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 51.9. 40 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
51.9 Mean Score
52.1 Median Score
99 Petersburg city Most Distressed
1 Goochland County Least Distressed
13 extreme county distress15 very high county distress12 high county distress19 moderate-high county distress9 moderate county distress15 moderate-low county distress17 low-moderate county distress9 low county distress14 very low county distress10 exceptionally low county distress
Score Label Distribution Virginia County Map
Petersburg city is the most distressed of Virginia's 133 counties
County Distress Index score for Virginia's 133 counties, from green (least distressed, 0–29) to red (most distressed, 80–100). Data from 2024 to Aug 2026.
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Least distressed 0–2930–4950–6970–7980–100 Most distressed
County Distress Index score · data from 2024 to Aug 2026
Point to or tap a county for its rank and score. Click it, or tap it twice, to open its page.
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 | 48 | Franklin city | 98 | extreme county distress | Delinquency |
| 4 | 60 | Danville city | 98 | extreme county distress | Delinquency |
| 5 | 85 | Emporia city | 97 | extreme county distress | Delinquency |
| 6 | — | Lee County | 96 | extreme county distress | Delinquency |
| 7 | — | Buchanan County | 96 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 8 | — | Portsmouth city | 96 | extreme county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 9 | — | Bristol city | 94 | extreme county distress | Delinquency |
| 10 | — | Martinsville city | 93 | extreme county distress | Delinquency |
| 11 | — | Norton city | 91 | extreme county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 12 | — | Greensville County | 90 | extreme county distress | Delinquency |
| 13 | — | Hampton city | 90 | extreme county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 14 | — | Tazewell County | 88 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 15 | — | Norfolk city | 88 | very high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 16 | — | Buckingham County | 87 | very high county distress | Delinquency |
| 17 | — | Sussex County | 87 | very high county distress | Delinquency |
| 18 | — | Halifax County | 85 | very high county distress | Delinquency |
| 19 | — | Covington city | 85 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 20 | — | Wise County | 85 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 21 | — | Richmond city | 85 | very high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 22 | — | Newport News city | 85 | very high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 23 | — | Henry County | 85 | very high county distress | Delinquency |
| 24 | — | Essex County | 84 | very high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 25 | — | Nottoway County | 81 | very high county distress | Delinquency |
| 26 | — | Scott County | 81 | very high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 27 | — | Roanoke city | 81 | very high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 28 | — | Lynchburg city | 80 | very high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 29 | — | Westmoreland County | 79 | high county distress | Labor |
| 30 | — | Colonial Heights city | 79 | high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 31 | — | Brunswick County | 78 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 32 | — | Galax city | 78 | high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 33 | — | Prince Edward County | 77 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 34 | — | Smyth County | 77 | high county distress | Delinquency |
| 35 | — | Radford city | 77 | high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 36 | — | Lunenburg County | 74 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 37 | — | Russell County | 74 | high county distress | Labor |
| 38 | — | Dinwiddie County | 73 | high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 39 | — | Dickenson County | 72 | high county distress | Labor |
| 40 | — | Charlotte County | 70 | high county distress | Delinquency |
| 41 | — | Pulaski County | 69 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 42 | — | Buena Vista city | 69 | moderate-high county distress | Delinquency |
| 43 | — | Charles City County | 68 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 44 | — | Wythe County | 67 | moderate-high county distress | Delinquency |
| 45 | — | Northumberland County | 67 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 46 | — | Fredericksburg city | 66 | moderate-high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 47 | — | Williamsburg city | 66 | moderate-high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 48 | — | Grayson County | 65 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 49 | — | Richmond County | 65 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 50 | — | Winchester city | 65 | moderate-high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 51 | — | Carroll County | 65 | moderate-high county distress | Delinquency |
| 52 | — | Accomack County | 63 | moderate-high county distress | Delinquency |
| 53 | — | Pittsylvania County | 63 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 54 | — | Cumberland County | 62 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 55 | — | Amherst County | 61 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 56 | — | Mecklenburg County | 61 | moderate-high county distress | Delinquency |
| 57 | — | Patrick County | 60 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 58 | — | Waynesboro city | 60 | moderate-high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 59 | — | Page County | 60 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 60 | — | King and Queen County | 59 | moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 61 | — | Amelia County | 56 | moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 62 | — | Suffolk city | 55 | moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 63 | — | Harrisonburg city | 54 | moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 64 | — | Lancaster County | 53 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 65 | — | Staunton city | 53 | moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 66 | — | Northampton County | 53 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 67 | — | Southampton County | 52 | moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 68 | — | Alleghany County | 51 | moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 69 | — | Chesapeake city | 48 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 70 | — | Henrico County | 47 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 71 | — | Caroline County | 46 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 72 | — | Spotsylvania County | 46 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 73 | — | Washington County | 46 | moderate-low county distress | Delinquency |
| 74 | — | Mathews County | 45 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 75 | — | Giles County | 44 | moderate-low county distress | Labor |
| 76 | — | Middlesex County | 44 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 77 | — | Manassas city | 43 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 78 | — | Louisa County | 42 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 79 | — | Prince George County | 42 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 80 | — | Bland County | 41 | moderate-low county distress | Labor |
| 81 | — | Campbell County | 41 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 82 | — | Virginia Beach city | 41 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 83 | — | King William County | 40 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 84 | — | Surry County | 39 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 85 | — | Highland County | 38 | low-moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 86 | — | Salem city | 38 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 87 | — | Appomattox County | 38 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 88 | — | Franklin County | 37 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 89 | — | Lexington city | 36 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 90 | — | Manassas Park city | 35 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 91 | — | Nelson County | 35 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 92 | — | Montgomery County | 34 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 93 | — | Craig County | 34 | low-moderate county distress | Labor |
| 94 | — | Chesterfield County | 34 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 95 | — | Gloucester County | 34 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 96 | — | Rappahannock County | 33 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 97 | — | Charlottesville city | 33 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 98 | — | Isle of Wight County | 32 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 99 | — | Culpeper County | 30 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 100 | — | Shenandoah County | 30 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 101 | — | Prince William County | 29 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 102 | — | Warren County | 29 | low county distress | Labor |
| 103 | — | Orange County | 26 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 104 | — | Stafford County | 26 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 105 | — | Bedford County | 26 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 106 | — | Greene County | 24 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 107 | — | Fluvanna County | 24 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 108 | — | Alexandria city | 20 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 109 | — | Clarke County | 20 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 110 | — | King George County | 18 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 111 | — | Fairfax city | 18 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 112 | — | James City County | 18 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 113 | — | Bath County | 17 | very low county distress | Delinquency |
| 114 | — | Augusta County | 16 | very low county distress | Delinquency |
| 115 | — | Roanoke County | 16 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 116 | — | Floyd County | 15 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 117 | — | Frederick County | 14 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 118 | — | Rockingham County | 13 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 119 | — | York County | 13 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 120 | — | Rockbridge County | 12 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 121 | — | Powhatan County | 11 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 122 | — | Fauquier County | 11 | 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 | 8 | exceptionally low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 126 | — | Hanover County | 7 | 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 | — | Arlington County | 4 | exceptionally low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 131 | — | Poquoson city | 4 | exceptionally low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 132 | 3,048 | Loudoun County | 3 | exceptionally low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 133 | 3,090 | Goochland County | 1 | 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 — 12 Virginia counties
moderate-high county distress — 19 Virginia counties
moderate county distress — 9 Virginia counties
moderate-low county distress — 15 Virginia counties
low-moderate county distress — 17 Virginia counties
low county distress — 9 Virginia counties
very low county distress — 14 Virginia counties
exceptionally low county distress — 10 Virginia counties
Urban Institute data: Breno Braga, Signe-Mary McKernan, Samantha Atherton, and Kassandra Martinchek, "Debt in America," last updated November 20, 2025, https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/debt-america-2025. Licensed under ODC-By 1.0. The County Distress Index is American Default Research's own calculation; the Urban Institute does not produce or endorse it.