Counties in Virginia by unemployment rate, August 2026

Emporia city had the highest unemployment rate of 133 counties in August 2026, at 7.6%. Bath County had the lowest, at 2.5%. The median was 3.6% and the figure for Virginia was 3.6%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest7.6Emporia city
Lowest2.5Bath County
Median3.6133 counties
Virginia3.6History

Top 40 counties, August 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Emporia cityEmporia city: 7.6 %7.6Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 7 %7Lexington cityLexington city: 6.3 %6.3Danville cityDanville city: 5.9 %5.9Greensville CountyGreensville County: 5.9 %5.9Petersburg cityPetersburg city: 5.7 %5.7Martinsville cityMartinsville city: 5.5 %5.5Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County: 5.5 %5.5Williamsburg cityWilliamsburg city: 5.5 %5.5Franklin cityFranklin city: 5.4 %5.4Hopewell cityHopewell city: 5.1 %5.1Tazewell CountyTazewell County: 5 %5Henry CountyHenry County: 4.9 %4.9Lynchburg cityLynchburg city: 4.9 %4.9Radford cityRadford city: 4.9 %4.9Wise CountyWise County: 4.9 %4.9Halifax CountyHalifax County: 4.8 %4.8Lee CountyLee County: 4.8 %4.8Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County: 4.8 %4.8Dickenson CountyDickenson County: 4.7 %4.7Portsmouth cityPortsmouth city: 4.6 %4.6Russell CountyRussell County: 4.6 %4.6Westmoreland CountyWestmoreland County: 4.6 %4.6Covington cityCovington city: 4.5 %4.5Norton cityNorton city: 4.5 %4.5Hampton cityHampton city: 4.4 %4.4Lunenburg CountyLunenburg County: 4.3 %4.3Smyth CountySmyth County: 4.3 %4.3Accomack CountyAccomack County: 4.2 %4.2Bristol cityBristol city: 4.2 %4.2Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 4.2 %4.2Newport News cityNewport News city: 4.2 %4.2Norfolk cityNorfolk city: 4.2 %4.2Alleghany CountyAlleghany County: 4.1 %4.1Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 4.1 %4.1Harrisonburg cityHarrisonburg city: 4.1 %4.1Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 4.1 %4.1Richmond CountyRichmond County: 4.1 %4.1Scott CountyScott County: 4.1 %4.1Essex CountyEssex County: 4 %4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesAugust 2026 (%)Change on August 2025
1Emporia city Provisional7.6-1.7 pts
2Buchanan County Provisional7+0.9 pts
3Lexington city Provisional6.3+0.2 pts
4Danville city Provisional5.9-0.4 pts
4Greensville County Provisional5.9-1.8 pts
6Petersburg city Provisional5.7+0.3 pts
7Martinsville city Provisional5.5-0.1 pts
7Prince Edward County Provisional5.5+0.2 pts
7Williamsburg city Provisional5.50 pts
10Franklin city Provisional5.4+0.3 pts
11Hopewell city Provisional5.1+0.2 pts
12Tazewell County Provisional5-0.3 pts
13Henry County Provisional4.9-0.2 pts
13Lynchburg city Provisional4.9+0.4 pts
13Radford city Provisional4.9-0.8 pts
13Wise County Provisional4.9+0.3 pts
17Halifax County Provisional4.8-0.5 pts
17Lee County Provisional4.8+0.1 pts
17Northumberland County Provisional4.8-0.2 pts
20Dickenson County Provisional4.7-0.2 pts
21Portsmouth city Provisional4.6+0.1 pts
21Russell County Provisional4.60 pts
21Westmoreland County Provisional4.6-0.2 pts
24Covington city Provisional4.5-0.2 pts
24Norton city Provisional4.5+0.5 pts
26Hampton city Provisional4.4-0.1 pts
27Lunenburg County Provisional4.3-0.2 pts
27Smyth County Provisional4.3-0.2 pts
29Accomack County Provisional4.2+0.1 pts
29Bristol city Provisional4.2+0.4 pts
29Lancaster County Provisional4.20 pts
29Newport News city Provisional4.2-0.1 pts
29Norfolk city Provisional4.20 pts
34Alleghany County Provisional4.1+0.3 pts
34Brunswick County Provisional4.1-1.3 pts
34Harrisonburg city Provisional4.10 pts
34Montgomery County Provisional4.1-0.3 pts
34Richmond County Provisional4.1+0.3 pts
34Scott County Provisional4.1+0.2 pts
40Essex County Provisional4-0.2 pts
40Mecklenburg County Provisional4+0.2 pts
40Northampton County Provisional4+0.1 pts
40Richmond city Provisional4+0.1 pts
44Charlotte County Provisional3.90 pts
44Fredericksburg city Provisional3.90 pts
44Nottoway County Provisional3.9-0.1 pts
44Pittsylvania County Provisional3.9-0.3 pts
44Roanoke city Provisional3.9-0.1 pts
49Buena Vista city Provisional3.80 pts
49Charles City County Provisional3.80 pts
49Colonial Heights city Provisional3.8+0.3 pts
49Patrick County Provisional3.8-0.1 pts
49Pulaski County Provisional3.8-5.4 pts
49Suffolk city Provisional3.8-0.1 pts
49Winchester city Provisional3.8+0.3 pts
56Dinwiddie County Provisional3.7+0.2 pts
56Southampton County Provisional3.7-0.1 pts
56Surry County Provisional3.7+0.1 pts
59Buckingham County Provisional3.6+0.2 pts
59Caroline County Provisional3.6+0.1 pts
59Carroll County Provisional3.6-2.1 pts
59Chesapeake city Provisional3.6+0.1 pts
59Craig County Provisional3.6-0.1 pts
59Franklin County Provisional3.60 pts
59Giles County Provisional3.6-2.7 pts
59Henrico County Provisional3.6+0.1 pts
59James City County Provisional3.60 pts
59Shenandoah County Provisional3.6+0.1 pts
59Stafford County Provisional3.6+0.1 pts
59Sussex County Provisional3.60 pts
71Amherst County Provisional3.5-0.1 pts
71Campbell County Provisional3.50 pts
71Chesterfield County Provisional3.5+0.1 pts
71Galax city Provisional3.50 pts
71Louisa County Provisional3.5-0.2 pts
71Orange County Provisional3.5-0.1 pts
71Page County Provisional3.5-0.1 pts
71Salem city Provisional3.50 pts
71Spotsylvania County Provisional3.50 pts
80Bedford County Provisional3.40 pts
80Clarke County Provisional3.4+0.3 pts
80Frederick County Provisional3.4+0.2 pts
80Grayson County Provisional3.4-0.9 pts
80Isle of Wight County Provisional3.4-0.1 pts
80Mathews County Provisional3.4-0.2 pts
80Middlesex County Provisional3.4+0.3 pts
80Prince William County Provisional3.40 pts
80Virginia Beach city Provisional3.4+0.1 pts
80Washington County Provisional3.4-0.2 pts
80Wythe County Provisional3.4-2.5 pts
91Albemarle County Provisional3.30 pts
91Appomattox County Provisional3.30 pts
91Cumberland County Provisional3.3+0.3 pts
91Fairfax County Provisional3.3-0.1 pts
91Falls Church city Provisional3.3-0.7 pts
91Goochland County Provisional3.3+0.3 pts
91King and Queen County Provisional3.3+0.3 pts
91King George County Provisional3.3+0.1 pts
91Loudoun County Provisional3.30 pts
91Warren County Provisional3.3-0.1 pts
91York County Provisional3.30 pts
102Amelia County Provisional3.2-0.3 pts
102Culpeper County Provisional3.20 pts
102Highland County Provisional3.2+0.6 pts
102Manassas Park city Provisional3.2-0.1 pts
102Nelson County Provisional3.20 pts
102Poquoson city Provisional3.2+0.3 pts
102Prince George County Provisional3.2+0.1 pts
102Roanoke County Provisional3.20 pts
110Bland County Provisional3.1-1.8 pts
110Fairfax city Provisional3.1-0.1 pts
110Floyd County Provisional3.1-0.5 pts
110Fluvanna County Provisional3.10 pts
110Manassas city Provisional3.10 pts
110Rockbridge County Provisional3.1-0.1 pts
110Waynesboro city Provisional3.1-0.3 pts
117Alexandria city Provisional3-0.3 pts
117Botetourt County Provisional3+0.1 pts
117Charlottesville city Provisional3-0.1 pts
117Hanover County Provisional30 pts
117King William County Provisional3+0.1 pts
117Madison County Provisional30 pts
117Rockingham County Provisional30 pts
124Gloucester County Provisional2.90 pts
124New Kent County Provisional2.9-0.2 pts
124Powhatan County Provisional2.9+0.3 pts
124Rappahannock County Provisional2.90 pts
124Staunton city Provisional2.9-0.2 pts
129Arlington County Provisional2.8-0.3 pts
129Augusta County Provisional2.80 pts
129Fauquier County Provisional2.80 pts
129Greene County Provisional2.80 pts
133Bath County Provisional2.5+0.1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force, using the survey definition of unemployment: without work, available and looking for work. Spain: EPA, aged 16 and over. EU: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74. United States: civilian labour force aged 16 and over, from the Current Population Survey for the nation and from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics models, consistent with that survey, for states and counties. Other countries and the World: ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank, aged 15 and over.

Survey-based. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states and US counties, not Spanish municipalities. For municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate. US national and state rates are seasonally adjusted; county rates are not. Countries without a national or Eurostat series get the annual ILO modelled estimate, a model output rather than a survey result.

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. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest unemployment rate?

Emporia city, with 7.6% in August 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Bath County, with 2.5% in August 2026.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in Virginia: more rankings