In Petersburg city, Virginia, rent on a two-bedroom takes about two in five dollars of the typical household's income
In Petersburg city, 42.0% of the median household's income would go to rent on a two-bedroom at HUD's fair market rent (HUD and Census Bureau, HUD rent fiscal year 2027; household income 2024). That is higher than in 99% of U.S. counties.
More distressed than 99% of U.S. counties.
What drives Petersburg city's score
In Petersburg city, collections and bankruptcy weighs most: the score for collections and bankruptcy is 98.8. Bankruptcy filings ran at 567.4 per 100,000 people (2025), higher than in 99% of U.S. counties. Late payments on loans come next, at 97.3.
The County Distress Index combines five things we measure for every county: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each gets a score from 0 to 100; the higher the score, the worse off the county is compared with others.
Petersburg city does better than most counties on one measure: people without health insurance (6.5%, 2020 to 2024).
The five parts count equally; together they hold 14 measures. Under each part, a bar shows where Petersburg city ranks among all 3,144 U.S. counties on that measure, as a percentile: the share of counties it is higher than. A longer bar means more trouble.
- 98.8 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Biggest factorCredit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector45.4% · August 202598th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people567.4 · 202599th percentile
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- 97.4 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, Q4 2025
- People with a car or retail loan behind12.8% · August 202597th percentile
- People with a credit card behind10.0% · August 202594th percentile
- People with a subprime credit score48.3% · Q4 202599th percentile
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- 95.6 of 100
Housing costs
HUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027; renters, 2020–24 Census survey
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income42.0% · fiscal year 202799th percentile
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent26.8% · 2020 to 202491st percentile
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- 79.8 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- Children below the poverty line33.2% · 202495th percentile
- People with a disability19.5% · 2020 to 202477th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$47,130 · 202495th percentile
- People below the poverty line23.3% · 202494th percentile
- People without health insurance6.5% · 2020 to 202436th percentile
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- 78.1 of 100
Jobs
Adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey; unemployment through Aug 2026
- Adults 25 to 54 not working23.9% · 2020 to 202468th percentile
- Unemployment rate, 12-month average5.5% · Sep 2025 to Aug 202688th percentile
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Sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Aug 2026.
How Petersburg city has changed
Unemployment fell from 7.1% in 1990 to 5.0% in 2025.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Jobs located in the countyBLS QCEW | 1990 16,462 | 2024 11,753 |
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 7.1% | 2025 5.0% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 24.3% | 2024 23.3% |
| Median household income (not adjusted for prices)Census SAIPE | 1993 $22,685 | 2024 $47,130 |
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices. We don't chart the distress score over time because it compares counties at one moment.
Dated events in Petersburg city's history
Largest decennial census count
The county's largest recorded population was the 1980 Census count of 41,055. The 2020 Census counted 33,458, 81% of the peak. Census Bureau
1748
Incorporated as an independent city on December 17, 1748. Wikipedia
1984
Tornado: $25 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2025
Flash flood: $4.76 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1972
16 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Petersburg city, 3 of them for flooding. FEMA
Storms are listed if they did $1 million or more in damage or killed someone.
Petersburg city beside its neighbors
Petersburg city scores higher than all four counties that border it.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petersburg city, VA | 99 | 23.3% | — |
| Colonial Heights city, VA | 78 | 9.6% | — |
| Dinwiddie County, VA | 74 | 10.1% | — |
| Prince George County, VA | 44 | 11.3% | — |
| Chesterfield County, VA | 37 | 7.1% | 17.1% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Aug 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. Benefit checks: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
Is Petersburg city the poorest county in Virginia?
No, Petersburg city's poverty rate was 23.3% in 2024, 6th highest of 133 in Virginia (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Radford city, at 27.2%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Petersburg city ranks 1st of 133 in the state.
Petersburg city in photographs
Places in Petersburg city from Wikimedia Commons, each captioned in its photographer's own words.
The Oak Antique Mall on North Sycamore Avenue, as seen from Bollingbrook Street in Downtown Petersburg, Virginia.
Photo: Ken Lund from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Petersburg city, Virginia: common questions
What is the poverty rate in Petersburg city, Virginia?
23.3% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: about one in four people. Among children it was 33.2%.
Is Petersburg city the poorest county in Virginia?
No, Petersburg city's poverty rate was 23.3% in 2024, 6th highest of 133 in Virginia (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Radford city, at 27.2%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Petersburg city ranks 1st of 133 in the state.
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
We rank every U.S. county on 14 federal measures of money trouble, grouped into five equally weighted parts, and average them. The published score is the share of the other 3,143 counties with a lower average. The methodology lists every measure and its source.
If you're behind on your mortgage in Petersburg city
A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved housing counselor works at a nonprofit agency approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The counseling to avoid foreclosure is free, and a counselor can help you talk to your mortgage company and understand what it offers, according to the Consumer Financial Protection BureauSourceCFPB.
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Legal Aid Justice Center
Legal aid
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Virginia Poverty Law Center
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Counseling to avoid foreclosure is free. Our help directory lists 1,313 approved agencies by state.
The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.
Download the CSV for Petersburg city · Every U.S. county (CSV)
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Aug 2026, built from HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. Our methodology
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.