Counties in Virginia by unemployment rate

Emporia city had the highest unemployment rate of 133 counties in February 2026, at 8.4%. Bath County had the lowest, at 3%. The median was 4% and the figure for Virginia was 3.8%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest8.4Emporia city
Median4133 counties
Virginia3.8History

Top 40 counties, February 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Emporia cityEmporia city: 8.4 %8.4Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County: 7.8 %7.8Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 7.1 %7.1Greensville CountyGreensville County: 7 %7Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 6.9 %6.9Williamsburg cityWilliamsburg city: 6.4 %6.4Lexington cityLexington city: 6.3 %6.3Danville cityDanville city: 6.2 %6.2Tazewell CountyTazewell County: 6.2 %6.2Martinsville cityMartinsville city: 6 %6Westmoreland CountyWestmoreland County: 5.9 %5.9Accomack CountyAccomack County: 5.6 %5.6Henry CountyHenry County: 5.6 %5.6Page CountyPage County: 5.6 %5.6Petersburg cityPetersburg city: 5.6 %5.6Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County: 5.6 %5.6Franklin cityFranklin city: 5.5 %5.5Radford cityRadford city: 5.4 %5.4Lynchburg cityLynchburg city: 5.3 %5.3Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 5.2 %5.2Covington cityCovington city: 5.2 %5.2Dickenson CountyDickenson County: 5.2 %5.2Halifax CountyHalifax County: 5.2 %5.2Hopewell cityHopewell city: 5.2 %5.2Lee CountyLee County: 5.2 %5.2Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 5.2 %5.2Smyth CountySmyth County: 5.2 %5.2Russell CountyRussell County: 5.1 %5.1Buckingham CountyBuckingham County: 4.9 %4.9Portsmouth cityPortsmouth city: 4.9 %4.9Wise CountyWise County: 4.9 %4.9Lunenburg CountyLunenburg County: 4.8 %4.8Norton cityNorton city: 4.8 %4.8Richmond CountyRichmond County: 4.8 %4.8Hampton cityHampton city: 4.7 %4.7Harrisonburg cityHarrisonburg city: 4.6 %4.6Norfolk cityNorfolk city: 4.6 %4.6Essex CountyEssex County: 4.5 %4.5Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 4.5 %4.5Newport News cityNewport News city: 4.5 %4.5
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesFebruary 2026 (%)Change on February 2025
1Emporia city8.40 pts
2Northumberland County7.8+0.2 pts
3Lancaster County7.1+1.1 pts
4Greensville County7-0.1 pts
5Buchanan County6.9+1.9 pts
6Williamsburg city6.4+0.7 pts
7Lexington city6.3+0.6 pts
8Danville city6.2+1.3 pts
8Tazewell County6.2+1.2 pts
10Martinsville city6+0.7 pts
11Westmoreland County5.9+0.9 pts
12Accomack County5.6+0.8 pts
12Henry County5.6+0.9 pts
12Page County5.6+0.7 pts
12Petersburg city5.6+0.8 pts
12Prince Edward County5.6+0.3 pts
17Franklin city5.5+1 pts
18Radford city5.4+0.5 pts
19Lynchburg city5.3+0.8 pts
20Brunswick County5.2+0.3 pts
20Covington city5.2+0.1 pts
20Dickenson County5.2+0.4 pts
20Halifax County5.2+0.8 pts
20Hopewell city5.2+0.6 pts
20Lee County5.2+0.9 pts
20Northampton County5.2+0.5 pts
20Smyth County5.2+1 pts
28Russell County5.1+0.5 pts
29Buckingham County4.9+0.8 pts
29Portsmouth city4.9+0.8 pts
29Wise County4.9+0.3 pts
32Lunenburg County4.8+0.6 pts
32Norton city4.8+0.5 pts
32Richmond County4.8-0.1 pts
35Hampton city4.7+0.6 pts
36Harrisonburg city4.6+0.3 pts
36Norfolk city4.6+0.8 pts
38Essex County4.5-0.1 pts
38Montgomery County4.5+0.6 pts
38Newport News city4.5+0.6 pts
38Scott County4.5+0.5 pts
42Alleghany County4.4+0.2 pts
42Fredericksburg city4.4+0.9 pts
42Mecklenburg County4.4+0.9 pts
42Pittsylvania County4.4+0.9 pts
46Carroll County4.3-0.1 pts
46Patrick County4.3+0.5 pts
48Buena Vista city4.2+0.4 pts
48Nottoway County4.2+0.1 pts
48Richmond city4.2+0.5 pts
48Roanoke city4.2+0.7 pts
48Surry County4.2+0.8 pts
53Bristol city4.1+0.1 pts
53Charlotte County4.1+0.2 pts
53Craig County4.1+0.2 pts
53Falls Church city4.1+1.1 pts
53Louisa County4.1+0.7 pts
53Pulaski County4.1-0.7 pts
59Amelia County4+0.5 pts
59Franklin County4+0.5 pts
59Grayson County4+0.6 pts
59James City County4+0.8 pts
59Mathews County4+0.5 pts
59Shenandoah County4+0.5 pts
59Spotsylvania County4+0.7 pts
59Stafford County4+0.7 pts
59Suffolk city4+0.7 pts
59Washington County4+0.6 pts
59Winchester city4+0.5 pts
70Campbell County3.9+0.5 pts
70Charles City County3.9+0.2 pts
70Colonial Heights city3.9+0.6 pts
70Galax city3.9+0.2 pts
70King George County3.9+0.7 pts
70Prince William County3.9+0.8 pts
70Sussex County3.9-0.1 pts
77Amherst County3.8+0.5 pts
77Appomattox County3.8+0.2 pts
77Bedford County3.8+0.4 pts
77Caroline County3.8+0.2 pts
77Chesapeake city3.8+0.5 pts
77Chesterfield County3.8+0.6 pts
77Dinwiddie County3.8+0.5 pts
77Fairfax County3.8+0.9 pts
77Henrico County3.8+0.5 pts
77Highland County3.8+1.1 pts
77Loudoun County3.8+0.9 pts
77Middlesex County3.8+0.4 pts
77Orange County3.8+0.6 pts
77Southampton County3.8+0.5 pts
91Clarke County3.7+0.7 pts
91Culpeper County3.7+0.5 pts
91Giles County3.7-0.6 pts
91Isle of Wight County3.7+0.6 pts
91Nelson County3.7+0.5 pts
91Salem city3.7+0.3 pts
91Warren County3.7+0.5 pts
91Wythe County3.7-0.3 pts
91York County3.7+0.7 pts
100Albemarle County3.6+0.5 pts
100Bland County3.6+0.3 pts
100Frederick County3.6+0.6 pts
100Manassas Park city3.6+0.7 pts
100Virginia Beach city3.6+0.5 pts
105Cumberland County3.5+0.5 pts
105Floyd County3.5+0.5 pts
105Manassas city3.5+0.6 pts
105Poquoson city3.5+0.7 pts
105Rappahannock County3.5+0.5 pts
105Staunton city3.5+0.5 pts
105Waynesboro city3.5+0.5 pts
112Alexandria city3.4+0.7 pts
112Fluvanna County3.4+0.6 pts
112Goochland County3.4+0.5 pts
112Hanover County3.4+0.4 pts
112Madison County3.4+0.5 pts
112Roanoke County3.4+0.4 pts
112Rockbridge County3.4+0.4 pts
112Rockingham County3.4+0.5 pts
120Arlington County3.3+0.7 pts
120Botetourt County3.3+0.6 pts
120Fairfax city3.3+0.6 pts
120Gloucester County3.3+0.5 pts
120King and Queen County3.3+0.2 pts
120King William County3.3+0.3 pts
120New Kent County3.3+0.6 pts
127Augusta County3.2+0.5 pts
127Charlottesville city3.2+0.4 pts
127Fauquier County3.2+0.4 pts
127Prince George County3.2+0.2 pts
131Greene County3.1+0.3 pts
131Powhatan County3.1+0.5 pts
133Bath County30 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 8.4% in February 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Bath County, with 3% in February 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