Virginia County Distress Index
Financial distress scores for all 133 counties in Virginia, scored 0–100 across five domains. Mean score: 51.7. 26counties are in Serious or Crisis.
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-26
Virginia Snapshot
133 Counties Scored
51.7 Mean Score
53.5 Median Score
88.3 Petersburg city Most Distressed
17.9 Goochland County Least Distressed
3 Crisis 23 Serious 49 Elevated 39 Normal 19 Healthy
Zone Distribution Virginia County Map
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Healthy Normal Elevated Serious Crisis
All 133 Virginia counties colored by distress zone. Hover for details; click released counties for full reports.
Most & Least Distressed
Most Distressed
Least Distressed
Score Distribution
How Virginia's 133 county scores are distributed across the 0–100 scale.
All Virginia Counties
133 counties ranked by distress score. Click column headers to sort.
| State Rank | Nat'l Rank | County | Score | Zone | Primary Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Petersburg city | 88.3 | Crisis | Legal Distress |
| 2 | 11 | Hopewell city | 86.0 | Crisis | Legal Distress |
| 3 | 45 | Portsmouth city | 81.9 | Crisis | Housing Cost Burden |
| 4 | 122 | Norfolk city | 77.3 | Serious | Housing Cost Burden |
| 5 | 125 | Hampton city | 77.1 | Serious | Housing Cost Burden |
| 6 | 138 | Martinsville city | 76.7 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 7 | 144 | Danville city | 76.4 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 8 | 153 | Franklin city | 76.2 | Serious | Legal Distress |
| 9 | 178 | Newport News city | 75.3 | Serious | Legal Distress |
| 10 | 187 | Bristol city | 74.9 | Serious | Legal Distress |
| 11 | 234 | Emporia city | 73.8 | Serious | Legal Distress |
| 12 | 245 | Greensville County | 73.6 | Serious | Housing Cost Burden |
| 13 | 294 | Richmond city | 72.5 | Serious | Housing Cost Burden |
| 14 | 315 | Colonial Heights city | 72.0 | Serious | Legal Distress |
| 15 | 318 | Lee County | 72.0 | Serious | Structural Poverty |
| 16 | 337 | Sussex County | 71.4 | Serious | Legal Distress |
| 17 | 436 | Essex County | 69.0 | Serious | Legal Distress |
| 18 | 474 | Roanoke city | 68.3 | Serious | Housing Cost Burden |
| 19 | 530 | Buckingham County | 67.3 | Serious | Legal Distress |
| 20 | 571 | Prince Edward County | 66.7 | Serious | Legal Distress |
| 21 | 572 | Westmoreland County | 66.7 | Serious | Legal Distress |
| 22 | 578 | Halifax County | 66.5 | Serious | Structural Poverty |
| 23 | 602 | Norton city | 65.9 | Serious | Structural Poverty |
| 24 | 633 | Lynchburg city | 65.2 | Serious | Housing Cost Burden |
| 25 | 634 | Radford city | 65.2 | Serious | Housing Cost Burden |
| 26 | 636 | Fredericksburg city | 65.2 | Serious | Legal Distress |
| 27 | 682 | Henry County | 64.4 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 28 | 707 | Waynesboro city | 64.1 | Elevated | Housing Cost Burden |
| 29 | 726 | Nottoway County | 63.7 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 30 | 731 | Brunswick County | 63.7 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 31 | 748 | Suffolk city | 63.4 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 32 | 807 | Covington city | 62.4 | Elevated | Housing Cost Burden |
| 33 | 830 | Mecklenburg County | 61.9 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 34 | 832 | Buena Vista city | 61.9 | Elevated | Housing Cost Burden |
| 35 | 848 | Buchanan County | 61.5 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 36 | 856 | Charlotte County | 61.4 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 37 | 859 | Winchester city | 61.4 | Elevated | Housing Cost Burden |
| 38 | 874 | Tazewell County | 61.2 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 39 | 932 | Dinwiddie County | 60.3 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 40 | 946 | Smyth County | 60.1 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 41 | 967 | Wythe County | 59.8 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 42 | 982 | Galax city | 59.6 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 43 | 985 | Wise County | 59.5 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 44 | 1,039 | Charles City County | 58.6 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 45 | 1,041 | Amherst County | 58.5 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 46 | 1,073 | Williamsburg city | 58.0 | Elevated | Housing Cost Burden |
| 47 | 1,128 | Southampton County | 57.4 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 48 | 1,130 | Lunenburg County | 57.4 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 49 | 1,156 | Harrisonburg city | 56.8 | Elevated | Housing Cost Burden |
| 50 | 1,160 | Cumberland County | 56.7 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 51 | 1,177 | Chesapeake city | 56.5 | Elevated | Housing Cost Burden |
| 52 | 1,218 | Prince George County | 55.8 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 53 | 1,232 | Pulaski County | 55.6 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 54 | 1,234 | Virginia Beach city | 55.5 | Elevated | Housing Cost Burden |
| 55 | 1,240 | Henrico County | 55.5 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 56 | 1,258 | King and Queen County | 55.2 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 57 | 1,259 | Caroline County | 55.2 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 58 | 1,269 | Manassas Park city | 55.0 | Elevated | Economic Vitality |
| 59 | 1,273 | Staunton city | 55.0 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 60 | 1,291 | Pittsylvania County | 54.7 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 61 | 1,297 | Spotsylvania County | 54.6 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 62 | 1,300 | Grayson County | 54.6 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 63 | 1,302 | Richmond County | 54.5 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 64 | 1,308 | Scott County | 54.5 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 65 | 1,327 | Dickenson County | 54.3 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 66 | 1,365 | Carroll County | 53.6 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 67 | 1,373 | Manassas city | 53.5 | Elevated | Housing Cost Burden |
| 68 | 1,384 | Page County | 53.3 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 69 | 1,392 | Amelia County | 53.1 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 70 | 1,400 | Accomack County | 53.0 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 71 | 1,418 | Russell County | 52.8 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 72 | 1,424 | Northampton County | 52.6 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 73 | 1,481 | Patrick County | 51.6 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 74 | 1,496 | Chesterfield County | 51.3 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 75 | 1,563 | Louisa County | 50.2 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 76 | 1,621 | King William County | 49.3 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 77 | 1,679 | Prince William County | 48.5 | Normal | Housing Cost Burden |
| 78 | 1,683 | Culpeper County | 48.5 | Normal | Housing Cost Burden |
| 79 | 1,691 | Charlottesville city | 48.4 | Normal | Housing Cost Burden |
| 80 | 1,722 | Alleghany County | 47.9 | Normal | Structural Poverty |
| 81 | 1,780 | Salem city | 47.0 | Normal | Housing Cost Burden |
| 82 | 1,857 | Lancaster County | 45.8 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 83 | 1,863 | Middlesex County | 45.7 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 84 | 1,878 | Appomattox County | 45.4 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 85 | 1,896 | Washington County | 45.0 | Normal | Economic Vitality |
| 86 | 1,959 | Alexandria city | 43.9 | Normal | Housing Cost Burden |
| 87 | 1,980 | Campbell County | 43.6 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 88 | 2,005 | Gloucester County | 43.1 | Normal | Economic Vitality |
| 89 | 2,015 | Stafford County | 43.0 | Normal | Housing Cost Burden |
| 90 | 2,022 | Orange County | 42.9 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 91 | 2,032 | Craig County | 42.7 | Normal | Housing Cost Burden |
| 92 | 2,033 | Surry County | 42.6 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 93 | 2,046 | King George County | 42.4 | Normal | Housing Cost Burden |
| 94 | 2,051 | Montgomery County | 42.3 | Normal | Housing Cost Burden |
| 95 | 2,070 | Northumberland County | 42.0 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 96 | 2,073 | Giles County | 41.9 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 97 | 2,089 | Isle of Wight County | 41.6 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 98 | 2,136 | Greene County | 40.9 | Normal | Economic Vitality |
| 99 | 2,157 | Shenandoah County | 40.6 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 100 | 2,169 | Lexington city | 40.4 | Normal | Housing Cost Burden |
| 101 | 2,199 | James City County | 39.9 | Normal | Housing Cost Burden |
| 102 | 2,206 | Augusta County | 39.8 | Normal | Economic Vitality |
| 103 | 2,270 | Fairfax city | 38.7 | Normal | Housing Cost Burden |
| 104 | 2,278 | Bedford County | 38.6 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 105 | 2,291 | Highland County | 38.3 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 106 | 2,298 | Warren County | 38.2 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 107 | 2,302 | York County | 38.2 | Normal | Housing Cost Burden |
| 108 | 2,339 | Franklin County | 37.5 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 109 | 2,346 | Frederick County | 37.4 | Normal | Economic Vitality |
| 110 | 2,374 | Nelson County | 36.8 | Normal | Economic Vitality |
| 111 | 2,376 | Fluvanna County | 36.8 | Normal | Economic Vitality |
| 112 | 2,387 | New Kent County | 36.5 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 113 | 2,414 | Bland County | 36.2 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 114 | 2,467 | Mathews County | 35.2 | Normal | Economic Vitality |
| 115 | 2,501 | Roanoke County | 34.6 | Healthy | Legal Distress |
| 116 | 2,506 | Albemarle County | 34.4 | Healthy | Housing Cost Burden |
| 117 | 2,531 | Clarke County | 33.9 | Healthy | Housing Cost Burden |
| 118 | 2,594 | Hanover County | 32.8 | Healthy | Legal Distress |
| 119 | 2,622 | Rockbridge County | 32.5 | Healthy | Economic Vitality |
| 120 | 2,638 | Rockingham County | 32.2 | Healthy | Economic Vitality |
| 121 | 2,685 | Rappahannock County | 31.3 | Healthy | Legal Distress |
| 122 | 2,727 | Poquoson city | 30.6 | Healthy | Economic Vitality |
| 123 | 2,750 | Bath County | 30.1 | Healthy | Structural Poverty |
| 124 | 2,753 | Fairfax County | 30.0 | Healthy | Housing Cost Burden |
| 125 | 2,763 | Floyd County | 29.9 | Healthy | Economic Vitality |
| 126 | 2,811 | Fauquier County | 28.9 | Healthy | Economic Vitality |
| 127 | 2,817 | Powhatan County | 28.6 | Healthy | Legal Distress |
| 128 | 2,906 | Falls Church city | 26.7 | Healthy | Housing Cost Burden |
| 129 | 2,916 | Madison County | 26.4 | Healthy | Legal Distress |
| 130 | 2,965 | Loudoun County | 25.1 | Healthy | Housing Cost Burden |
| 131 | 3,001 | Arlington County | 23.5 | Healthy | Housing Cost Burden |
| 132 | 3,054 | Botetourt County | 20.9 | Healthy | Legal Distress |
| 133 | 3,105 | Goochland County | 17.9 | Healthy | Legal Distress |
How County Scores Work
Each county is scored 0–100 using PCA-weighted percentile-rank scoring across five statistically derived dimensions: Consumer Credit Distress, Housing Cost Burden, Structural Poverty, Economic Vitality, and Legal Distress. A score of 50 means the county falls at the national median. Higher scores indicate greater household financial distress.
Crisis (≥80) — Among the most distressed counties in the country
Serious (65–80) — More distressed than roughly 80% of counties
Elevated (50–65) — More distressed than roughly half of counties
Normal (35–50) — Near the national median
Healthy (<35) — Less distressed than most counties