About one in 11 people in Prince William County, Virginia, has a disability
In Prince William County, 8.9% of people reported a disability. That is lower than in 98% of U.S. counties.
Less distressed than 70% of U.S. counties.
What drives Prince William County's score
In Prince William County, housing costs are the highest-scoring part, at 72.4. Income and the safety net is the lowest part, at 15.9. The typical household earns $128,291 a year (2024), more than in 99% of U.S. counties.
The County Distress Index looks at five parts of household money trouble in Prince William County: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each part is scored from 0 to 100, and a higher score means worse off than other counties.
Prince William County isn't among the worst-off quarter of U.S. counties on any measure.
A longer bar means more trouble. See how the county score works.
- 72.4 of 100
Housing costs
Biggest factorRenters, 2020–24 Census survey; HUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent22.4% · 2020 to 202474th percentile
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income22.8% · fiscal year 202769th percentile
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- 43.2 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector17.0% · August 202526th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people149.7 · 202559th percentile
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- 35.2 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, second quarter of 2026
- People with a credit card behind4.9% · August 202539th percentile
- People with a car or retail loan behind5.1% · August 202549th percentile
- People with a subprime credit score31.3% · second quarter of 202617th percentile
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- 26.2 of 100
Jobs
Unemployment through Sep 2026; adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey
- Unemployment rate, average over the latest year3.6% · Oct 2025 to Sep 202633rd percentile
- Adults 25 to 54 not working15.5% · 2020 to 202418th percentile
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- 15.9 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- People below the poverty line6.6% · 20243rd percentile
- Children below the poverty line8.4% · 20247th percentile
- People with a disability8.9% · 2020 to 20241st percentile
- People without health insurance10.0% · 2020 to 202466th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$128,291 · 20240th percentile
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Sources: Urban Institute, Debt in America; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and Census income; 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 Sep 2026.
How Prince William County has changed
The number of jobs located in Prince William County had its largest rise, from 77,934 in 2000 to 100,832 in 2005.
The number of jobs located in Prince William County more than doubled from 1990 to 2025, reaching 146,171, with no dip in any year shown
Smallest rise: 2015 to 2020, reaching 125,254. Yearly average of jobs covered by unemployment insurance, every fifth year and 2025, Prince William County, Virginia.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 2.3% | 2025 3.2% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 3.6% | 2024 6.6% |
| Median household incomeCensus SAIPE | 1993 $54,827 | 2024 $128,291 |
The table uses 3.2% for 2025; the score uses 3.6% for the latest year (Oct 2025 to Sep 2026), both from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices.
Dated events in Prince William County's history
1730
Prince William County established in 1730. Wikipedia
1862
Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Battle of Manassas) fought near Manassas August 28-30, 1862. Wikipedia
1978
A tornado in January 1978 killed one person. NOAA Storm Events Database
1987
A tornado in July 1987 did $2.5 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2020
The county's largest recorded population was the 2020 Census count of 482,204, which is also its most recent census. Census Bureau
2023
A thunderstorm in July 2023 killed one person. NOAA Storm Events Database
2023
A thunderstorm in July 2023 did $3 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1972
20 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Prince William County, 2 of them for flooding. FEMA
Prince William County beside its neighbors
Of the six counties that border Prince William County, two score higher.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manassas city, VA | 43 | 9.1% | — |
| Manassas Park city, VA | 35 | 7.3% | — |
| Prince William County, VA | 29 | 6.6% | — |
| Stafford County, VA | 26 | 5.4% | 15.6% |
| Fauquier County, VA | 11 | 6.6% | 12.5% |
| Fairfax County, VA | 6 | 6.0% | — |
| Loudoun County, VA | 3 | 4.3% | 6.5% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Sep 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 Prince William County the poorest county in Virginia?
No, Prince William County's poverty rate was 6.6% in 2024, 119th 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, Prince William County ranks 101st of 133 in the state.
If you're behind on your mortgage in Prince William County
Housing counselors approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development work at nonprofit agencies. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau describes free foreclosure-avoidance counseling, including help with mortgage-company conversations and available options Source CFPB.
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Centro de Apoyo Familiar (CAF)-VA
HUD-approved housing counselor
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First Home Alliance
HUD-approved housing counselor
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Prince William County Virginia Cooperative Extension
HUD-approved housing counselor
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Legal Services of Northern Virginia
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Our help directory lists 1,010 agencies approved for foreclosure counseling, 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 Prince William County · Every U.S. county (CSV)
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Sep 2026, built from Urban Institute, Debt in America; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. The County Distress Index is American Default Research's own calculation; the Urban Institute does not produce or endorse it. Our methodology
- Urban Institute · Debt in America 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.
- Rent on a two-bedroom and household income The rent share compares HUD fair market rent for fiscal year 2027 with Census Bureau median household income for 2024. The page calls this the typical household's income.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.