Counties in Virginia by unemployment rate

Emporia city had the highest unemployment rate of 133 counties in March 2026, at 8.3%. Bath County had the lowest, at 2.9%. The median was 3.9% and the figure for Virginia was 3.8%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest8.3Emporia city
Lowest2.9Bath County
Median3.9133 counties
Virginia3.8History

Top 40 counties, March 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Emporia cityEmporia city: 8.3 %8.3Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 7.8 %7.8Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County: 7.4 %7.4Greensville CountyGreensville County: 6.5 %6.5Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 6.5 %6.5Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 6.3 %6.3Danville cityDanville city: 6.1 %6.1Martinsville cityMartinsville city: 5.7 %5.7Williamsburg cityWilliamsburg city: 5.6 %5.6Petersburg cityPetersburg city: 5.5 %5.5Tazewell CountyTazewell County: 5.5 %5.5Westmoreland CountyWestmoreland County: 5.5 %5.5Henry CountyHenry County: 5.4 %5.4Lexington cityLexington city: 5.4 %5.4Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County: 5.3 %5.3Halifax CountyHalifax County: 5.1 %5.1Hopewell cityHopewell city: 5.1 %5.1Radford cityRadford city: 5.1 %5.1Dickenson CountyDickenson County: 5 %5Accomack CountyAccomack County: 4.9 %4.9Carroll CountyCarroll County: 4.9 %4.9Franklin cityFranklin city: 4.9 %4.9Lee CountyLee County: 4.9 %4.9Page CountyPage County: 4.9 %4.9Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 4.8 %4.8Covington cityCovington city: 4.8 %4.8Lynchburg cityLynchburg city: 4.8 %4.8Portsmouth cityPortsmouth city: 4.8 %4.8Smyth CountySmyth County: 4.8 %4.8Wythe CountyWythe County: 4.8 %4.8Bland CountyBland County: 4.7 %4.7Giles CountyGiles County: 4.7 %4.7Wise CountyWise County: 4.7 %4.7Northampton CountyNorthampton County: 4.6 %4.6Russell CountyRussell County: 4.6 %4.6Hampton cityHampton city: 4.5 %4.5Lunenburg CountyLunenburg County: 4.5 %4.5Buckingham CountyBuckingham County: 4.4 %4.4Newport News cityNewport News city: 4.4 %4.4Norfolk cityNorfolk city: 4.4 %4.4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesMarch 2026 (%)Change on March 2025
1Emporia city8.30 pts
2Buchanan County7.8+2.8 pts
3Northumberland County7.4+0.6 pts
4Greensville County6.5-0.2 pts
4Lancaster County6.5+0.9 pts
6Pulaski County6.3+2 pts
7Danville city6.1+1.2 pts
8Martinsville city5.7+0.3 pts
9Williamsburg city5.6+0.2 pts
10Petersburg city5.5+0.7 pts
10Tazewell County5.5+0.7 pts
10Westmoreland County5.5+1 pts
13Henry County5.4+0.9 pts
13Lexington city5.4-0.1 pts
15Prince Edward County5.3+0.4 pts
16Halifax County5.1+0.8 pts
16Hopewell city5.1+0.5 pts
16Radford city5.1+0.3 pts
19Dickenson County5+0.6 pts
20Accomack County4.9+0.6 pts
20Carroll County4.9+0.7 pts
20Franklin city4.9+0.3 pts
20Lee County4.9+0.8 pts
20Page County4.9+0.3 pts
25Brunswick County4.80 pts
25Covington city4.8+0.2 pts
25Lynchburg city4.8+0.4 pts
25Portsmouth city4.8+0.7 pts
25Smyth County4.8+0.7 pts
25Wythe County4.8+1 pts
31Bland County4.7+0.9 pts
31Giles County4.7+1.1 pts
31Wise County4.7+0.3 pts
34Northampton County4.6+0.6 pts
34Russell County4.6+0.3 pts
36Hampton city4.5+0.4 pts
36Lunenburg County4.5+0.6 pts
38Buckingham County4.4+0.5 pts
38Newport News city4.4+0.6 pts
38Norfolk city4.4+0.6 pts
41Essex County4.3+0.1 pts
41Mecklenburg County4.3+0.9 pts
41Montgomery County4.3+0.5 pts
41Norton city4.3+0.4 pts
41Pittsylvania County4.3+0.9 pts
41Richmond County4.3-0.1 pts
41Scott County4.3+0.6 pts
48Alleghany County4.2+0.5 pts
48Grayson County4.2+0.9 pts
48Patrick County4.2+0.9 pts
48Surry County4.2+0.9 pts
52Charlotte County4.1+0.5 pts
52Nottoway County4.1+0.2 pts
52Richmond city4.1+0.5 pts
55Bristol city4+0.3 pts
55Colonial Heights city4+0.8 pts
55Fredericksburg city4+0.5 pts
55Harrisonburg city40 pts
55Roanoke city4+0.5 pts
55Sussex County4+0.4 pts
61Charles City County3.9+0.6 pts
61Craig County3.9+0.6 pts
61Highland County3.9+1.4 pts
61Louisa County3.9+0.7 pts
61Orange County3.9+0.7 pts
61Suffolk city3.9+0.5 pts
61Washington County3.9+0.7 pts
68Buena Vista city3.8+0.1 pts
68Falls Church city3.8+0.6 pts
68Franklin County3.8+0.5 pts
68Galax city3.8+0.1 pts
68James City County3.8+0.6 pts
68Shenandoah County3.8+0.4 pts
68Southampton County3.8+0.6 pts
68Spotsylvania County3.8+0.6 pts
68Stafford County3.8+0.6 pts
77Amherst County3.7+0.5 pts
77Appomattox County3.7+0.3 pts
77Bedford County3.7+0.5 pts
77Campbell County3.7+0.4 pts
77Chesapeake city3.7+0.5 pts
77Chesterfield County3.7+0.5 pts
77Dinwiddie County3.7+0.5 pts
77Floyd County3.7+0.9 pts
77Henrico County3.7+0.5 pts
77King George County3.7+0.7 pts
77Mathews County3.7+0.4 pts
77Prince William County3.7+0.6 pts
77Winchester city3.7+0.3 pts
90Caroline County3.6+0.1 pts
90Fairfax County3.6+0.6 pts
90Loudoun County3.6+0.6 pts
90Warren County3.6+0.4 pts
90York County3.6+0.7 pts
95Amelia County3.5+0.4 pts
95Clarke County3.5+0.6 pts
95Culpeper County3.5+0.4 pts
95Frederick County3.5+0.6 pts
95Isle of Wight County3.5+0.4 pts
95Manassas Park city3.5+0.6 pts
95Middlesex County3.5+0.4 pts
95Nelson County3.5+0.6 pts
95Salem city3.5+0.3 pts
95Staunton city3.5+0.5 pts
95Virginia Beach city3.5+0.5 pts
106Albemarle County3.4+0.4 pts
106Alexandria city3.4+0.5 pts
106Goochland County3.4+0.7 pts
106Madison County3.4+0.7 pts
106Manassas city3.4+0.5 pts
106Rappahannock County3.4+0.6 pts
106Roanoke County3.4+0.5 pts
113Botetourt County3.3+0.7 pts
113Fluvanna County3.3+0.6 pts
113Gloucester County3.3+0.6 pts
113Hanover County3.3+0.4 pts
113King and Queen County3.3+0.3 pts
113Rockbridge County3.3+0.5 pts
113Waynesboro city3.3+0.3 pts
120Arlington County3.2+0.4 pts
120Fairfax city3.2+0.4 pts
120King William County3.2+0.3 pts
120New Kent County3.2+0.4 pts
120Poquoson city3.2+0.5 pts
120Prince George County3.2+0.2 pts
126Charlottesville city3.1+0.3 pts
126Cumberland County3.1+0.5 pts
126Fauquier County3.1+0.4 pts
126Greene County3.1+0.4 pts
126Rockingham County3.1+0.4 pts
131Augusta County3+0.5 pts
131Powhatan County3+0.6 pts
133Bath County2.9+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?

Emporia city, with 8.3% in March 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Bath County, with 2.9% in March 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