Virginia County Distress Index
Financial distress scores for all 133 counties in Virginia, scored 0–100 across five domains. A county's score is the share of U.S. counties it is more distressed than; the average Virginia county scores 52.3. 39 counties score high, very high, or extreme.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts | Scores as of Aug 2026
Virginia Snapshot
133 Counties Scored
52.3 Mean Score
51.0 Median Score
99 Petersburg city Most Distressed
2 Goochland County Least Distressed
13 extreme county distress15 very high county distress11 high county distress19 moderate-high county distress11 moderate county distress15 moderate-low county distress18 low-moderate county distress8 low county distress13 very low county distress10 exceptionally low county distress
Score Label Distribution Virginia County Map
Loading interactive map…
Low county distress Moderate-low county distress Moderate county distress High county distress Extreme county distress
All 133 Virginia counties colored by county distress score range. 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 | Score Label | Primary Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | Petersburg city | 99 | extreme county distress | Default & Legal |
| 2 | 19 | Hopewell city | 99 | extreme county distress | Delinquency |
| 3 | 40 | Franklin city | 98 | extreme county distress | Delinquency |
| 4 | 63 | Danville city | 98 | extreme county distress | Delinquency |
| 5 | 88 | Emporia city | 97 | extreme county distress | Delinquency |
| 6 | — | Portsmouth city | 96 | extreme county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 7 | — | Buchanan County | 95 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 8 | — | Lee County | 95 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 9 | — | Bristol city | 94 | extreme county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 10 | — | Martinsville city | 92 | extreme county distress | Delinquency |
| 11 | — | Norton city | 90 | extreme county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 12 | — | Hampton city | 90 | extreme county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 13 | — | Greensville County | 90 | extreme county distress | Delinquency |
| 14 | — | Buckingham County | 89 | very high county distress | Delinquency |
| 15 | — | Norfolk city | 88 | very high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 16 | — | Tazewell County | 87 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 17 | — | Sussex County | 87 | very high county distress | Delinquency |
| 18 | — | Halifax County | 86 | very high county distress | Delinquency |
| 19 | — | Richmond city | 86 | very high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 20 | — | Newport News city | 86 | very high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 21 | — | Essex County | 84 | very high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 22 | — | Wise County | 84 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 23 | — | Covington city | 84 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 24 | — | Henry County | 83 | very high county distress | Delinquency |
| 25 | — | Nottoway County | 82 | very high county distress | Delinquency |
| 26 | — | Roanoke city | 81 | very high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 27 | — | Scott County | 81 | very high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 28 | — | Lynchburg city | 80 | very high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 29 | — | Westmoreland County | 79 | high county distress | Labor |
| 30 | — | Radford city | 78 | high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 31 | — | Colonial Heights city | 78 | high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 32 | — | Brunswick County | 78 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 33 | — | Prince Edward County | 78 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 34 | — | Galax city | 77 | high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 35 | — | Smyth County | 76 | high county distress | Delinquency |
| 36 | — | Russell County | 75 | high county distress | Labor |
| 37 | — | Dinwiddie County | 74 | high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 38 | — | Lunenburg County | 73 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 39 | — | Dickenson County | 72 | high county distress | Labor |
| 40 | — | Pulaski County | 69 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 41 | — | Buena Vista city | 69 | moderate-high county distress | Delinquency |
| 42 | — | Charlotte County | 69 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 43 | — | Charles City County | 68 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 44 | — | Fredericksburg city | 67 | moderate-high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 45 | — | Williamsburg city | 67 | moderate-high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 46 | — | Wythe County | 67 | moderate-high county distress | Delinquency |
| 47 | — | Winchester city | 66 | moderate-high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 48 | — | Northumberland County | 66 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 49 | — | Richmond County | 65 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 50 | — | Carroll County | 64 | moderate-high county distress | Delinquency |
| 51 | — | Grayson County | 64 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 52 | — | Accomack County | 64 | moderate-high county distress | Delinquency |
| 53 | — | Cumberland County | 63 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 54 | — | Pittsylvania County | 62 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 55 | — | Amherst County | 62 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 56 | — | King and Queen County | 61 | moderate-high county distress | Delinquency |
| 57 | — | Mecklenburg County | 61 | moderate-high county distress | Delinquency |
| 58 | — | Waynesboro city | 60 | moderate-high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 59 | — | Patrick County | 59 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 60 | — | Page County | 59 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 61 | — | Amelia County | 58 | moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 62 | — | Suffolk city | 57 | moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 63 | — | Harrisonburg city | 56 | moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 64 | — | Southampton County | 52 | moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 65 | — | Lancaster County | 52 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 66 | — | Staunton city | 51 | moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 67 | — | Northampton County | 51 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 68 | — | Alleghany County | 50 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 69 | — | Chesapeake city | 50 | moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 70 | — | Spotsylvania County | 48 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 71 | — | Henrico County | 48 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 72 | — | Caroline County | 48 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 73 | — | Giles County | 45 | moderate-low county distress | Labor |
| 74 | — | Washington County | 45 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 75 | — | Manassas city | 44 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 76 | — | Louisa County | 44 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 77 | — | Prince George County | 44 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 78 | — | Mathews County | 43 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 79 | — | Virginia Beach city | 43 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 80 | — | King William County | 42 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 81 | — | Middlesex County | 42 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 82 | — | Bland County | 42 | moderate-low county distress | Labor |
| 83 | — | Campbell County | 42 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 84 | — | Appomattox County | 40 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 85 | — | Surry County | 39 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 86 | — | Manassas Park city | 39 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 87 | — | Franklin County | 38 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 88 | — | Salem city | 38 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 89 | — | Chesterfield County | 37 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 90 | — | Craig County | 36 | low-moderate county distress | Labor |
| 91 | — | Montgomery County | 35 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 92 | — | Rappahannock County | 35 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 93 | — | Gloucester County | 35 | low-moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 94 | — | Lexington city | 35 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 95 | — | Isle of Wight County | 35 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 96 | — | Nelson County | 34 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 97 | — | Highland County | 34 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 98 | — | Charlottesville city | 34 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 99 | — | Prince William County | 33 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 100 | — | Culpeper County | 32 | low-moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 101 | — | Shenandoah County | 31 | low-moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 102 | — | Warren County | 30 | low-moderate county distress | Labor |
| 103 | — | Stafford County | 29 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 104 | — | Orange County | 28 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 105 | — | Bedford County | 26 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 106 | — | Greene County | 26 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 107 | — | Fluvanna County | 25 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 108 | — | King George County | 22 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 109 | — | Alexandria city | 22 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 110 | — | Clarke County | 20 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 111 | — | Fairfax city | 19 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 112 | — | James City County | 18 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 113 | — | Augusta County | 17 | very low county distress | Delinquency |
| 114 | — | Bath County | 16 | very low county distress | Delinquency |
| 115 | — | Roanoke County | 16 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 116 | — | Frederick County | 15 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 117 | — | Floyd County | 15 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 118 | — | York County | 14 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 119 | — | Rockingham County | 14 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 120 | — | Rockbridge County | 12 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 121 | — | Powhatan County | 12 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 122 | — | Fauquier County | 12 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 123 | — | Albemarle County | 10 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 124 | — | Madison County | 9 | exceptionally low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 125 | — | New Kent County | 9 | exceptionally low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 126 | — | Hanover County | 8 | exceptionally low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 127 | — | Fairfax County | 6 | exceptionally low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 128 | — | Botetourt County | 5 | exceptionally low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 129 | — | Falls Church city | 4 | exceptionally low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 130 | — | Poquoson city | 4 | exceptionally low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 131 | — | Arlington County | 4 | exceptionally low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 132 | — | Loudoun County | 3 | exceptionally low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 133 | 3,081 | Goochland County | 2 | exceptionally low county distress | Default & Legal |
How County Scores Work
Each county is scored 0–100 using five equal-weighted domains. Each domain averages its member indicators' county ranks, the domains are averaged, and that average is ranked against every U.S. county. So a county's score is the share of U.S. counties it is more distressed than. National ranks are shown only for the 100 most and 100 least distressed counties, because ranks in between move between updates. Counties with identical composite scores share a rank, marked T- for tied.
extreme county distress — 13 Virginia counties
very high county distress — 15 Virginia counties
high county distress — 11 Virginia counties
moderate-high county distress — 19 Virginia counties
moderate county distress — 11 Virginia counties
moderate-low county distress — 15 Virginia counties
low-moderate county distress — 18 Virginia counties
low county distress — 8 Virginia counties
very low county distress — 13 Virginia counties
exceptionally low county distress — 10 Virginia counties