Counties in Virginia by poverty rate

Greensville County had the highest poverty rate of 133 counties in 2023, at 27.3%. Loudoun County had the lowest, at 4.1%. The median was 12.6% and the figure for Virginia was 10.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Median12.6133 counties
Virginia10.2History

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Greensville CountyGreensville County: 27.3 %27.3Radford cityRadford city: 26.4 %26.4Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County: 25.1 %25.1Lee CountyLee County: 25 %25Harrisonburg cityHarrisonburg city: 23.8 %23.8Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 23.8 %23.8Danville cityDanville city: 23.4 %23.4Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 22.8 %22.8Martinsville cityMartinsville city: 22.5 %22.5Bristol cityBristol city: 21.8 %21.8Lexington cityLexington city: 21.4 %21.4Petersburg cityPetersburg city: 21.2 %21.2Tazewell CountyTazewell County: 21 %21Sussex CountySussex County: 20.9 %20.9Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 20.8 %20.8Charlotte CountyCharlotte County: 20.8 %20.8Galax cityGalax city: 20.8 %20.8Norton cityNorton city: 20.6 %20.6Scott CountyScott County: 20.5 %20.5Emporia cityEmporia city: 20.1 %20.1Hopewell cityHopewell city: 20 %20Franklin cityFranklin city: 19.8 %19.8Halifax CountyHalifax County: 19.7 %19.7Charlottesville cityCharlottesville city: 19.6 %19.6Dickenson CountyDickenson County: 19.4 %19.4Lunenburg CountyLunenburg County: 19.1 %19.1Lynchburg cityLynchburg city: 19.1 %19.1Williamsburg cityWilliamsburg city: 18.8 %18.8Portsmouth cityPortsmouth city: 18.7 %18.7Russell CountyRussell County: 18.5 %18.5Roanoke cityRoanoke city: 18.4 %18.4Norfolk cityNorfolk city: 18.3 %18.3Wise CountyWise County: 18.2 %18.2Buckingham CountyBuckingham County: 18.1 %18.1Nottoway CountyNottoway County: 17.8 %17.8Covington cityCovington city: 17.7 %17.7Richmond cityRichmond city: 17.6 %17.6Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 17.5 %17.5Accomack CountyAccomack County: 17.3 %17.3Henry CountyHenry County: 16.9 %16.9
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Greensville County27.3+6.2 pts
2Radford city26.4+1.8 pts
3Prince Edward County25.1+4.8 pts
4Lee County25+0.6 pts
5Harrisonburg city23.8-4.7 pts
5Montgomery County23.8+2.8 pts
7Danville city23.4-3.4 pts
8Buchanan County22.8-4.1 pts
9Martinsville city22.5+1.9 pts
10Bristol city21.8+1.1 pts
11Lexington city21.4+1.4 pts
12Petersburg city21.2-1.6 pts
13Tazewell County21+3.4 pts
14Sussex County20.9-2.6 pts
15Brunswick County20.80 pts
15Charlotte County20.8+2.6 pts
15Galax city20.8-1.2 pts
18Norton city20.6+0.3 pts
19Scott County20.5+1 pts
20Emporia city20.1-2.1 pts
21Hopewell city20+2.1 pts
22Franklin city19.8+0.8 pts
23Halifax County19.7+3.2 pts
24Charlottesville city19.6-2.2 pts
25Dickenson County19.4-4 pts
26Lunenburg County19.1-2.8 pts
26Lynchburg city19.1-0.5 pts
28Williamsburg city18.8+0.2 pts
29Portsmouth city18.7-1.1 pts
30Russell County18.5+0.1 pts
31Roanoke city18.4-1.5 pts
32Norfolk city18.3-0.5 pts
33Wise County18.2-4 pts
34Buckingham County18.1-0.3 pts
35Nottoway County17.8-3.4 pts
36Covington city17.7+1.5 pts
37Richmond city17.6-4 pts
38Northampton County17.5-1.6 pts
39Accomack County17.3+1.3 pts
40Henry County16.9-0.2 pts
41Pulaski County16.5+2.5 pts
42Grayson County16.4-2.9 pts
43Winchester city16.2-0.1 pts
44Carroll County16.1+0.3 pts
45Newport News city15.7-1.5 pts
46Richmond County15.6-0.7 pts
47Smyth County15.1-4.6 pts
48Buena Vista city14.6-1.1 pts
48Mecklenburg County14.6-4.8 pts
50Patrick County14.40 pts
51Cumberland County14.2-0.9 pts
51Page County14.2+1.1 pts
53Alleghany County13.9+0.4 pts
53Bland County13.9+0.5 pts
55Nelson County13.8+1 pts
56Pittsylvania County13.7-0.7 pts
57Wythe County13.5-2.2 pts
58Hampton city13.4-1 pts
59Southampton County13.3-1.7 pts
60Essex County13-0.3 pts
61Highland County12.90 pts
61Middlesex County12.9+0.7 pts
61Waynesboro city12.90 pts
64Washington County12.8+1.5 pts
65Fredericksburg city12.7-2.3 pts
65King and Queen County12.7-1.5 pts
67Lancaster County12.6-1.6 pts
68Amherst County12.5-0.3 pts
68Westmoreland County12.5-3.6 pts
70Campbell County12.4-0.3 pts
70Surry County12.40 pts
72Craig County12.3+0.5 pts
73Northumberland County12.1-1.2 pts
74Dinwiddie County11.8+0.8 pts
75Appomattox County11.4-0.6 pts
75Franklin County11.4-1.9 pts
75Rockbridge County11.4-0.7 pts
78Charles City County11.3-0.5 pts
78Giles County11.3-0.7 pts
78Prince George County11.3-0.1 pts
78Staunton city11.3-1.1 pts
82Floyd County11.1-1.2 pts
82Suffolk city11.1-0.5 pts
84Manassas city10.7+1.6 pts
85Bath County10.5-2.1 pts
86Colonial Heights city10.40 pts
86Salem city10.4-0.5 pts
88Madison County10.1-0.6 pts
88Rockingham County10.1-0.4 pts
90Amelia County10-1.3 pts
90Chesapeake city10+1.3 pts
92Bedford County9.9+1.5 pts
92Shenandoah County9.9-2.5 pts
94Culpeper County9.6+1.3 pts
95Henrico County9.4+0.2 pts
95Louisa County9.4-1.3 pts
97Caroline County9.3-1.2 pts
97Warren County9.3-0.5 pts
99Mathews County9.2+0.4 pts
100Rappahannock County9-0.8 pts
101Greene County8.9+0.5 pts
102Virginia Beach city8.7-1.2 pts
103Alexandria city8.5-0.5 pts
104Augusta County8.20 pts
105Albemarle County8-0.4 pts
105Orange County8-2.1 pts
107Gloucester County7.9-0.8 pts
108Manassas Park city7.7-1.2 pts
109Fluvanna County7.6-0.1 pts
110Fairfax city7.4-0.2 pts
110Frederick County7.4+0.2 pts
112Clarke County7.3+0.1 pts
112Isle of Wight County7.3-1.2 pts
114James City County7.2+0.3 pts
114Roanoke County7.2-0.3 pts
116Arlington County7.1+0.3 pts
116King William County7.1-0.2 pts
118Chesterfield County6.90 pts
119Goochland County6.7+0.6 pts
119Prince William County6.7-0.2 pts
121Spotsylvania County6.6-1.7 pts
122York County6.5+1.4 pts
123Botetourt County6.3-0.7 pts
123King George County6.3-0.6 pts
125Fairfax County6.1+0.2 pts
125Fauquier County6.1-0.3 pts
125Powhatan County6.1+0.5 pts
128Poquoson city5.8+0.2 pts
129New Kent County5.6+0.5 pts
130Hanover County5.3+0.1 pts
130Stafford County5.3-0.2 pts
132Falls Church city5.1+1 pts
133Loudoun County4.1+0.3 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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Greensville County, with 27.3% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Loudoun County, with 4.1% in 2023.

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