Counties in Virginia by unemployment rate

Emporia city had the highest unemployment rate of 133 counties in January 2026, at 10%. Greene County had the lowest, at 2.8%. The median was 3.9% and the figure for Virginia was 3.7%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest10Emporia city
Lowest2.8Greene County
Median3.9133 counties
Virginia3.7History

Top 40 counties, January 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Emporia cityEmporia city: 10 %10Greensville CountyGreensville County: 7.7 %7.7Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 6.7 %6.7Danville cityDanville city: 6.6 %6.6Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County: 6.6 %6.6Martinsville cityMartinsville city: 6.3 %6.3Tazewell CountyTazewell County: 6.1 %6.1Petersburg cityPetersburg city: 6 %6Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 5.9 %5.9Page CountyPage County: 5.9 %5.9Accomack CountyAccomack County: 5.8 %5.8Franklin cityFranklin city: 5.8 %5.8Westmoreland CountyWestmoreland County: 5.8 %5.8Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 5.6 %5.6Henry CountyHenry County: 5.6 %5.6Covington cityCovington city: 5.5 %5.5Halifax CountyHalifax County: 5.5 %5.5Lee CountyLee County: 5.4 %5.4Dickenson CountyDickenson County: 5.3 %5.3Hopewell cityHopewell city: 5.3 %5.3Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 5.3 %5.3Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County: 5.3 %5.3Smyth CountySmyth County: 5.3 %5.3Buckingham CountyBuckingham County: 5.1 %5.1Williamsburg cityWilliamsburg city: 5.1 %5.1Lexington cityLexington city: 5 %5Lynchburg cityLynchburg city: 5 %5Portsmouth cityPortsmouth city: 5 %5Russell CountyRussell County: 5 %5Hampton cityHampton city: 4.9 %4.9Alleghany CountyAlleghany County: 4.8 %4.8Lunenburg CountyLunenburg County: 4.8 %4.8Norton cityNorton city: 4.8 %4.8Wise CountyWise County: 4.8 %4.8Essex CountyEssex County: 4.7 %4.7Newport News cityNewport News city: 4.7 %4.7Norfolk cityNorfolk city: 4.7 %4.7Radford cityRadford city: 4.7 %4.7Carroll CountyCarroll County: 4.5 %4.5Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County: 4.5 %4.5
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesJanuary 2026 (%)Change on January 2025
1Emporia city10+0.5 pts
2Greensville County7.7+0.3 pts
3Buchanan County6.7+1.6 pts
4Danville city6.6+1.6 pts
4Northumberland County6.6-1 pts
6Martinsville city6.3+1.2 pts
7Tazewell County6.1+1.2 pts
8Petersburg city6+0.9 pts
9Lancaster County5.9-0.1 pts
9Page County5.9+0.7 pts
11Accomack County5.8+1 pts
11Franklin city5.8+1.4 pts
11Westmoreland County5.8+0.6 pts
14Brunswick County5.6+0.4 pts
14Henry County5.6+1 pts
16Covington city5.5+0.2 pts
16Halifax County5.5+1.1 pts
18Lee County5.4+1 pts
19Dickenson County5.3+0.5 pts
19Hopewell city5.3+0.6 pts
19Northampton County5.3+0.6 pts
19Prince Edward County5.3+0.7 pts
19Smyth County5.3+1.2 pts
24Buckingham County5.1+1 pts
24Williamsburg city5.1+0.8 pts
26Lexington city5+1.1 pts
26Lynchburg city5+1 pts
26Portsmouth city5+0.7 pts
26Russell County5+0.1 pts
30Hampton city4.9+0.7 pts
31Alleghany County4.8+0.3 pts
31Lunenburg County4.8+0.7 pts
31Norton city4.8+0.2 pts
31Wise County4.8+0.1 pts
35Essex County4.7+0.2 pts
35Newport News city4.7+0.9 pts
35Norfolk city4.7+0.8 pts
35Radford city4.7+0.8 pts
39Carroll County4.5-0.5 pts
39Mecklenburg County4.5+0.9 pts
39Pittsylvania County4.5+0.9 pts
39Pulaski County4.5+1.1 pts
43Craig County4.4+0.6 pts
43Fredericksburg city4.4+1.1 pts
45Bland County4.3+1.2 pts
45Grayson County4.3-0.1 pts
45Richmond city4.3+0.7 pts
45Richmond County4.3-0.5 pts
45Scott County4.3+0.2 pts
45Surry County4.3+0.8 pts
51Charlotte County4.2+0.3 pts
51Colonial Heights city4.2+0.8 pts
51Louisa County4.2+0.8 pts
51Patrick County4.2+0.4 pts
51Wythe County4.2+0.9 pts
56Montgomery County4.1+0.8 pts
56Roanoke city4.1+0.5 pts
56Sussex County4.1-0.2 pts
59Falls Church city4+1.4 pts
59Galax city4-1.7 pts
59Suffolk city4+0.7 pts
62Amelia County3.9+0.2 pts
62Bristol city3.9-0.1 pts
62Franklin County3.9+0.5 pts
62Harrisonburg city3.9+0.4 pts
62James City County3.9+0.6 pts
62Nottoway County3.9-0.3 pts
62Prince William County3.9+0.9 pts
62Southampton County3.9+0.5 pts
62Spotsylvania County3.9+0.7 pts
62Stafford County3.9+0.8 pts
62Washington County3.9+0.4 pts
73Charles City County3.8-0.1 pts
73Dinwiddie County3.8+0.5 pts
73Giles County3.8-0.1 pts
73Henrico County3.8+0.6 pts
73King George County3.8+0.7 pts
73Loudoun County3.8+1 pts
73Mathews County3.80 pts
73Orange County3.8+0.5 pts
73Shenandoah County3.8+0.3 pts
82Amherst County3.7+0.2 pts
82Appomattox County3.70 pts
82Buena Vista city3.7+0.4 pts
82Caroline County3.7+0.1 pts
82Chesapeake city3.7+0.5 pts
82Chesterfield County3.7+0.6 pts
82Fairfax County3.7+0.9 pts
82Highland County3.7+0.9 pts
82Isle of Wight County3.7+0.6 pts
82Nelson County3.7+0.3 pts
82Winchester city3.7+0.4 pts
93Alexandria city3.6+0.9 pts
93Bedford County3.6+0.2 pts
93Campbell County3.6+0.1 pts
93Clarke County3.6+0.6 pts
93Culpeper County3.6+0.5 pts
93Cumberland County3.6+0.5 pts
93Manassas Park city3.6+0.8 pts
93Warren County3.6+0.4 pts
101Floyd County3.5+0.6 pts
101Frederick County3.5+0.5 pts
101Virginia Beach city3.5+0.4 pts
104Arlington County3.4+0.9 pts
104Fairfax city3.4+0.7 pts
104Fluvanna County3.4+0.5 pts
104Manassas city3.4+0.6 pts
104Middlesex County3.4-0.2 pts
104Prince George County3.40 pts
104Salem city3.4+0.2 pts
104York County3.4+0.4 pts
112Albemarle County3.3+0.5 pts
112King and Queen County3.30 pts
112King William County3.3+0.2 pts
112Madison County3.3+0.4 pts
112New Kent County3.3+0.4 pts
112Poquoson city3.3+0.5 pts
112Rockbridge County3.3+0.3 pts
112Staunton city3.3+0.3 pts
112Waynesboro city3.3+0.3 pts
121Botetourt County3.2+0.4 pts
121Goochland County3.2+0.1 pts
121Rappahannock County3.2+0.3 pts
121Roanoke County3.2+0.2 pts
121Rockingham County3.2+0.3 pts
126Augusta County3.1+0.3 pts
126Gloucester County3.1+0.2 pts
126Hanover County3.1+0.2 pts
129Bath County3-0.1 pts
129Charlottesville city3+0.2 pts
129Fauquier County3+0.3 pts
129Powhatan County3+0.3 pts
133Greene County2.80 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 10% in January 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Greene County, with 2.8% in January 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