RANKING · 2000 CENSUS · 133 SHOWN OF 133

Most sparsely populated, Virginia counties · 2000

Virginia counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2000). This list covers the 133 counties in Virginia that qualify, ranked against each other statewide. The median across all 133 is 87.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 1990

01Highland County, VAVA2,3186−4%

02Bath County, VAVA4,07610+5%

03Craig County, VAVA4,80016+16%

04Bland County, VAVA6,15119+5%

05King and Queen County, VAVA6,74321+5%

06Surry County, VAVA6,60324+11%

07Sussex County, VAVA10,75526+22%

08Rappahannock County, VAVA7,43926+5%

09Charlotte County, VAVA11,40126+7%

10Buckingham County, VAVA17,13727+21%

11Alleghany County, VAVA14,54629−2%

12Southampton County, VAVA18,110290%

13Cumberland County, VAVA10,35230+15%

14Lunenburg County, VAVA12,05830+15%

15Nelson County, VAVA14,92031+13%

16Amelia County, VAVA13,63232+30%

17Brunswick County, VAVA15,72733+15%

18Rockbridge County, VAVA22,66335+13%

19Floyd County, VAVA15,78936+16%

20Charles City County, VAVA6,62338+10%

21Essex County, VAVA10,65439+15%

22Madison County, VAVA14,23739+5%

23Greensville County, VAVA11,18139+31%

24Patrick County, VAVA17,42440+11%

25Grayson County, VAVA15,23041+10%

26Appomattox County, VAVA17,17241+11%

27Caroline County, VAVA34,41342+15%

28Scott County, VAVA21,20044+1%

29Halifax County, VAVA33,44746+29%

30Richmond County, VAVA9,29446+21%

31Giles County, VAVA16,56447+2%

32King William County, VAVA19,61748+20%

33Dinwiddie County, VAVA28,89649+17%

34Dickenson County, VAVA13,23650−7%

35Nottoway County, VAVA15,79650+5%

36Louisa County, VAVA42,92452+26%

37Mecklenburg County, VAVA30,74752+11%

38Buchanan County, VAVA18,49254−14%

39Lee County, VAVA21,64254−4%

40Botetourt County, VAVA34,14456+22%

41Prince Edward County, VAVA22,39156+14%

42Wythe County, VAVA27,98360+8%

43Goochland County, VAVA29,18760+19%

44Carroll County, VAVA29,29962+10%

45Northampton County, VAVA11,879620%

46Pittsylvania County, VAVA59,49064+11%

47Russell County, VAVA25,33264+6%

48Northumberland County, VAVA12,55764+16%

49New Kent County, VAVA28,02264+29%

50Amherst County, VAVA31,96267+12%

51Augusta County, VAVA78,94068+20%

52Franklin County, VAVA55,52668+20%

53Shenandoah County, VAVA45,83969+11%

54Fluvanna County, VAVA28,97570+61%

55Clarke County, VAVA15,60972+5%

56Westmoreland County, VAVA19,71573+8%

57Smyth County, VAVA28,88273+2%

58Page County, VAVA23,76275+7%

59Orange County, VAVA40,08376+21%

60Middlesex County, VAVA10,84176+15%

61Bedford County, VAVA83,05979+32%

62Rockingham County, VAVA89,31680+18%

63Fauquier County, VAVA76,50385+13%

64Accomack County, VAVA33,85985+21%

65Tazewell County, VAVA38,63586−3%

66Powhatan County, VAVA32,59186+46%

67Lancaster County, VAVA10,99587+6%

68Culpeper County, VAVA57,66690+23%

69Washington County, VAVA53,89891+11%

70King George County, VAVA29,64694+24%

71Isle of Wight County, VAVA41,32194+19%

72Greene County, VAVA21,95898+48%

73Wise County, VAVA34,82499+1%

74Campbell County, VAVA55,629102+7%

75Mathews County, VAVA8,529107+10%

76Pulaski County, VAVA33,586110+2%

77Albemarle County, VAVA118,356110+16%

78Prince George County, VAVA43,936125+21%

79Frederick County, VAVA99,955143+29%

80Warren County, VAVA42,740147+21%

81Henry County, VAVA49,242152+2%

82Suffolk, VAVA104,699160+22%

83Gloucester County, VAVA40,097160+15%

84Hanover County, VAVA116,423185+36%

85Montgomery County, VAVA98,434216+13%

86Spotsylvania County, VAVA155,388225+57%

87Loudoun County, VAVA449,749329+97%

88James City County, VAVA83,326338+38%

89Roanoke County, VAVA97,150342+8%

90Stafford County, VAVA170,803343+51%

91Norton, VAVA3,477522−8%

92York County, VAVA71,374538+33%

93Chesapeake, VAVA255,332589+31%

94Chesterfield County, VAVA397,148614+24%

95Poquoson, VAVA13,292753+5%

96Emporia, VAVA5,447821+7%

97Galax, VAVA6,670830+3%

98Prince William County, VAVA502,966838+30%

99Buena Vista, VAVA6,672986−1%

100Franklin, VAVA8,4781,008+6%

101Henrico County, VAVA342,7751,122+20%

102Danville, VAVA41,6471,131−9%

103Covington, VAVA5,6801,152−10%

104Staunton, VAVA26,8011,197−2%

105Waynesboro, VAVA23,9511,304+5%

106Lynchburg, VAVA81,3471,333−1%

107Williamsburg, VAVA15,8611,342+4%

108Bristol, VAVA16,4181,349−6%

109Martinsville, VAVA13,8491,407−5%

110Petersburg, VAVA33,7341,485−12%

111Radford, VAVA17,2431,639−1%

112Salem, VAVA25,8161,705+4%

113Virginia Beach, VAVA453,7371,738+8%

114Fredericksburg, VAVA30,3931,845+1%

115Hopewell, VAVA23,2612,159−3%

116Roanoke, VAVA99,1112,232−2%

117Colonial Heights, VAVA18,7382,247+5%

118Harrisonburg, VAVA50,8392,334+32%

119Fairfax County, VAVA1,167,8732,480+18%

120Winchester, VAVA28,2722,566+7%

121Newport News, VAVA183,2302,611+6%

122Lexington, VAVA7,7692,748−1%

123Hampton, VAVA137,3152,846+9%

124Portsmouth, VAVA96,7773,020−3%

125Richmond, VAVA237,2573,301−3%

126Manassas Park, VAVA16,5603,392+53%

127Fairfax, VAVA26,7723,445+10%

128Manassas, VAVA44,3323,570+26%

129Charlottesville, VAVA44,3884,397+12%

130Norfolk, VAVA231,0134,400−10%

131Falls Church, VAVA15,1595,072+8%

132Arlington County, VAVA243,9317,287+11%

133Alexandria, VAVA160,6628,589+15%

SHOWING 1–133 OF 133

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UPDATED 2026-09-11 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU DECENNIAL CENSUS