RANKING · 2025 ACS · 133 SHOWN OF 133

Most sparsely populated, Virginia counties

Virginia counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2023). This list covers the 133 counties in Virginia that qualify, ranked against each other statewide.

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YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01Highland County, VAVA2,3186−9%

02Bath County, VAVA4,0768−19%

03Craig County, VAVA4,80015−6%

04Bland County, VAVA6,15117−10%

05King and Queen County, VAVA6,74321+2%

06Sussex County, VAVA10,75522−14%

07Surry County, VAVA6,60324−3%

08Charlotte County, VAVA11,40124−9%

09Brunswick County, VAVA15,72728−15%

10Rappahannock County, VAVA7,43928+7%

11Lunenburg County, VAVA12,05828−8%

12Buckingham County, VAVA17,13730+10%

13Southampton County, VAVA18,11030+4%

14Nelson County, VAVA14,92032+3%

15Alleghany County, VAVA14,54633+13%

16Grayson County, VAVA15,23034−15%

17Cumberland County, VAVA10,35235+15%

18Patrick County, VAVA17,42436−10%

19Charles City County, VAVA6,62336−4%

20Buchanan County, VAVA18,49237−31%

21Greensville County, VAVA11,18138−3%

22Rockbridge County, VAVA22,66338+9%

23Amelia County, VAVA13,63238+20%

24Scott County, VAVA21,20040−9%

25Dickenson County, VAVA13,23640−19%

26Halifax County, VAVA33,44741−10%

27Essex County, VAVA10,65441+7%

28Floyd County, VAVA15,78941+14%

29Madison County, VAVA14,23744+14%

30Giles County, VAVA16,56446−1%

31Richmond County, VAVA9,29449+6%

32Mecklenburg County, VAVA30,74749−5%

33Lee County, VAVA21,64250−8%

34Nottoway County, VAVA15,79650+0%

35Appomattox County, VAVA17,17251+25%

36Russell County, VAVA25,33253−16%

37Northampton County, VAVA11,87956−9%

38Dinwiddie County, VAVA28,89657+18%

39Wythe County, VAVA27,98361+1%

40Pittsylvania County, VAVA59,49061−4%

41Carroll County, VAVA29,29962+0%

42Botetourt County, VAVA34,14463+12%

43Smyth County, VAVA28,88264−13%

44Prince Edward County, VAVA22,39164+14%

45Caroline County, VAVA34,41365+56%

46Northumberland County, VAVA12,55766+2%

47Amherst County, VAVA31,96267+0%

48King William County, VAVA19,61772+49%

49Tazewell County, VAVA38,63574−13%

50Accomack County, VAVA33,85975−12%

51Page County, VAVA23,76277+3%

52Franklin County, VAVA55,52680+17%

53Augusta County, VAVA78,94082+20%

54Lancaster County, VAVA10,99582−5%

55Middlesex County, VAVA10,84183+9%

56Westmoreland County, VAVA19,71586+18%

57Wise County, VAVA34,82486−13%

58Louisa County, VAVA42,92487+67%

59Clarke County, VAVA15,60989+23%

60Shenandoah County, VAVA45,83990+31%

61Washington County, VAVA53,89896+5%

62Mathews County, VAVA8,52999−7%

63Fluvanna County, VAVA28,975101+45%

64Goochland County, VAVA29,187103+73%

65Pulaski County, VAVA33,586105−4%

66Rockingham County, VAVA89,316105+32%

67Bedford County, VAVA83,059109+38%

68Campbell County, VAVA55,629111+9%

69Orange County, VAVA40,083118+55%

70Fauquier County, VAVA76,503118+39%

71Powhatan County, VAVA32,591125+46%

72Henry County, VAVA49,242129−15%

73Isle of Wight County, VAVA41,321131+39%

74New Kent County, VAVA28,022133+108%

75Greene County, VAVA21,958141+44%

76Culpeper County, VAVA57,666152+68%

77Albemarle County, VAVA118,356164+49%

78King George County, VAVA29,646165+76%

79Prince George County, VAVA43,936166+33%

80Gloucester County, VAVA40,097184+15%

81Warren County, VAVA42,740199+35%

82Frederick County, VAVA99,955242+69%

83Hanover County, VAVA116,423249+35%

84Montgomery County, VAVA98,434254+18%

85Suffolk, VAVA104,699262+64%

86Spotsylvania County, VAVA155,388387+72%

87Roanoke County, VAVA97,150388+13%

88Norton, VAVA3,477465−11%

89James City County, VAVA83,326586+73%

90Stafford County, VAVA170,803634+85%

91York County, VAVA71,374682+27%

92Chesapeake, VAVA255,332754+28%

93Emporia, VAVA5,447789−4%

94Galax, VAVA6,670810−2%

95Poquoson, VAVA13,292866+15%

96Loudoun County, VAVA449,749872+165%

97Chesterfield County, VAVA397,148938+53%

98Danville, VAVA41,647973−14%

99Franklin, VAVA8,4781,024+2%

100Buena Vista, VAVA6,6721,036+5%

101Covington, VAVA5,6801,039−10%

102Martinsville, VAVA13,8491,264−10%

103Bristol, VAVA16,4181,276−5%

104Staunton, VAVA26,8011,345+12%

105Henrico County, VAVA342,7751,467+31%

106Petersburg, VAVA33,7341,485−0%

107Prince William County, VAVA502,9661,500+79%

108Waynesboro, VAVA23,9511,600+23%

109Lynchburg, VAVA81,3471,661+25%

110Williamsburg, VAVA15,8611,775+32%

111Salem, VAVA25,8161,779+4%

112Radford, VAVA17,2431,782+9%

113Virginia Beach, VAVA453,7371,854+7%

114Hopewell, VAVA23,2612,247+4%

115Roanoke, VAVA99,1112,331+4%

116Colonial Heights, VAVA18,7382,492+11%

117Newport News, VAVA183,2302,656+2%

118Hampton, VAVA137,3152,668−6%

119Portsmouth, VAVA96,7772,906−4%

120Fredericksburg, VAVA30,3932,908+58%

121Harrisonburg, VAVA50,8392,933+26%

122Fairfax County, VAVA1,167,8732,987+20%

123Winchester, VAVA28,2723,075+20%

124Lexington, VAVA7,7693,109+13%

125Richmond, VAVA237,2573,959+20%

126Fairfax, VAVA26,7724,290+25%

127Charlottesville, VAVA44,3884,333−1%

128Norfolk, VAVA231,0134,336−1%

129Manassas, VAVA44,3324,504+26%

130Manassas Park, VAVA16,5605,458+61%

131Falls Church, VAVA15,1597,409+46%

132Arlington County, VAVA243,9319,383+29%

133Alexandria, VAVA160,66210,757+25%

SHOWING 1–133 OF 133

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UPDATED 2026-06-02 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR ESTIMATES