RANKING · 2000 CENSUS · 133 SHOWN OF 133

Most sparsely populated, Virginia counties · 2000

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+0%

02Bath County, VAVA4,07610+0%

03Craig County, VAVA4,80016+0%

04Bland County, VAVA6,15119+0%

05King and Queen County, VAVA6,74321+0%

06Surry County, VAVA6,60324+0%

07Sussex County, VAVA10,75526+0%

08Rappahannock County, VAVA7,43926+0%

09Charlotte County, VAVA11,40126+0%

10Buckingham County, VAVA17,13727+0%

11Alleghany County, VAVA14,54629+0%

12Southampton County, VAVA18,11029+0%

13Cumberland County, VAVA10,35230+0%

14Lunenburg County, VAVA12,05830+0%

15Nelson County, VAVA14,92031+0%

16Amelia County, VAVA13,63232+0%

17Brunswick County, VAVA15,72733+0%

18Rockbridge County, VAVA22,66335+0%

19Floyd County, VAVA15,78936+0%

20Charles City County, VAVA6,62338+0%

21Essex County, VAVA10,65439+0%

22Madison County, VAVA14,23739+0%

23Greensville County, VAVA11,18139+0%

24Patrick County, VAVA17,42440+0%

25Grayson County, VAVA15,23041+0%

26Appomattox County, VAVA17,17241+0%

27Caroline County, VAVA34,41342+0%

28Scott County, VAVA21,20044+0%

29Halifax County, VAVA33,44746+0%

30Richmond County, VAVA9,29446+0%

31Giles County, VAVA16,56447+0%

32King William County, VAVA19,61748+0%

33Dinwiddie County, VAVA28,89649+0%

34Dickenson County, VAVA13,23650+0%

35Nottoway County, VAVA15,79650+0%

36Louisa County, VAVA42,92452+0%

37Mecklenburg County, VAVA30,74752+0%

38Buchanan County, VAVA18,49254+0%

39Lee County, VAVA21,64254+0%

40Botetourt County, VAVA34,14456+0%

41Prince Edward County, VAVA22,39156+0%

42Wythe County, VAVA27,98360+0%

43Goochland County, VAVA29,18760+0%

44Carroll County, VAVA29,29962+0%

45Northampton County, VAVA11,87962+0%

46Pittsylvania County, VAVA59,49064+0%

47Russell County, VAVA25,33264+0%

48Northumberland County, VAVA12,55764+0%

49New Kent County, VAVA28,02264+0%

50Amherst County, VAVA31,96267+0%

51Augusta County, VAVA78,94068+0%

52Franklin County, VAVA55,52668+0%

53Shenandoah County, VAVA45,83969+0%

54Fluvanna County, VAVA28,97570+0%

55Clarke County, VAVA15,60972+0%

56Westmoreland County, VAVA19,71573+0%

57Smyth County, VAVA28,88273+0%

58Page County, VAVA23,76275+0%

59Orange County, VAVA40,08376+0%

60Middlesex County, VAVA10,84176+0%

61Bedford County, VAVA83,05979+0%

62Rockingham County, VAVA89,31680+0%

63Fauquier County, VAVA76,50385+0%

64Accomack County, VAVA33,85985+0%

65Tazewell County, VAVA38,63586+0%

66Powhatan County, VAVA32,59186+0%

67Lancaster County, VAVA10,99587+0%

68Culpeper County, VAVA57,66690+0%

69Washington County, VAVA53,89891+0%

70King George County, VAVA29,64694+0%

71Isle of Wight County, VAVA41,32194+0%

72Greene County, VAVA21,95898+0%

73Wise County, VAVA34,82499+0%

74Campbell County, VAVA55,629102+0%

75Mathews County, VAVA8,529107+0%

76Pulaski County, VAVA33,586110+0%

77Albemarle County, VAVA118,356110+0%

78Prince George County, VAVA43,936125+0%

79Frederick County, VAVA99,955143+0%

80Warren County, VAVA42,740147+0%

81Henry County, VAVA49,242152+0%

82Suffolk, VAVA104,699160+0%

83Gloucester County, VAVA40,097160+0%

84Hanover County, VAVA116,423185+0%

85Montgomery County, VAVA98,434216+0%

86Spotsylvania County, VAVA155,388225+0%

87Loudoun County, VAVA449,749329+0%

88James City County, VAVA83,326338+0%

89Roanoke County, VAVA97,150342+0%

90Stafford County, VAVA170,803343+0%

91Norton, VAVA3,477522+0%

92York County, VAVA71,374538+0%

93Chesapeake, VAVA255,332589+0%

94Chesterfield County, VAVA397,148614+0%

95Poquoson, VAVA13,292753+0%

96Emporia, VAVA5,447821+0%

97Galax, VAVA6,670830+0%

98Prince William County, VAVA502,966838+0%

99Buena Vista, VAVA6,672986+0%

100Franklin, VAVA8,4781,008+0%

101Henrico County, VAVA342,7751,122+0%

102Danville, VAVA41,6471,131+0%

103Covington, VAVA5,6801,152+0%

104Staunton, VAVA26,8011,197+0%

105Waynesboro, VAVA23,9511,304+0%

106Lynchburg, VAVA81,3471,333+0%

107Williamsburg, VAVA15,8611,342+0%

108Bristol, VAVA16,4181,349+0%

109Martinsville, VAVA13,8491,407+0%

110Petersburg, VAVA33,7341,485+0%

111Radford, VAVA17,2431,639+0%

112Salem, VAVA25,8161,705+0%

113Virginia Beach, VAVA453,7371,738+0%

114Fredericksburg, VAVA30,3931,845+0%

115Hopewell, VAVA23,2612,159+0%

116Roanoke, VAVA99,1112,232+0%

117Colonial Heights, VAVA18,7382,247+0%

118Harrisonburg, VAVA50,8392,334+0%

119Fairfax County, VAVA1,167,8732,480+0%

120Winchester, VAVA28,2722,566+0%

121Newport News, VAVA183,2302,611+0%

122Lexington, VAVA7,7692,748+0%

123Hampton, VAVA137,3152,846+0%

124Portsmouth, VAVA96,7773,020+0%

125Richmond, VAVA237,2573,301+0%

126Manassas Park, VAVA16,5603,392+0%

127Fairfax, VAVA26,7723,445+0%

128Manassas, VAVA44,3323,570+0%

129Charlottesville, VAVA44,3884,397+0%

130Norfolk, VAVA231,0134,400+0%

131Falls Church, VAVA15,1595,072+0%

132Arlington County, VAVA243,9317,287+0%

133Alexandria, VAVA160,6628,589+0%

SHOWING 1–133 OF 133

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