LIST: Virginia counties, cities with highest unemployment

(STACKER) -- What counties and cities have the highest unemployment rate in Virginia?

To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties and cities with the highest unemployment rates in Virginia, using BLS data.

Counties and cities are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in December 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county or city, though some ties may remain. County and city-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

45. Caroline County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,959 people (456 unemployed)

45. Charlotte County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,219 people (152 unemployed)

45. Richmond County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,928 people (112 unemployed)

45. Mecklenburg County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,446 people (393 unemployed)

45. Lunenburg County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,272 people (152 unemployed)

45. Harrisonburg city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,486 people (735 unemployed)

40. Fredericksburg city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,697 people (448 unemployed)

40. Norfolk city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 113,387 people (3,362 unemployed)

40. Newport News city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 90,940 people (2,734 unemployed)

40. Smyth County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,860 people (422 unemployed)

40. Prince George County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,053 people (485 unemployed)

34. Essex County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,618 people (172 unemployed)

34. Accomack County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,623 people (489 unemployed)

34. Patrick County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,056 people (217 unemployed)

34. Richmond city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 125,899 people (3,912 unemployed)

34. Radford city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,472 people (294 unemployed)

34. Westmoreland County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,300 people (286 unemployed)

29. Northampton County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,402 people (173 unemployed)

29. Appomattox County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,138 people (227 unemployed)

29. Bristol city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,617 people (243 unemployed)

29. Lexington city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,489 people (79 unemployed)

29. Carroll County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,552 people (406 unemployed)

25. Henry County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,038 people (794 unemployed)

25. Williamsburg city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,978 people (233 unemployed)

25. Northumberland County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,354 people (175 unemployed)

25. Prince Edward County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,261 people (341 unemployed)

18. Halifax County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,438 people (524 unemployed)

18. Lynchburg city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 35,774 people (1,215 unemployed)

18. Buckingham County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,705 people (231 unemployed)

18. Hampton city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 66,309 people (2,255 unemployed)

18. Page County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,538 people (427 unemployed)

18. Lee County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,133 people (275 unemployed)

18. Russell County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,860 people (366 unemployed)

15. Alleghany County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,287 people (225 unemployed)

15. Portsmouth city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 45,466 people (1,620 unemployed)

15. Norton city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,585 people (57 unemployed)

13. Wise County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,796 people (474 unemployed)

13. Tazewell County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,119 people (563 unemployed)

12. Hopewell city

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,053 people (379 unemployed)

10. Franklin city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,459 people (136 unemployed)

10. Covington city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,201 people (86 unemployed)

8. Dickenson County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,632 people (184 unemployed)

8. Danville city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,172 people (759 unemployed)

7. Buchanan County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,204 people (256 unemployed)

6. Sussex County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,768 people (173 unemployed)

5. Martinsville city

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,574 people (264 unemployed)

4. Petersburg city

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,121 people (641 unemployed)

3. Brunswick County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,985 people (304 unemployed)

2. Greensville County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,240 people (230 unemployed)

1. Emporia city (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 8%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +3.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,363 people (188 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Ben Popken, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.