RANKING · 1990 CENSUS · 133 SHOWN OF 133

Most sparsely populated, Virginia counties · 1990

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+4%

02Bath County, VAVA4,0769−5%

03Craig County, VAVA4,80013−14%

04Bland County, VAVA6,15118−5%

05King and Queen County, VAVA6,74320−5%

06Sussex County, VAVA10,75521−18%

07Surry County, VAVA6,60322−10%

08Buckingham County, VAVA17,13722−18%

09Charlotte County, VAVA11,40125−6%

10Amelia County, VAVA13,63225−23%

11Rappahannock County, VAVA7,43925−5%

12Cumberland County, VAVA10,35226−13%

13Lunenburg County, VAVA12,05826−13%

14Nelson County, VAVA14,92027−12%

15Brunswick County, VAVA15,72728−13%

16Southampton County, VAVA18,11029+0%

17Alleghany County, VAVA14,54630+2%

18Greensville County, VAVA11,18130−23%

19Rockbridge County, VAVA22,66331−12%

20Floyd County, VAVA15,78932−13%

21Essex County, VAVA10,65434−13%

22Charles City County, VAVA6,62334−9%

23Halifax County, VAVA33,44736−22%

24Patrick County, VAVA17,42436−10%

25Caroline County, VAVA34,41336−13%

26Appomattox County, VAVA17,17237−10%

27Grayson County, VAVA15,23037−9%

28Madison County, VAVA14,23737−5%

29Richmond County, VAVA9,29438−17%

30King William County, VAVA19,61740−17%

31Louisa County, VAVA42,92441−21%

32Dinwiddie County, VAVA28,89642−15%

33Fluvanna County, VAVA28,97543−38%

34Scott County, VAVA21,20043−1%

35Giles County, VAVA16,56446−2%

36Botetourt County, VAVA34,14446−18%

37Mecklenburg County, VAVA30,74747−10%

38Nottoway County, VAVA15,79648−5%

39Prince Edward County, VAVA22,39149−12%

40New Kent County, VAVA28,02250−22%

41Goochland County, VAVA29,18750−16%

42Dickenson County, VAVA13,23653+7%

43Northumberland County, VAVA12,55755−14%

44Wythe County, VAVA27,98355−8%

45Carroll County, VAVA29,29956−9%

46Lee County, VAVA21,64256+4%

47Augusta County, VAVA78,94057−17%

48Franklin County, VAVA55,52657−16%

49Pittsylvania County, VAVA59,49057−10%

50Powhatan County, VAVA32,59159−32%

51Bedford County, VAVA83,05960−24%

52Amherst County, VAVA31,96260−10%

53Russell County, VAVA25,33261−5%

54Northampton County, VAVA11,87962−0%

55Shenandoah County, VAVA45,83962−10%

56Buchanan County, VAVA18,49262+16%

57Orange County, VAVA40,08363−17%

58Greene County, VAVA21,95866−32%

59Middlesex County, VAVA10,84166−13%

60Westmoreland County, VAVA19,71568−7%

61Rockingham County, VAVA89,31668−15%

62Clarke County, VAVA15,60969−4%

63Page County, VAVA23,76270−6%

64Accomack County, VAVA33,85971−17%

65Smyth County, VAVA28,88272−2%

66Culpeper County, VAVA57,66673−19%

67Fauquier County, VAVA76,50375−12%

68King George County, VAVA29,64675−19%

69Isle of Wight County, VAVA41,32179−16%

70Lancaster County, VAVA10,99582−6%

71Washington County, VAVA53,89882−10%

72Tazewell County, VAVA38,63589+3%

73Albemarle County, VAVA118,35694−14%

74Campbell County, VAVA55,62995−7%

75Mathews County, VAVA8,52997−9%

76Wise County, VAVA34,82498−1%

77Prince George County, VAVA43,936103−17%

78Pulaski County, VAVA33,586108−2%

79Frederick County, VAVA99,955111−23%

80Warren County, VAVA42,740122−17%

81Suffolk, VAVA104,699131−18%

82Hanover County, VAVA116,423135−27%

83Gloucester County, VAVA40,097138−13%

84Spotsylvania County, VAVA155,388143−36%

85Henry County, VAVA49,242149−2%

86Loudoun County, VAVA449,749167−49%

87Montgomery County, VAVA98,434191−12%

88Stafford County, VAVA170,803227−34%

89James City County, VAVA83,326245−28%

90Roanoke County, VAVA97,150317−8%

91York County, VAVA71,374405−25%

92Chesapeake, VAVA255,332449−24%

93Chesterfield County, VAVA397,148494−19%

94Norton, VAVA3,477568+9%

95Prince William County, VAVA502,966643−23%

96Poquoson, VAVA13,292717−5%

97Emporia, VAVA5,447769−6%

98Galax, VAVA6,670810−2%

99Henrico County, VAVA342,775932−17%

100Franklin, VAVA8,478950−6%

101Buena Vista, VAVA6,672995+1%

102Staunton, VAVA26,8011,228+3%

103Waynesboro, VAVA23,9511,239−5%

104Danville, VAVA41,6471,240+10%

105Covington, VAVA5,6801,278+11%

106Williamsburg, VAVA15,8611,290−4%

107Lynchburg, VAVA81,3471,349+1%

108Bristol, VAVA16,4181,432+6%

109Martinsville, VAVA13,8491,475+5%

110Virginia Beach, VAVA453,7371,606−8%

111Salem, VAVA25,8161,637−4%

112Radford, VAVA17,2431,647+1%

113Petersburg, VAVA33,7341,690+14%

114Harrisonburg, VAVA50,8391,771−24%

115Fredericksburg, VAVA30,3931,821−1%

116Fairfax County, VAVA1,167,8732,093−16%

117Colonial Heights, VAVA18,7382,136−5%

118Manassas Park, VAVA16,5602,220−35%

119Hopewell, VAVA23,2612,231+3%

120Roanoke, VAVA99,1112,267+2%

121Winchester, VAVA28,2722,387−7%

122Newport News, VAVA183,2302,465−6%

123Hampton, VAVA137,3152,600−9%

124Lexington, VAVA7,7692,785+1%

125Manassas, VAVA44,3322,840−20%

126Portsmouth, VAVA96,7773,120+3%

127Fairfax, VAVA26,7723,144−9%

128Richmond, VAVA237,2573,389+3%

129Charlottesville, VAVA44,3883,938−10%

130Falls Church, VAVA15,1594,681−8%

131Norfolk, VAVA231,0134,903+11%

132Arlington County, VAVA243,9316,575−10%

133Alexandria, VAVA160,6627,444−13%

SHOWING 1–133 OF 133

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