Counties in Virginia by unemployment rate

Emporia city had the highest unemployment rate of 133 counties in December 2025, at 8.1%. Greene County had the lowest, at 2.7%. The median was 3.5% and the figure for Virginia was 3.6%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest8.1Emporia city
Lowest2.7Greene County
Median3.5133 counties
Virginia3.6History

Top 40 counties, December 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Emporia cityEmporia city: 8.1 %8.1Greensville CountyGreensville County: 6.3 %6.3Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 5.8 %5.8Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County: 5.7 %5.7Danville cityDanville city: 5.4 %5.4Tazewell CountyTazewell County: 5.2 %5.2Accomack CountyAccomack County: 5.1 %5.1Martinsville cityMartinsville city: 5.1 %5.1Petersburg cityPetersburg city: 5.1 %5.1Westmoreland CountyWestmoreland County: 5.1 %5.1Henry CountyHenry County: 5 %5Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County: 4.9 %4.9Dickenson CountyDickenson County: 4.8 %4.8Franklin cityFranklin city: 4.8 %4.8Halifax CountyHalifax County: 4.8 %4.8Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 4.8 %4.8Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 4.7 %4.7Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 4.7 %4.7Williamsburg cityWilliamsburg city: 4.7 %4.7Lee CountyLee County: 4.6 %4.6Lexington cityLexington city: 4.6 %4.6Page CountyPage County: 4.6 %4.6Russell CountyRussell County: 4.6 %4.6Smyth CountySmyth County: 4.6 %4.6Covington cityCovington city: 4.5 %4.5Lunenburg CountyLunenburg County: 4.4 %4.4Buckingham CountyBuckingham County: 4.3 %4.3Hopewell cityHopewell city: 4.3 %4.3Lynchburg cityLynchburg city: 4.3 %4.3Portsmouth cityPortsmouth city: 4.3 %4.3Wise CountyWise County: 4.3 %4.3Essex CountyEssex County: 4.2 %4.2Hampton cityHampton city: 4.2 %4.2Norton cityNorton city: 4.2 %4.2Carroll CountyCarroll County: 4.1 %4.1Radford cityRadford city: 4.1 %4.1Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 4 %4Newport News cityNewport News city: 4 %4Norfolk cityNorfolk city: 4 %4Pittsylvania CountyPittsylvania County: 4 %4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesDecember 2025 (%)Change on December 2024
1Emporia city8.1-0.9 pts
2Greensville County6.3-0.5 pts
3Buchanan County5.8+1.7 pts
4Northumberland County5.7+1.4 pts
5Danville city5.4+0.9 pts
6Tazewell County5.2+1.2 pts
7Accomack County5.1+1.3 pts
7Martinsville city5.1+0.4 pts
7Petersburg city5.1+0.4 pts
7Westmoreland County5.1+0.8 pts
11Henry County5+1 pts
12Prince Edward County4.9+0.9 pts
13Dickenson County4.8+0.7 pts
13Franklin city4.8+0.8 pts
13Halifax County4.8+1 pts
13Northampton County4.8+1.2 pts
17Brunswick County4.70 pts
17Lancaster County4.7+0.8 pts
17Williamsburg city4.7+1.1 pts
20Lee County4.6+1.1 pts
20Lexington city4.6+1.1 pts
20Page County4.6+0.8 pts
20Russell County4.6+0.5 pts
20Smyth County4.6+1 pts
25Covington city4.5+0.3 pts
26Lunenburg County4.4+0.9 pts
27Buckingham County4.3+0.9 pts
27Hopewell city4.3+0.3 pts
27Lynchburg city4.3+0.9 pts
27Portsmouth city4.3+0.4 pts
27Wise County4.3+0.7 pts
32Essex County4.2+0.5 pts
32Hampton city4.2+0.7 pts
32Norton city4.2+0.6 pts
35Carroll County4.1+0.6 pts
35Radford city4.1+0.9 pts
37Mecklenburg County4+1 pts
37Newport News city4+0.7 pts
37Norfolk city4+0.7 pts
37Pittsylvania County4+1 pts
41Alleghany County3.9-0.1 pts
41Nottoway County3.9+0.4 pts
41Scott County3.9+0.6 pts
44Charlotte County3.8+0.6 pts
44Fredericksburg city3.8+1 pts
44Highland County3.8+1.3 pts
44Louisa County3.8+0.9 pts
44Surry County3.8+1.2 pts
49Bland County3.7+0.9 pts
49Craig County3.7+0.4 pts
49Falls Church city3.7+1.5 pts
49Grayson County3.7+0.9 pts
49Mathews County3.7+0.7 pts
49Patrick County3.7+0.6 pts
49Pulaski County3.7+1 pts
49Richmond city3.7+0.5 pts
57Bristol city3.6+0.3 pts
57Harrisonburg city3.6+0.7 pts
57Montgomery County3.6+0.9 pts
57Richmond County3.6-0.1 pts
57Southampton County3.6+0.7 pts
57Suffolk city3.6+0.7 pts
57Washington County3.6+0.6 pts
64Amherst County3.5+0.7 pts
64Colonial Heights city3.5+0.7 pts
64Franklin County3.5+0.6 pts
64James City County3.5+0.9 pts
64King George County3.5+0.9 pts
64Orange County3.5+0.7 pts
64Roanoke city3.5+0.4 pts
64Shenandoah County3.5+0.6 pts
64Stafford County3.5+0.9 pts
64Wythe County3.5+0.9 pts
74Amelia County3.4+0.4 pts
74Appomattox County3.4+0.4 pts
74Charles City County3.4+0.2 pts
74Chesapeake city3.4+0.7 pts
74Dinwiddie County3.4+0.5 pts
74Fairfax County3.4+1 pts
74Galax city3.4+0.4 pts
74Giles County3.4+0.3 pts
74Nelson County3.4+0.7 pts
74Prince William County3.4+0.9 pts
74Spotsylvania County3.4+0.7 pts
74Sussex County3.4-0.4 pts
86Alexandria city3.3+1 pts
86Bedford County3.3+0.4 pts
86Buena Vista city3.3+0.3 pts
86Campbell County3.3+0.5 pts
86Chesterfield County3.3+0.6 pts
86Clarke County3.3+0.8 pts
86Henrico County3.3+0.5 pts
86Isle of Wight County3.3+0.7 pts
86Loudoun County3.3+0.9 pts
86Warren County3.3+0.8 pts
86Winchester city3.3+0.5 pts
97Caroline County3.2+0.2 pts
97King and Queen County3.2+0.4 pts
97Middlesex County3.2+0.3 pts
97Rockbridge County3.2+0.7 pts
97Virginia Beach city3.2+0.5 pts
97York County3.2+0.8 pts
103Culpeper County3.1+0.6 pts
103Cumberland County3.1+0.4 pts
103Fluvanna County3.1+0.8 pts
103Frederick County3.1+0.6 pts
103Manassas Park city3.1+0.7 pts
103New Kent County3.1+0.7 pts
103Prince George County3.1+0.3 pts
103Rappahannock County3.1+0.6 pts
103Salem city3.1+0.5 pts
112Albemarle County3+0.7 pts
112Arlington County3+0.9 pts
112Botetourt County3+0.7 pts
112Fairfax city3+0.8 pts
112Floyd County3+0.7 pts
112Gloucester County3+0.7 pts
112Goochland County3+0.5 pts
112Madison County3+0.6 pts
112Manassas city3+0.7 pts
112Roanoke County3+0.5 pts
112Staunton city3+0.5 pts
123Hanover County2.9+0.5 pts
123Poquoson city2.9+0.6 pts
123Rockingham County2.9+0.6 pts
123Waynesboro city2.9+0.4 pts
127Augusta County2.8+0.6 pts
127Charlottesville city2.8+0.5 pts
127Fauquier County2.8+0.6 pts
127King William County2.8+0.3 pts
127Powhatan County2.8+0.7 pts
132Bath County2.70 pts
132Greene County2.7+0.3 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 8.1% in December 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Greene County, with 2.7% in December 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