3 pts
102Chesapeake city8.7+0.4 pts
102Gloucester County8.7+0.3 pts
104Isle of Wight County8.5+0.3 pts
105Albemarle County8.4+1.4 pts
105Bedford County8.4-0.4 pts
105Greene County8.4+0.6 pts
108Culpeper County8.3-0.6 pts
108Spotsylvania County8.3+1.1 pts
110Augusta County8.2-0.3 pts
111Fluvanna County7.70 pts
112Fairfax city7.6+0.3 pts
113Roanoke County7.5-0.6 pts
114King William County7.3+0.2 pts
115Clarke County7.20 pts
115Frederick County7.2-0.3 pts
117Botetourt County70 pts
118Chesterfield County6.9-0.5 pts
118James City County6.9-0.1 pts
118King George County6.9+0.4 pts
118Prince William County6.9+0.5 pts
122Arlington County6.8-1.1 pts
123Fauquier County6.4-0.1 pts
124Goochland County6.1-0.2 pts
125Fairfax County5.9-1.2 pts
126Poquoson city5.6+0.2 pts
126Powhatan County5.6-0.4 pts
128Stafford County5.5+0.1 pts
129Hanover County5.2-1.5 pts
130New Kent County5.1+0.2 pts
130York County5.10 pts
132Falls Church city4.1+0.1 pts
133Loudoun County3.8+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/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Harrisonburg city, with 28.5% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Loudoun County, with 3.8% in 2022.

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