Counties in Virginia by unemployment rate

Emporia city had the highest unemployment rate of 133 counties in June 2026, at 7.3%. Bath County had the lowest, at 2.8%. The median was 3.9% and the figure for Virginia was 3.8%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest7.3Emporia city
Lowest2.8Bath County
Median3.9133 counties
Virginia3.8History

Top 40 counties, June 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Emporia cityEmporia city: 7.3 %7.3Lexington cityLexington city: 7.3 %7.3Buchanan CountyBuchanan County: 7.1 %7.1Williamsburg cityWilliamsburg city: 6.4 %6.4Prince Edward CountyPrince Edward County: 6.3 %6.3Danville cityDanville city: 6.2 %6.2Radford cityRadford city: 6 %6Greensville CountyGreensville County: 5.8 %5.8Martinsville cityMartinsville city: 5.7 %5.7Petersburg cityPetersburg city: 5.5 %5.5Henry CountyHenry County: 5.4 %5.4Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County: 5.4 %5.4Tazewell CountyTazewell County: 5.4 %5.4Franklin cityFranklin city: 5.3 %5.3Lynchburg cityLynchburg city: 5.3 %5.3Dickenson CountyDickenson County: 5.2 %5.2Hopewell cityHopewell city: 5.2 %5.2Halifax CountyHalifax County: 5.1 %5.1Westmoreland CountyWestmoreland County: 5.1 %5.1Lee CountyLee County: 5 %5Wise CountyWise County: 5 %5Harrisonburg cityHarrisonburg city: 4.9 %4.9Lunenburg CountyLunenburg County: 4.9 %4.9Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 4.9 %4.9Russell CountyRussell County: 4.9 %4.9Covington cityCovington city: 4.8 %4.8Smyth CountySmyth County: 4.8 %4.8Portsmouth cityPortsmouth city: 4.7 %4.7Accomack CountyAccomack County: 4.6 %4.6Lancaster CountyLancaster County: 4.6 %4.6Norton cityNorton city: 4.6 %4.6Scott CountyScott County: 4.6 %4.6Alleghany CountyAlleghany County: 4.5 %4.5Charlotte CountyCharlotte County: 4.5 %4.5Brunswick CountyBrunswick County: 4.4 %4.4Craig CountyCraig County: 4.4 %4.4Hampton cityHampton city: 4.4 %4.4Norfolk cityNorfolk city: 4.4 %4.4Nottoway CountyNottoway County: 4.4 %4.4Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 4.4 %4.4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesJune 2026 (%)Change on June 2025
1Emporia city7.3+1.5 pts
1Lexington city7.3+1.1 pts
3Buchanan County7.1+1.3 pts
4Williamsburg city6.4+1 pts
5Prince Edward County6.3+0.8 pts
6Danville city6.2+0.6 pts
7Radford city6+0.5 pts
8Greensville County5.8+0.4 pts
9Martinsville city5.7+0.7 pts
10Petersburg city5.5+0.7 pts
11Henry County5.4+0.6 pts
11Northumberland County5.4+0.5 pts
11Tazewell County5.4+0.1 pts
14Franklin city5.3+0.6 pts
14Lynchburg city5.3+0.7 pts
16Dickenson County5.2+0.4 pts
16Hopewell city5.2+0.7 pts
18Halifax County5.1+0.4 pts
18Westmoreland County5.1+0.7 pts
20Lee County5+0.6 pts
20Wise County5+0.5 pts
22Harrisonburg city4.9+0.7 pts
22Lunenburg County4.9+0.5 pts
22Montgomery County4.9+0.5 pts
22Russell County4.9+0.3 pts
26Covington city4.8+0.3 pts
26Smyth County4.8+0.5 pts
28Portsmouth city4.7+0.5 pts
29Accomack County4.6+0.7 pts
29Lancaster County4.6+0.3 pts
29Norton city4.6+0.8 pts
29Scott County4.6+0.6 pts
33Alleghany County4.5+0.6 pts
33Charlotte County4.5+0.4 pts
35Brunswick County4.4-0.1 pts
35Craig County4.4+0.8 pts
35Hampton city4.4+0.2 pts
35Norfolk city4.4+0.4 pts
35Nottoway County4.4+0.2 pts
35Pulaski County4.4-3.2 pts
35Richmond County4.4+0.7 pts
42Bristol city4.3+0.5 pts
42Buena Vista city4.3+0.4 pts
42Newport News city4.3+0.3 pts
42Northampton County4.3+0.6 pts
42Patrick County4.3+0.5 pts
42Pittsylvania County4.3+0.2 pts
48Carroll County4.2-0.8 pts
48Essex County4.20 pts
48Galax city4.2+0.4 pts
48Giles County4.2-1.2 pts
48Richmond city4.2+0.5 pts
48Roanoke city4.2+0.6 pts
54Buckingham County4.1+0.4 pts
54Franklin County4.1+0.5 pts
54Fredericksburg city4.1+0.5 pts
54Mathews County4.1+0.4 pts
54Mecklenburg County4.1+0.3 pts
54Suffolk city4.1+0.4 pts
54Surry County4.1+0.6 pts
61Colonial Heights city4+0.6 pts
61Louisa County4+0.4 pts
61Washington County4+0.4 pts
61Winchester city4+0.6 pts
65Amherst County3.9+0.3 pts
65Bedford County3.9+0.4 pts
65Campbell County3.9+0.3 pts
65Chesapeake city3.9+0.5 pts
65Dinwiddie County3.9+0.5 pts
65Grayson County3.9-0.1 pts
65James City County3.9+0.3 pts
65Page County3.9+0.3 pts
65Salem city3.9+0.5 pts
65Shenandoah County3.9+0.4 pts
65Southampton County3.9+0.2 pts
65Spotsylvania County3.9+0.5 pts
65Stafford County3.9+0.6 pts
78Charles City County3.8+0.3 pts
78Chesterfield County3.8+0.5 pts
78Henrico County3.8+0.5 pts
78King George County3.8+0.6 pts
78Middlesex County3.8+0.4 pts
78Orange County3.8+0.3 pts
78Sussex County3.8+0.3 pts
78Wythe County3.8-1.2 pts
86Albemarle County3.7+0.4 pts
86Amelia County3.7+0.2 pts
86Appomattox County3.7+0.4 pts
86Caroline County3.7+0.3 pts
86Cumberland County3.7+0.6 pts
86Frederick County3.7+0.6 pts
86Highland County3.7+0.6 pts
86Isle of Wight County3.7+0.3 pts
86Prince William County3.7+0.4 pts
86Roanoke County3.7+0.5 pts
86Virginia Beach city3.7+0.5 pts
86Warren County3.7+0.4 pts
86York County3.7+0.4 pts
99Clarke County3.6+0.4 pts
99Culpeper County3.6+0.5 pts
99Fairfax County3.6+0.4 pts
99Falls Church city3.6+0.2 pts
99Floyd County3.60 pts
99Goochland County3.6+0.5 pts
99King and Queen County3.6+0.5 pts
99Loudoun County3.6+0.5 pts
99Rockbridge County3.6+0.3 pts
108Bland County3.5-0.9 pts
108Botetourt County3.5+0.5 pts
108Hanover County3.5+0.5 pts
108Manassas Park city3.5+0.5 pts
108Poquoson city3.5+0.4 pts
108Rockingham County3.5+0.4 pts
108Staunton city3.5+0.2 pts
115Charlottesville city3.4+0.3 pts
115Fluvanna County3.4+0.4 pts
115Gloucester County3.4+0.4 pts
115Madison County3.4+0.3 pts
115Manassas city3.4+0.4 pts
115Nelson County3.4+0.1 pts
115Rappahannock County3.4+0.4 pts
115Waynesboro city3.4+0.2 pts
123Fairfax city3.3+0.3 pts
123Greene County3.3+0.4 pts
123King William County3.3+0.4 pts
123New Kent County3.3+0.3 pts
123Prince George County3.3+0.1 pts
128Alexandria city3.2+0.2 pts
128Augusta County3.2+0.3 pts
128Fauquier County3.2+0.4 pts
128Powhatan County3.2+0.4 pts
132Arlington County3.1+0.2 pts
133Bath 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 7.3% in June 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Bath County, with 2.8% in June 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