Counties in Virginia by unemployment rate

Emporia city had the highest unemployment rate of 133 counties in May 2026, at 7.3%. Bath County had the lowest, at 2.5%. The median was 3.6% and the figure for Virginia was 3.8%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest7.3Emporia city
Lowest2.5Bath County
Median3.6133 counties
Virginia3.8History

Top 40 counties, May 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Emporia cityEmporia city: 7.3 %7.3Lexington cityLexington city: 6.7 %6.7Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 6.4 %6.4Williamsburg cityWilliamsburg city: 6.1 %6.1Danville cityDanville city: 5.7 %5.7Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County: 5.6 %5.6Radford cityRadford city: 5.6 %5.6Greensville CountyGreensville County: 5.4 %5.4Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County: 5.3 %5.3Martinsville cityMartinsville city: 5.2 %5.2Petersburg cityPetersburg city: 5.1 %5.1Henry CountyHenry County: 5 %5Tazewell CountyTazewell County: 4.9 %4.9Franklin cityFranklin city: 4.8 %4.8Hopewell cityHopewell city: 4.8 %4.8Lynchburg cityLynchburg city: 4.8 %4.8Dickenson CountyDickenson County: 4.7 %4.7Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 4.7 %4.7Westmoreland CountyWestmoreland County: 4.7 %4.7Halifax CountyHalifax County: 4.6 %4.6Lee CountyLee County: 4.6 %4.6Covington cityCovington city: 4.5 %4.5Harrisonburg cityHarrisonburg city: 4.5 %4.5Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 4.5 %4.5Smyth CountySmyth County: 4.5 %4.5Wise CountyWise County: 4.5 %4.5Lunenburg CountyLunenburg County: 4.4 %4.4Portsmouth cityPortsmouth city: 4.4 %4.4Russell CountyRussell County: 4.4 %4.4Accomack CountyAccomack County: 4.3 %4.3Craig CountyCraig County: 4.2 %4.2Hampton cityHampton city: 4.2 %4.2Norton cityNorton city: 4.2 %4.2Scott CountyScott County: 4.2 %4.2Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 4.1 %4.1Buena Vista cityBuena Vista city: 4.1 %4.1Norfolk cityNorfolk city: 4.1 %4.1Richmond CountyRichmond County: 4.1 %4.1Alleghany CountyAlleghany County: 4 %4Essex CountyEssex County: 4 %4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesMay 2026 (%)Change on May 2025
1Emporia city7.3+1.3 pts
2Lexington city6.7+2 pts
3Buchanan County6.4+0.9 pts
4Williamsburg city6.1+1.5 pts
5Danville city5.7+0.7 pts
6Prince Edward County5.6+0.8 pts
6Radford city5.6+1.6 pts
8Greensville County5.40 pts
9Northumberland County5.30 pts
10Martinsville city5.20 pts
11Petersburg city5.1+0.4 pts
12Henry County5+0.3 pts
13Tazewell County4.9-0.1 pts
14Franklin city4.80 pts
14Hopewell city4.8+0.3 pts
14Lynchburg city4.8+0.6 pts
17Dickenson County4.7+0.1 pts
17Lancaster County4.7-0.2 pts
17Westmoreland County4.7+0.3 pts
20Halifax County4.6+0.1 pts
20Lee County4.6+0.5 pts
22Covington city4.50 pts
22Harrisonburg city4.5+1 pts
22Montgomery County4.5+1.1 pts
22Smyth County4.5+0.5 pts
22Wise County4.5+0.3 pts
27Lunenburg County4.4+0.4 pts
27Portsmouth city4.4+0.3 pts
27Russell County4.40 pts
30Accomack County4.3+0.4 pts
31Craig County4.2+0.8 pts
31Hampton city4.2+0.2 pts
31Norton city4.2+0.5 pts
31Scott County4.2+0.5 pts
35Brunswick County4.1-0.2 pts
35Buena Vista city4.1+0.8 pts
35Norfolk city4.1+0.3 pts
35Richmond County4.1+0.3 pts
39Alleghany County4+0.2 pts
39Essex County4+0.1 pts
39Fredericksburg city4+0.7 pts
39Newport News city4+0.3 pts
39Northampton County4+0.1 pts
44Bristol city3.9+0.3 pts
44Galax city3.9+0.7 pts
44Nottoway County3.90 pts
44Patrick County3.9+0.5 pts
44Pittsylvania County3.9+0.2 pts
44Pulaski County3.9+0.2 pts
44Richmond city3.9+0.3 pts
51Carroll County3.80 pts
51Charlotte County3.8+0.1 pts
51Colonial Heights city3.8+0.6 pts
51Mecklenburg County3.8+0.3 pts
51Suffolk city3.8+0.3 pts
56Buckingham County3.7+0.1 pts
56Charles City County3.7+0.4 pts
56Franklin County3.7+0.4 pts
56Roanoke city3.7+0.3 pts
56Spotsylvania County3.7+0.5 pts
56Washington County3.7+0.3 pts
56Winchester city3.7+0.5 pts
63Chesapeake city3.6+0.4 pts
63Dinwiddie County3.6+0.2 pts
63Giles County3.6+0.3 pts
63Louisa County3.6+0.2 pts
63Page County3.60 pts
63Salem city3.6+0.5 pts
63Shenandoah County3.6+0.2 pts
63Stafford County3.6+0.5 pts
71Bedford County3.5+0.3 pts
71Caroline County3.5+0.3 pts
71Chesterfield County3.5+0.4 pts
71Henrico County3.5+0.3 pts
71James City County3.5+0.2 pts
71King George County3.5+0.4 pts
71Mathews County3.50 pts
71Orange County3.5+0.1 pts
71Prince William County3.5+0.4 pts
71Southampton County3.50 pts
71Surry County3.5+0.1 pts
71Sussex County3.50 pts
71Wythe County3.5+0.3 pts
84Albemarle County3.4+0.4 pts
84Amherst County3.4-0.1 pts
84Appomattox County3.4+0.3 pts
84Bland County3.40 pts
84Campbell County3.40 pts
84Clarke County3.4+0.4 pts
84Fairfax County3.4+0.4 pts
84Grayson County3.4+0.1 pts
84Highland County3.4+0.2 pts
84Isle of Wight County3.4+0.2 pts
84Loudoun County3.4+0.4 pts
84Virginia Beach city3.4+0.3 pts
84Warren County3.4+0.3 pts
84York County3.4+0.3 pts
98Amelia County3.3-0.1 pts
98Culpeper County3.3+0.4 pts
98Falls Church city3.30 pts
98Frederick County3.3+0.3 pts
98Roanoke County3.3+0.3 pts
103Botetourt County3.2+0.4 pts
103Floyd County3.2+0.4 pts
103Goochland County3.2+0.2 pts
103Hanover County3.2+0.3 pts
103Manassas city3.2+0.4 pts
103Manassas Park city3.2+0.3 pts
103Middlesex County3.20 pts
103Poquoson city3.2+0.5 pts
103Rockbridge County3.2+0.2 pts
112Fairfax city3.1+0.2 pts
112Fluvanna County3.1+0.2 pts
112Gloucester County3.1+0.2 pts
112Madison County3.1+0.2 pts
112Nelson County3.10 pts
112Rappahannock County3.1+0.2 pts
112Rockingham County3.1+0.2 pts
112Staunton city3.10 pts
112Waynesboro city3.1-0.1 pts
121Charlottesville city3+0.1 pts
121Cumberland County3+0.1 pts
121Fauquier County3+0.3 pts
121King and Queen County30 pts
121King William County3+0.2 pts
121New Kent County3+0.2 pts
127Alexandria city2.9-0.1 pts
127Arlington County2.90 pts
127Augusta County2.9+0.2 pts
127Greene County2.9+0.1 pts
127Powhatan County2.9+0.3 pts
127Prince George County2.9-0.3 pts
133Bath County2.5-0.2 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 7.3% in May 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Bath County, with 2.5% in May 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