RANKING · 2020 CENSUS · 133 SHOWN OF 133

Most sparsely populated, Virginia counties · 2020

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, VAVA2,3185−12%

02Bath County, VAVA4,0768−17%

03Craig County, VAVA4,80015−4%

04Bland County, VAVA6,15118−9%

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

06Sussex County, VAVA10,75522−13%

07Surry County, VAVA6,60324−4%

08Charlotte County, VAVA11,40124−8%

09Rappahannock County, VAVA7,43928+5%

10Lunenburg County, VAVA12,05828−9%

11Brunswick County, VAVA15,72728−14%

12Buckingham County, VAVA17,13729+8%

13Southampton County, VAVA18,11030+3%

14Nelson County, VAVA14,92031+2%

15Cumberland County, VAVA10,35233+7%

16Alleghany County, VAVA14,54634+18%

17Grayson County, VAVA15,23035−14%

18Patrick County, VAVA17,42436−9%

19Charles City County, VAVA6,62337−2%

20Amelia County, VAVA13,63237+16%

21Rockbridge County, VAVA22,66338+9%

22Greensville County, VAVA11,18139−1%

23Scott County, VAVA21,20040−8%

24Buchanan County, VAVA18,49240−25%

25Floyd County, VAVA15,78941+12%

26Essex County, VAVA10,65441+6%

27Halifax County, VAVA33,44742−9%

28Dickenson County, VAVA13,23643−14%

29Madison County, VAVA14,23743+11%

30Richmond County, VAVA9,29447+1%

31Giles County, VAVA16,56447+1%

32Appomattox County, VAVA17,17248+18%

33Mecklenburg County, VAVA30,74748−6%

34Nottoway County, VAVA15,79650−1%

35Lee County, VAVA21,64251−6%

36Russell County, VAVA25,33254−15%

37Dinwiddie County, VAVA28,89655+14%

38Northampton County, VAVA11,87958−6%

39Caroline County, VAVA34,41359+40%

40Wythe County, VAVA27,98361+3%

41Carroll County, VAVA29,29961−0%

42Northumberland County, VAVA12,55762−3%

43Botetourt County, VAVA34,14462+10%

44Prince Edward County, VAVA22,39162+11%

45Pittsylvania County, VAVA59,49062−2%

46King William County, VAVA19,61765+35%

47Smyth County, VAVA28,88266−10%

48Amherst County, VAVA31,96266−2%

49Accomack County, VAVA33,85974−13%

50Louisa County, VAVA42,92476+47%

51Page County, VAVA23,76276+2%

52Tazewell County, VAVA38,63578−9%

53Franklin County, VAVA55,52679+15%

54Augusta County, VAVA78,94080+18%

55Westmoreland County, VAVA19,71581+11%

56Middlesex County, VAVA10,84182+7%

57Lancaster County, VAVA10,99582−6%

58Clarke County, VAVA15,60984+17%

59Shenandoah County, VAVA45,83987+26%

60Goochland County, VAVA29,18788+47%

61Wise County, VAVA34,82490−10%

62Fluvanna County, VAVA28,97595+36%

63Washington County, VAVA53,89896+6%

64Rockingham County, VAVA89,31699+24%

65Mathews County, VAVA8,52999−7%

66Bedford County, VAVA83,059105+32%

67Pulaski County, VAVA33,586106−4%

68Orange County, VAVA40,083106+40%

69New Kent County, VAVA28,022109+70%

70Campbell County, VAVA55,629111+9%

71Fauquier County, VAVA76,503113+32%

72Powhatan County, VAVA32,591117+36%

73Isle of Wight County, VAVA41,321122+30%

74Greene County, VAVA21,958132+35%

75Henry County, VAVA49,242133−12%

76Culpeper County, VAVA57,666139+53%

77King George County, VAVA29,646149+59%

78Albemarle County, VAVA118,356156+42%

79Prince George County, VAVA43,936162+30%

80Gloucester County, VAVA40,097178+11%

81Warren County, VAVA42,740190+29%

82Frederick County, VAVA99,955221+54%

83Hanover County, VAVA116,423235+27%

84Suffolk, VAVA104,699236+48%

85Montgomery County, VAVA98,434258+19%

86Spotsylvania County, VAVA155,388348+55%

87Roanoke County, VAVA97,150387+13%

88Norton, VAVA3,477493−6%

89James City County, VAVA83,326550+63%

90Stafford County, VAVA170,803583+70%

91York County, VAVA71,374669+24%

92Chesapeake, VAVA255,332737+25%

93Poquoson, VAVA13,292811+8%

94Galax, VAVA6,670816−2%

95Loudoun County, VAVA449,749816+148%

96Emporia, VAVA5,447835+2%

97Chesterfield County, VAVA397,148861+40%

98Franklin, VAVA8,478988−2%

99Danville, VAVA41,647995−12%

100Buena Vista, VAVA6,6721,032+5%

101Covington, VAVA5,6801,049−9%

102Martinsville, VAVA13,8491,231−13%

103Staunton, VAVA26,8011,293+8%

104Bristol, VAVA16,4181,338−1%

105Henrico County, VAVA342,7751,431+27%

106Prince William County, VAVA502,9661,438+72%

107Petersburg, VAVA33,7341,473−1%

108Waynesboro, VAVA23,9511,483+14%

109Lynchburg, VAVA81,3471,613+21%

110Radford, VAVA17,2431,661+1%

111Williamsburg, VAVA15,8611,726+29%

112Salem, VAVA25,8161,746+2%

113Virginia Beach, VAVA453,7371,878+8%

114Hopewell, VAVA23,2612,225+3%

115Roanoke, VAVA99,1112,352+5%

116Colonial Heights, VAVA18,7382,417+8%

117Hampton, VAVA137,3152,665−6%

118Fredericksburg, VAVA30,3932,678+45%

119Newport News, VAVA183,2302,699+3%

120Lexington, VAVA7,7692,929+7%

121Portsmouth, VAVA96,7772,940−3%

122Fairfax County, VAVA1,167,8732,942+19%

123Harrisonburg, VAVA50,8392,989+28%

124Winchester, VAVA28,2723,059+19%

125Richmond, VAVA237,2573,782+15%

126Fairfax, VAVA26,7723,869+12%

127Manassas, VAVA44,3324,345+22%

128Norfolk, VAVA231,0134,467+2%

129Charlottesville, VAVA44,3884,544+3%

130Manassas Park, VAVA16,5605,675+67%

131Falls Church, VAVA15,1597,164+41%

132Arlington County, VAVA243,9319,180+26%

133Alexandria, VAVA160,66210,677+24%

SHOWING 1–133 OF 133

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