Counties in Virginia by unemployment rate

Emporia city had the highest unemployment rate of 133 counties in November 2025, at 8.5%. Greene County had the lowest, at 3.1%. The median was 4% and the figure for Virginia was 3.6%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest8.5Emporia city
Lowest3.1Greene County
Median4133 counties
Virginia3.6History

Top 40 counties, November 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Emporia cityEmporia city: 8.5 %8.5Greensville CountyGreensville County: 7 %7Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 6.6 %6.6Danville cityDanville city: 6.1 %6.1Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County: 6.1 %6.1Tazewell CountyTazewell County: 5.7 %5.7Martinsville cityMartinsville city: 5.6 %5.6Westmoreland CountyWestmoreland County: 5.6 %5.6Dickenson CountyDickenson County: 5.5 %5.5Henry CountyHenry County: 5.5 %5.5Petersburg cityPetersburg city: 5.5 %5.5Russell CountyRussell County: 5.4 %5.4Halifax CountyHalifax County: 5.3 %5.3Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County: 5.3 %5.3Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 5.2 %5.2Covington cityCovington city: 5.2 %5.2Franklin cityFranklin city: 5.2 %5.2Lee CountyLee County: 5.2 %5.2Smyth CountySmyth County: 5.2 %5.2Accomack CountyAccomack County: 5.1 %5.1Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 5.1 %5.1Williamsburg cityWilliamsburg city: 5.1 %5.1Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 5 %5Lunenburg CountyLunenburg County: 5 %5Hopewell cityHopewell city: 4.9 %4.9Lexington cityLexington city: 4.9 %4.9Portsmouth cityPortsmouth city: 4.8 %4.8Wise CountyWise County: 4.8 %4.8Carroll CountyCarroll County: 4.7 %4.7Hampton cityHampton city: 4.7 %4.7Scott CountyScott County: 4.7 %4.7Alleghany CountyAlleghany County: 4.6 %4.6Essex CountyEssex County: 4.6 %4.6Highland CountyHighland County: 4.6 %4.6Lynchburg cityLynchburg city: 4.6 %4.6Norton cityNorton city: 4.6 %4.6Buckingham CountyBuckingham County: 4.5 %4.5Charlotte CountyCharlotte County: 4.5 %4.5Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 4.5 %4.5Norfolk cityNorfolk city: 4.5 %4.5
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesNovember 2025 (%)Change on November 2024
1Emporia city8.5-0.7 pts
2Greensville County7+0.4 pts
3Buchanan County6.6+2.2 pts
4Danville city6.1+1.2 pts
4Northumberland County6.1+1.5 pts
6Tazewell County5.7+1.4 pts
7Martinsville city5.6+0.8 pts
7Westmoreland County5.6+1.2 pts
9Dickenson County5.5+1 pts
9Henry County5.5+1.3 pts
9Petersburg city5.5+0.5 pts
12Russell County5.4+1 pts
13Halifax County5.3+1.1 pts
13Prince Edward County5.3+0.8 pts
15Brunswick County5.2+0.3 pts
15Covington city5.2+0.9 pts
15Franklin city5.2+1.1 pts
15Lee County5.2+1.1 pts
15Smyth County5.2+1.1 pts
20Accomack County5.1+1.3 pts
20Northampton County5.1+1.3 pts
20Williamsburg city5.1+0.8 pts
23Lancaster County5+1.1 pts
23Lunenburg County5+1.1 pts
25Hopewell city4.9+0.4 pts
25Lexington city4.9+0.8 pts
27Portsmouth city4.8+0.7 pts
27Wise County4.8+0.7 pts
29Carroll County4.7+0.8 pts
29Hampton city4.7+0.8 pts
29Scott County4.7+0.9 pts
32Alleghany County4.6+0.6 pts
32Essex County4.6+0.5 pts
32Highland County4.6+1.4 pts
32Lynchburg city4.6+0.7 pts
32Norton city4.6+0.9 pts
37Buckingham County4.5+0.8 pts
37Charlotte County4.5+1.1 pts
37Mecklenburg County4.5+1 pts
37Norfolk city4.5+0.8 pts
37Nottoway County4.5+0.5 pts
37Patrick County4.5+1 pts
37Pittsylvania County4.5+1.1 pts
44Newport News city4.4+0.8 pts
44Page County4.4+1.1 pts
44Radford city4.4+0.6 pts
47Bland County4.3+1 pts
47Craig County4.3+0.7 pts
47Mathews County4.3+0.8 pts
47Pulaski County4.3+1 pts
51Grayson County4.2+1.1 pts
51Louisa County4.2+0.9 pts
53Bristol city4.1+0.3 pts
53Charles City County4.1+0.4 pts
53Falls Church city4.1+1.5 pts
53Fredericksburg city4.1+1 pts
53Richmond city4.1+0.6 pts
53Richmond County4.1+0.1 pts
53Suffolk city4.1+0.9 pts
53Surry County4.1+1 pts
53Washington County4.1+0.7 pts
62Franklin County4+0.8 pts
62Galax city4+0.7 pts
62Giles County4+0.5 pts
62James City County4+0.9 pts
62Middlesex County4+0.8 pts
62Montgomery County4+0.8 pts
62Orange County4+0.9 pts
62Shenandoah County4+0.7 pts
62Southampton County4+0.7 pts
62Wythe County4+0.9 pts
72Amelia County3.9+0.6 pts
72Amherst County3.9+0.7 pts
72Bedford County3.9+0.7 pts
72Buena Vista city3.9+0.5 pts
72Campbell County3.9+0.7 pts
72Colonial Heights city3.9+0.8 pts
72Dinwiddie County3.9+0.6 pts
72Harrisonburg city3.9+0.5 pts
72King George County3.9+1 pts
72Nelson County3.9+0.9 pts
72Roanoke city3.9+0.5 pts
72Spotsylvania County3.9+0.9 pts
72Stafford County3.9+1 pts
72Sussex County3.9+0.1 pts
72Warren County3.9+1 pts
87Appomattox County3.8+0.5 pts
87Chesapeake city3.8+0.7 pts
87Clarke County3.8+0.9 pts
87Fairfax County3.8+1.1 pts
87Henrico County3.8+0.7 pts
87Isle of Wight County3.8+0.9 pts
87King and Queen County3.8+0.8 pts
87Prince William County3.8+0.9 pts
95Alexandria city3.7+1.1 pts
95Chesterfield County3.7+0.6 pts
95Loudoun County3.7+1 pts
95Rockbridge County3.7+0.9 pts
95Salem city3.7+0.7 pts
95Virginia Beach city3.7+0.7 pts
95Winchester city3.7+0.4 pts
95York County3.7+0.8 pts
103Caroline County3.6+0.3 pts
103Fluvanna County3.6+0.9 pts
103Frederick County3.6+0.7 pts
103Goochland County3.6+0.7 pts
103Madison County3.6+0.8 pts
103Prince George County3.6+0.4 pts
103Rappahannock County3.6+0.6 pts
103Roanoke County3.6+0.7 pts
111Albemarle County3.5+0.8 pts
111Arlington County3.5+1.1 pts
111Botetourt County3.5+0.8 pts
111Culpeper County3.5+0.7 pts
111Cumberland County3.5+0.6 pts
111Fairfax city3.5+0.9 pts
111Manassas Park city3.5+0.8 pts
111New Kent County3.5+0.7 pts
111Staunton city3.5+0.7 pts
111Waynesboro city3.5+0.5 pts
121Floyd County3.4+0.7 pts
121Gloucester County3.4+0.7 pts
121Hanover County3.4+0.6 pts
121Manassas city3.4+0.8 pts
121Poquoson city3.4+0.8 pts
126Augusta County3.3+0.7 pts
126Charlottesville city3.3+0.6 pts
126Fauquier County3.3+0.8 pts
126King William County3.3+0.4 pts
126Rockingham County3.3+0.7 pts
131Bath County3.2+0.4 pts
131Powhatan County3.2+0.7 pts
133Greene County3.1+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 8.5% in November 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Greene County, with 3.1% in November 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