RANKING · 2025 ESTIMATES · 133 SHOWN OF 133

Most sparsely populated, Virginia counties

Virginia counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2025). This list covers the 133 counties in Virginia that qualify, ranked against each other statewide. The median across all 133 is 109. Biggest climber in the top 100 since 2020: Pittsylvania County, VA, up 5 places to #40.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

RELATEDLargest by population Fastest growing Fastest shrinking Most population gained Most population lost Most densely populated

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%

09▲2Brunswick County, VAVA15,72728−15%

10▼1Rappahannock County, VAVA7,43928+7%

11▼1Lunenburg County, VAVA12,05828−8%

12Buckingham County, VAVA17,13730+10%

13Southampton County, VAVA18,11030+4%

14Nelson County, VAVA14,92032+3%

15▲1Alleghany County, VAVA14,54633+13%

16▲1Grayson County, VAVA15,23034−15%

17▼2Cumberland County, VAVA10,35235+15%

18Patrick County, VAVA17,42436−10%

19Charles City County, VAVA6,62336−4%

20▲4Buchanan County, VAVA18,49237−31%

21▲1Greensville County, VAVA11,18138−3%

22▼1Rockbridge County, VAVA22,66338+9%

23▼3Amelia County, VAVA13,63238+20%

24▼1Scott County, VAVA21,20040−9%

25▲3Dickenson County, VAVA13,23640−19%

26▲1Halifax County, VAVA33,44741−10%

27▼1Essex County, VAVA10,65441+7%

28▼3Floyd County, VAVA15,78941+14%

29Madison County, VAVA14,23744+14%

30▲1Giles County, VAVA16,56446−1%

31▼1Richmond County, VAVA9,29449+6%

32▲1Mecklenburg County, VAVA30,74749−5%

33▲2Lee County, VAVA21,64250−8%

34Nottoway County, VAVA15,796500%

35▼3Appomattox County, VAVA17,17251+25%

36Russell County, VAVA25,33253−16%

37▲1Northampton County, VAVA11,87956−9%

38▼1Dinwiddie County, VAVA28,89657+18%

39▲1Wythe County, VAVA27,98361+1%

40▲5Pittsylvania County, VAVA59,49061−4%

41Carroll County, VAVA29,299620%

42▲1Botetourt County, VAVA34,14463+12%

43▲4Smyth County, VAVA28,88264−13%

44Prince Edward County, VAVA22,39164+14%

45▼6Caroline County, VAVA34,41365+56%

46▼4Northumberland County, VAVA12,55766+2%

47▲1Amherst County, VAVA31,962670%

48▼2King William County, VAVA19,61772+49%

49▲3Tazewell County, VAVA38,63574−13%

50▼1Accomack County, VAVA33,85975−12%

51Page County, VAVA23,76277+3%

52▲1Franklin County, VAVA55,52680+17%

53▲1Augusta County, VAVA78,94082+20%

54▲3Lancaster County, VAVA10,99582−5%

55▲1Middlesex County, VAVA10,84183+9%

56▼1Westmoreland County, VAVA19,71586+18%

57▲4Wise County, VAVA34,82486−13%

58▼8Louisa County, VAVA42,92487+67%

59▼1Clarke County, VAVA15,60989+23%

60▼1Shenandoah County, VAVA45,83990+31%

61▲2Washington County, VAVA53,89896+5%

62▲3Mathews County, VAVA8,52999−7%

63▼1Fluvanna County, VAVA28,975101+45%

64▼4Goochland County, VAVA29,187103+73%

65▲2Pulaski County, VAVA33,586105−4%

66▼2Rockingham County, VAVA89,316105+32%

67▼1Bedford County, VAVA83,059109+38%

68▲2Campbell County, VAVA55,629111+9%

69▼1Orange County, VAVA40,083118+55%

70▲1Fauquier County, VAVA76,503118+39%

71▲1Powhatan County, VAVA32,591125+46%

72▲3Henry County, VAVA49,242129−15%

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

74▼5New Kent County, VAVA28,022133+108%

75▼1Greene County, VAVA21,958141+44%

76Culpeper County, VAVA57,666152+68%

77▲1Albemarle County, VAVA118,356164+49%

78▼1King 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%

84▲1Montgomery County, VAVA98,434254+18%

85▼1Suffolk, 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%

93▲3Emporia, VAVA5,447789−4%

94Galax, VAVA6,670810−2%

95▼2Poquoson, VAVA13,292866+15%

96▼1Loudoun County, VAVA449,749872+165%

97Chesterfield County, VAVA397,148938+53%

98▲1Danville, VAVA41,647973−14%

99▼1Franklin, VAVA8,4781,024+2%

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

101Covington, VAVA5,6801,039−10%

102Martinsville, VAVA13,8491,264−10%

103▲1Bristol, VAVA16,4181,276−5%

104▼1Staunton, VAVA26,8011,345+12%

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

106▲1Petersburg, VAVA33,7341,4850%

107▼1Prince William County, VAVA502,9661,500+79%

108Waynesboro, VAVA23,9511,600+23%

109Lynchburg, VAVA81,3471,661+25%

110▲1Williamsburg, VAVA15,8611,775+32%

111▲1Salem, VAVA25,8161,779+4%

112▼2Radford, 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%

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

118▼1Hampton, VAVA137,3152,668−6%

119▲2Portsmouth, VAVA96,7772,906−4%

120▼2Fredericksburg, VAVA30,3932,908+58%

121▲2Harrisonburg, VAVA50,8392,933+26%

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

123▲1Winchester, VAVA28,2723,075+20%

124▼4Lexington, VAVA7,7693,109+13%

125Richmond, VAVA237,2573,959+20%

126Fairfax, VAVA26,7724,290+25%

127▲2Charlottesville, VAVA44,3884,333−1%

128Norfolk, VAVA231,0134,336−1%

129▼2Manassas, 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 2026-09-11 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU POPULATION ESTIMATES