Counties in Virginia by unemployment rate

Pulaski County had the highest unemployment rate of 133 counties in September 2025, at 9%. Bath County had the lowest, at 2.3%. The median was 3.4% and the figure for Virginia was 3.4%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Lowest2.3Bath County
Median3.4133 counties
Virginia3.4History

Top 40 counties, September 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 9 %9Emporia cityEmporia city: 8.7 %8.7Greensville CountyGreensville County: 7.3 %7.3Danville cityDanville city: 6.1 %6.1Giles CountyGiles County: 6.1 %6.1Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 5.7 %5.7Wythe CountyWythe County: 5.7 %5.7Martinsville cityMartinsville city: 5.6 %5.6Carroll CountyCarroll County: 5.5 %5.5Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 5.2 %5.2Covington cityCovington city: 5.1 %5.1Petersburg cityPetersburg city: 5.1 %5.1Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County: 5 %5Tazewell CountyTazewell County: 5 %5Henry CountyHenry County: 4.9 %4.9Bland CountyBland County: 4.8 %4.8Franklin cityFranklin city: 4.8 %4.8Halifax CountyHalifax County: 4.8 %4.8Westmoreland CountyWestmoreland County: 4.7 %4.7Hopewell cityHopewell city: 4.6 %4.6Lee CountyLee County: 4.6 %4.6Radford cityRadford city: 4.6 %4.6Russell CountyRussell County: 4.6 %4.6Dickenson CountyDickenson County: 4.4 %4.4Portsmouth cityPortsmouth city: 4.4 %4.4Smyth CountySmyth County: 4.3 %4.3Williamsburg cityWilliamsburg city: 4.3 %4.3Essex CountyEssex County: 4.2 %4.2Hampton cityHampton city: 4.2 %4.2Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County: 4.2 %4.2Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 4.1 %4.1Lunenburg CountyLunenburg County: 4.1 %4.1Pittsylvania CountyPittsylvania County: 4.1 %4.1Wise CountyWise County: 4.1 %4.1Grayson CountyGrayson County: 4 %4Newport News cityNewport News city: 4 %4Accomack CountyAccomack County: 3.9 %3.9Lynchburg cityLynchburg city: 3.9 %3.9Norfolk cityNorfolk city: 3.9 %3.9Lexington cityLexington city: 3.8 %3.8
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesSeptember 2025 (%)Change on September 2024
1Pulaski County9+5.9 pts
2Emporia city8.7+3.1 pts
3Greensville County7.3+3.1 pts
4Danville city6.1+1 pts
4Giles County6.1+3.1 pts
6Buchanan County5.7+1.6 pts
6Wythe County5.7+2.7 pts
8Martinsville city5.6+0.8 pts
9Carroll County5.5+1.9 pts
10Brunswick County5.2+1 pts
11Covington city5.1+1 pts
11Petersburg city5.10 pts
13Northumberland County5+0.9 pts
13Tazewell County5+0.8 pts
15Henry County4.9+0.9 pts
16Bland County4.8+1.6 pts
16Franklin city4.8+0.8 pts
16Halifax County4.8+0.6 pts
19Westmoreland County4.7+0.5 pts
20Hopewell city4.6+0.1 pts
20Lee County4.6+0.8 pts
20Radford city4.6+1.2 pts
20Russell County4.6+0.6 pts
24Dickenson County4.4+0.1 pts
24Portsmouth city4.4+0.5 pts
26Smyth County4.3+0.5 pts
26Williamsburg city4.3+0.3 pts
28Essex County4.2+0.2 pts
28Hampton city4.2+0.4 pts
28Prince Edward County4.2-0.2 pts
31Lancaster County4.10 pts
31Lunenburg County4.1+0.5 pts
31Pittsylvania County4.1+0.8 pts
31Wise County4.1+0.1 pts
35Grayson County4+1.2 pts
35Newport News city4+0.5 pts
37Accomack County3.9+0.5 pts
37Lynchburg city3.9+0.2 pts
37Norfolk city3.9+0.4 pts
40Lexington city3.8+0.2 pts
40Mecklenburg County3.8+0.5 pts
40Norton city3.8+0.2 pts
40Nottoway County3.8+0.1 pts
40Richmond city3.8+0.4 pts
45Bristol city3.70 pts
45Charles City County3.7+0.1 pts
45Charlotte County3.7+0.3 pts
45Mathews County3.7+0.5 pts
45Northampton County3.7+0.4 pts
45Patrick County3.7+0.4 pts
45Scott County3.70 pts
45Sussex County3.7+0.1 pts
53Falls Church city3.6+1.1 pts
53Southampton County3.6+0.5 pts
53Suffolk city3.6+0.5 pts
56Craig County3.50 pts
56Fredericksburg city3.5+0.5 pts
56Louisa County3.5+0.4 pts
56Montgomery County3.5+0.6 pts
56Roanoke city3.5+0.2 pts
61Alleghany County3.4-0.4 pts
61Buckingham County3.4+0.2 pts
61Dinwiddie County3.4+0.2 pts
61Galax city3.4+0.2 pts
61Orange County3.4+0.4 pts
61Page County3.4+0.3 pts
61Surry County3.4+0.4 pts
68Alexandria city3.3+0.8 pts
68Amelia County3.3-0.2 pts
68Amherst County3.3+0.2 pts
68Campbell County3.3+0.2 pts
68Chesapeake city3.3+0.4 pts
68Colonial Heights city3.3+0.2 pts
68Fairfax County3.3+0.7 pts
68Floyd County3.3+0.7 pts
68Franklin County3.3+0.2 pts
68Henrico County3.3+0.2 pts
68James City County3.3+0.3 pts
68Prince William County3.3+0.6 pts
68Richmond County3.3-0.2 pts
68Shenandoah County3.3+0.3 pts
68Spotsylvania County3.3+0.4 pts
68Stafford County3.3+0.5 pts
68Washington County3.3+0.2 pts
85Bedford County3.2+0.1 pts
85Chesterfield County3.2+0.2 pts
85Isle of Wight County3.2+0.3 pts
85King and Queen County3.2+0.2 pts
85Loudoun County3.2+0.6 pts
85Winchester city3.20 pts
91Appomattox County3.1-0.1 pts
91Caroline County3.10 pts
91Clarke County3.1+0.2 pts
91Fairfax city3.1+0.7 pts
91Harrisonburg city3.10 pts
91Manassas Park city3.1+0.6 pts
91Middlesex County3.10 pts
91Prince George County3.10 pts
91Salem city3.1+0.3 pts
91Virginia Beach city3.1+0.2 pts
91Warren County3.1+0.3 pts
102Arlington County3+0.7 pts
102Frederick County3+0.3 pts
102Goochland County3+0.1 pts
102Highland County30 pts
102Nelson County3+0.2 pts
102Roanoke County3+0.2 pts
102Rockbridge County3+0.4 pts
102York County3+0.3 pts
110Buena Vista city2.9-0.1 pts
110Culpeper County2.9+0.2 pts
110Cumberland County2.9+0.2 pts
110Fluvanna County2.9+0.4 pts
110King George County2.9+0.1 pts
110New Kent County2.9+0.3 pts
110Rappahannock County2.90 pts
110Staunton city2.90 pts
110Waynesboro city2.9+0.2 pts
119Albemarle County2.8+0.2 pts
119Botetourt County2.8+0.2 pts
119Gloucester County2.8+0.2 pts
119Hanover County2.8+0.2 pts
123Augusta County2.7+0.2 pts
123Charlottesville city2.7+0.2 pts
123Madison County2.7+0.1 pts
123Manassas city2.7+0.1 pts
123Poquoson city2.7+0.2 pts
123Rockingham County2.7+0.2 pts
129Fauquier County2.6+0.2 pts
129Greene County2.6+0.1 pts
129King William County2.6-0.1 pts
129Powhatan County2.6+0.2 pts
133Bath County2.3-0.2 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?

Pulaski County, with 9% in September 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Bath County, with 2.3% in September 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