Petersburg city, Virginia
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Petersburg city. Population: 33,309 (small).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Petersburg city, VA ranks among the most financially distressed counties in America with a score of 82.0 — 2nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Virginia, it ranks 1st of 133 counties. It scores higher than all 4 of its neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Petersburg city compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Housing Cost Burden
Primary DriverIncome & Poverty
Debt & Delinquency
Community Vulnerability
Employment & Wages
How Petersburg city Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petersburg city, VA | 82.0 | Crisis | — |
| Colonial Heights city, VA | 57.7 | Elevated | -24.3 |
| Dinwiddie County, VA | 47.3 | Normal | -34.7 |
| Prince George County, VA | 42.1 | Normal | -39.8 |
| Chesterfield County, VA | 38.1 | Normal | -43.8 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (small) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pemiscot County, MO | 82.9 | Crisis | +1.0 |
| Gadsden County, FL | 80.3 | Crisis | -1.7 |
| Wayne County, MO | 80.2 | Crisis | -1.7 |
| Dunklin County, MO | 79.7 | Serious Stress | -2.2 |
| Mitchell County, GA | 79.6 | Serious Stress | -2.4 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Petersburg city as a CSV file.
Resources
Petersburg city scores in the Crisis zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Petersburg city, Virginia?
Petersburg city has a County Distress Index score of 82.0 out of 100, placing it in the Crisis zone. It ranks 2nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 1st in Virginia out of 133 counties.
What drives financial distress in Petersburg city?
The primary driver of distress in Petersburg city is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 95.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).
How does Petersburg city compare to neighboring counties?
Petersburg city (82.0) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Colonial Heights city, VA (57.7); Dinwiddie County, VA (47.3); Prince George County, VA (42.1).
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.
What is the population of Petersburg city?
Petersburg city, Virginia has a population of approximately 33,309 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.