Counties in Virginia by unemployment rate

Emporia city had the highest unemployment rate of 133 counties in August 2025, at 9.3%. Bath County had the lowest, at 2.4%. The median was 3.6% and the figure for Virginia was 3.3%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest9.3Emporia city
Lowest2.4Bath County
Median3.6133 counties
Virginia3.3History

Top 40 counties, August 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Emporia cityEmporia city: 9.3 %9.3Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 9.2 %9.2Greensville CountyGreensville County: 7.7 %7.7Danville cityDanville city: 6.3 %6.3Giles CountyGiles County: 6.3 %6.3Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 6.1 %6.1Lexington cityLexington city: 6.1 %6.1Wythe CountyWythe County: 5.9 %5.9Carroll CountyCarroll County: 5.7 %5.7Radford cityRadford city: 5.7 %5.7Martinsville cityMartinsville city: 5.6 %5.6Williamsburg cityWilliamsburg city: 5.5 %5.5Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 5.4 %5.4Petersburg cityPetersburg city: 5.4 %5.4Halifax CountyHalifax County: 5.3 %5.3Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County: 5.3 %5.3Tazewell CountyTazewell County: 5.3 %5.3Franklin cityFranklin city: 5.1 %5.1Henry CountyHenry County: 5.1 %5.1Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County: 5 %5Bland CountyBland County: 4.9 %4.9Dickenson CountyDickenson County: 4.9 %4.9Hopewell cityHopewell city: 4.9 %4.9Westmoreland CountyWestmoreland County: 4.8 %4.8Covington cityCovington city: 4.7 %4.7Lee CountyLee County: 4.7 %4.7Russell CountyRussell County: 4.6 %4.6Wise CountyWise County: 4.6 %4.6Hampton cityHampton city: 4.5 %4.5Lunenburg CountyLunenburg County: 4.5 %4.5Lynchburg cityLynchburg city: 4.5 %4.5Portsmouth cityPortsmouth city: 4.5 %4.5Smyth CountySmyth County: 4.5 %4.5Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 4.4 %4.4Grayson CountyGrayson County: 4.3 %4.3Newport News cityNewport News city: 4.3 %4.3Essex CountyEssex County: 4.2 %4.2Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 4.2 %4.2Norfolk cityNorfolk city: 4.2 %4.2Pittsylvania CountyPittsylvania County: 4.2 %4.2
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesAugust 2025 (%)Change on August 2024
1Emporia city9.3+3.2 pts
2Pulaski County9.2+4.6 pts
3Greensville County7.7+2.9 pts
4Danville city6.3+0.6 pts
4Giles County6.3+2.3 pts
6Buchanan County6.1+1.7 pts
6Lexington city6.1-0.2 pts
8Wythe County5.9+2 pts
9Carroll County5.7+0.2 pts
9Radford city5.7+0.8 pts
11Martinsville city5.6+0.3 pts
12Williamsburg city5.5+0.1 pts
13Brunswick County5.4+1.1 pts
13Petersburg city5.4-0.2 pts
15Halifax County5.3+0.3 pts
15Prince Edward County5.3-0.4 pts
15Tazewell County5.3+0.6 pts
18Franklin city5.1+0.5 pts
18Henry County5.1+0.6 pts
20Northumberland County5+0.7 pts
21Bland County4.9+1.2 pts
21Dickenson County4.9+0.1 pts
21Hopewell city4.90 pts
24Westmoreland County4.8+0.2 pts
25Covington city4.70 pts
25Lee County4.7+0.4 pts
27Russell County4.60 pts
27Wise County4.6+0.1 pts
29Hampton city4.5+0.3 pts
29Lunenburg County4.5+0.4 pts
29Lynchburg city4.5-0.2 pts
29Portsmouth city4.5+0.3 pts
29Smyth County4.5+0.4 pts
34Montgomery County4.4+0.4 pts
35Grayson County4.3-0.6 pts
35Newport News city4.3+0.3 pts
37Essex County4.20 pts
37Lancaster County4.2-0.2 pts
37Norfolk city4.2+0.2 pts
37Pittsylvania County4.2+0.3 pts
41Accomack County4.1+0.2 pts
41Harrisonburg city4.1-0.1 pts
43Falls Church city4+1 pts
43Norton city4-0.4 pts
43Nottoway County4-0.1 pts
43Roanoke city4+0.2 pts
47Charlotte County3.9-0.1 pts
47Fredericksburg city3.9+0.4 pts
47Northampton County3.9+0.1 pts
47Patrick County3.9+0.3 pts
47Richmond city3.9+0.1 pts
47Scott County3.9-0.3 pts
47Suffolk city3.9+0.4 pts
54Alleghany County3.8-0.2 pts
54Bristol city3.8-0.3 pts
54Buena Vista city3.8-0.1 pts
54Charles City County3.8-0.1 pts
54Mecklenburg County3.8+0.1 pts
54Richmond County3.8-0.2 pts
54Southampton County3.8+0.4 pts
61Craig County3.7-0.1 pts
61Louisa County3.7+0.3 pts
63Amherst County3.60 pts
63Floyd County3.6+0.4 pts
63Franklin County3.6+0.1 pts
63James City County3.6+0.2 pts
63Mathews County3.6+0.3 pts
63Orange County3.6+0.4 pts
63Page County3.6+0.2 pts
63Surry County3.6+0.2 pts
63Sussex County3.6-0.4 pts
63Washington County3.6+0.1 pts
73Amelia County3.5-0.1 pts
73Campbell County3.5+0.1 pts
73Caroline County3.5-0.2 pts
73Chesapeake city3.5+0.2 pts
73Colonial Heights city3.5-0.2 pts
73Dinwiddie County3.5-0.1 pts
73Galax city3.5-2.9 pts
73Henrico County3.5+0.1 pts
73Isle of Wight County3.5+0.2 pts
73Salem city3.5+0.1 pts
73Shenandoah County3.5+0.1 pts
73Spotsylvania County3.5+0.1 pts
73Stafford County3.5+0.3 pts
73Winchester city3.5-0.2 pts
87Bedford County3.40 pts
87Buckingham County3.4-0.4 pts
87Chesterfield County3.40 pts
87Fairfax County3.4+0.5 pts
87Prince William County3.4+0.3 pts
87Warren County3.4+0.2 pts
87Waynesboro city3.4+0.2 pts
94Albemarle County3.3+0.1 pts
94Alexandria city3.3+0.6 pts
94Appomattox County3.3-0.2 pts
94Loudoun County3.3+0.3 pts
94Manassas Park city3.3+0.5 pts
94Virginia Beach city3.3+0.1 pts
94York County3.3+0.2 pts
101Culpeper County3.2+0.1 pts
101Fairfax city3.2+0.4 pts
101Frederick County3.2+0.1 pts
101King George County3.20 pts
101Nelson County3.2+0.2 pts
101Roanoke County3.20 pts
101Rockbridge County3.20 pts
108Arlington County3.1+0.6 pts
108Charlottesville city3.1+0.1 pts
108Clarke County3.10 pts
108Fluvanna County3.1+0.3 pts
108Manassas city3.1+0.1 pts
108Middlesex County3.1-0.2 pts
108New Kent County3.1+0.2 pts
108Prince George County3.1-0.3 pts
108Staunton city3.1-0.2 pts
117Cumberland County3-0.1 pts
117Goochland County3-0.1 pts
117Hanover County3+0.1 pts
117King and Queen County3-0.4 pts
117Madison County3+0.1 pts
117Rockingham County30 pts
123Botetourt County2.9-0.1 pts
123Gloucester County2.90 pts
123King William County2.90 pts
123Poquoson city2.9+0.1 pts
123Rappahannock County2.90 pts
128Augusta County2.80 pts
128Fauquier County2.80 pts
128Greene County2.80 pts
131Highland County2.6-0.5 pts
131Powhatan County2.60 pts
133Bath County2.4-0.4 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 9.3% in August 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Bath County, with 2.4% in August 2025.

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