What is the poverty rate in Virginia?
Refreshed monthly
The poverty rate was about 9.4% of Virginia’s population as of 2025. The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the government. It measures the percentage of people in households that don’t earn enough to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. In 2025, 812,700 people in Virginia were considered in poverty.
9.4%
of the population (2025)
813K
people living under the poverty line (2025)
The state's poverty rate was 9.4% in 2025, the lowest based on data from the American Community Survey dating back to 2010. It was 0.3 percentage points lower than the previous year. Virginia's poverty rate hit a peak in 2014 of 11.8%.
In 2025, 9.4% of Virginia's population were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate, 2010–2025
While the poverty rate shows the overall trend, the total number matters because many aid programs and funding decisions are based on how many people are in poverty, not just the percentage. In 2025, 812,700 people living in Virginia were in poverty — down 14.8% from the 2014 peak of 953,400.
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In 2025, 812,700 people in Virginia were in poverty.
People living under poverty line, 2010–2025
Poverty doesn’t affect all groups equally. Rates vary widely by demographic group, family type and location.
What is the child poverty rate in Virginia?
From 2015 to 2025, the poverty rate for children under 18 in Virginia decreased from 14.8% to 11%. During the same period, the poverty rate for adults under 65 years decreased from 10.8% to 9%. For those older than 65, the poverty rate increased from 7.3% to 9.1%.
In 2025, 11% of children in Virginia were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate by age group, 2015–2025
How does poverty differ by race in Virginia?
Among racial or ethnic groups in Virginia during 2025, five had a higher poverty rate than the state’s overall rate: American Indian and Alaska Native; Black or African American; Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race); some other race; and two or more races
Two had a lower than average poverty rate: Asian; and White alone, not Hispanic or Latino.
Over the previous ten years, the poverty rate for the Black or African American population shifted the most, decreasing from 19.1% in 2015 to 14.7% in 2025.
In Virginia, the poverty rate for the Black or African American population decreased from 19.1% in 2015 to 14.7% in 2025.
Poverty rate by race or ethnicity, 2015–2025
What counties in Virginia have the highest and lowest poverty rates?
In 2020–2024, the poverty rate among Virginia counties ranged from 4% in Falls Church Independent City to 31.1% in Galax Independent City. The poverty rate in the state’s largest county — Fairfax County — was 5.9%
In 2020-2024, the poverty rate among Virginia counties ranged from 4.0% to 31.1%.
Poverty rate
Poverty rate, by county (2024)
| 1. | Galax Independent City | 31.1% |
| 2. | Lee County | 28.8% |
| 3. | Radford Independent City | 28.7% |
| 4. | Norton Independent City | 26.3% |
| 5. | Harrisonburg Independent City | 25.7% |
| 6. | Covington Independent City | 25.7% |
| 7. | Buchanan County | 25.2% |
| 8. | Danville Independent City | 24.7% |
| 9. | Montgomery County | 23.9% |
| 10. | Bath County | 23.8% |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
