Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Cities in Virginia

Cities in Virginia by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024

Blacksburg, VA had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 39 cities in 2024, at 42.7%. Falls Church, VA had the lowest, at 4%. The median was 12.8% and the figure for Virginia was 9.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest42.7Blacksburg, VA
Lowest4Falls Church, VA
Median12.839 cities
Virginia9.9History

All cities, 2024

Blacksburg, VA: 42.7 %Blacksburg, VA42.7Radford, VA: 28.7 %Radford, VA28.7Harrisonburg, VA: 25.7 %Harrisonburg, VA25.7Danville, VA: 24.7 %Danville, VA24.7Martinsville, VA: 23.5 %Martinsville, VA23.5Hopewell, VA: 21.8 %Hopewell, VA21.8Petersburg, VA: 21.7 %Petersburg, VA21.7Winchester, VA: 21.5 %Winchester, VA21.5Charlottesville, VA: 19.7 %Charlottesville, VA19.7Williamsburg, VA: 18.8 %Williamsburg, VA18.8Lynchburg, VA: 18.6 %Lynchburg, VA18.6Roanoke, VA: 18.3 %Roanoke, VA18.3Richmond, VA: 18.2 %Richmond, VA18.2Bristol, VA: 18 %Bristol, VA18Portsmouth, VA: 17.3 %Portsmouth, VA17.3Norfolk, VA: 16.5 %Norfolk, VA16.5Newport News, VA: 14.5 %Newport News, VA14.5Front Royal, VA: 14.3 %Front Royal, VA14.3Fredericksburg, VA: 13.2 %Fredericksburg, VA13.2Culpeper, VA: 12.8 %Culpeper, VA12.8Hampton, VA: 12.7 %Hampton, VA12.7Staunton, VA: 12.4 %Staunton, VA12.4Christiansburg, VA: 11.7 %Christiansburg, VA11.7Waynesboro, VA: 11.2 %Waynesboro, VA11.2Salem, VA: 10.3 %Salem, VA10.3Warrenton, VA: 9.7 %Warrenton, VA9.7Chesapeake, VA: 9.4 %Chesapeake, VA9.4Suffolk, VA: 9.4 %Suffolk, VA9.4Fairfax, VA: 9.1 %Fairfax, VA9.1Virginia Beach, VA: 8.6 %Virginia Beach, VA8.6Herndon, VA: 8.1 %Herndon, VA8.1Alexandria, VA: 7.9 %Alexandria, VA7.9Colonial Heights, VA: 7.9 %Colonial Heights, VA7.9Manassas, VA: 7.7 %Manassas, VA7.7Leesburg, VA: 6.6 %Leesburg, VA6.6Manassas Park, VA: 5.1 %Manassas Park, VA5.1Vienna, VA: 5 %Vienna, VA5Poquoson, VA: 4.5 %Poquoson, VA4.5Falls Church, VA: 4 %Falls Church, VA4
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2024 (%)Change on 2023
1Blacksburg, VA42.7-0.1 pts
2Radford, VA28.7-5 pts
3Harrisonburg, VA25.7+0.1 pts
4Danville, VA24.7-0.3 pts
5Martinsville, VA23.5+1.7 pts
6Hopewell, VA21.8-2 pts
7Petersburg, VA21.7+0.7 pts
8Winchester, VA21.5+2.2 pts
9Charlottesville, VA19.7-3 pts
10Williamsburg, VA18.8+4.7 pts
11Lynchburg, VA18.6+1.2 pts
12Roanoke, VA18.3-1.3 pts
13Richmond, VA18.2-0.6 pts
14Bristol, VA18-0.3 pts
15Portsmouth, VA17.3-0.3 pts
16Norfolk, VA16.5-0.8 pts
17Newport News, VA14.5-0.7 pts
18Front Royal, VA14.3+0.4 pts
19Fredericksburg, VA13.2-3.2 pts
20Culpeper, VA12.8+1.2 pts
21Hampton, VA12.7-0.3 pts
22Staunton, VA12.4-0.2 pts
23Christiansburg, VA11.7-0.6 pts
24Waynesboro, VA11.2-0.5 pts
25Salem, VA10.3-0.6 pts
26Warrenton, VA9.7+0.9 pts
27Chesapeake, VA9.4+0.7 pts
28Suffolk, VA9.4-0.5 pts
29Fairfax, VA9.1-0.8 pts
30Virginia Beach, VA8.6+0.2 pts
31Herndon, VA8.1-1.3 pts
32Alexandria, VA7.9-0.5 pts
33Colonial Heights, VA7.9-1.7 pts
34Manassas, VA7.7+1 pts
35Leesburg, VA6.6-1 pts
36Manassas Park, VA5.1-0.7 pts
37Vienna, VA5-0.3 pts
38Poquoson, VA4.5-1.3 pts
39Falls Church, VA4+0.4 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People with income in the past 12 months below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status is determined. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The headline single-year rate for states and counties is poverty_rate (SAIPE). Poverty status is not determined for people in institutions, military group quarters or college dormitories, or for unrelated children under 15. 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 cities are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in Virginia by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Virginia by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/virginia-cities. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in Virginia by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/virginia-cities.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Virginia by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/virginia-cities (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_virginia_by_2024,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Virginia by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/virginia-cities. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Virginia by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/virginia-cities
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/virginia-cities.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which city has the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Blacksburg, VA, with 42.7% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which city has the lowest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Falls Church, VA, with 4% in 2024.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Cities in Virginia: more rankings