Incomes are rising rapidly in the United States. According to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, the national median household income was nearly $75,000 in 2022, up from about $69,700 in 2021. The 7.2% increase was the largest recorded year-over-year since at least the mid-1990s.
While the typical American household is earning more than ever before, incomes have not been rising fast enough to offset inflation. Throughout 2022, the average rate of inflation hit a 40-year high of 8%, four times the Federal Reserve’s 2% target rate. Accounting for the rising cost of living, real incomes in the U.S. fell by nearly 5% between 2019 and 2022.
While no one has been spared from surging prices, Americans on the low end of the income spectrum have bore the brunt. During inflationary periods, higher-income Americans can cut back on spending and reduce the impact of rising costs. Meanwhile, lower earning Americans, who spend a larger share of their income on necessities such as food, housing, and gas, cannot.
Virginia has a median household income of $87,249. But in many parts of the state, the typical household earns far less than the statewide median.
Using five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 35 poorest counties and independent cities in Virginia. Counties and county equivalents in the state are ranked on median household income. Population, poverty, and unemployment data are also five-year estimates from the 2022 ACS.
Among the places on this list, median household incomes are anywhere from about $33,300 to $50,300 below the statewide median. Levels of financial hardship are underscored by widespread poverty in these places. In every county and independent city on this list, the share of residents living below the poverty line exceeds the 10.0% statewide poverty rate.
These are the poorest counties in Virginia.
35. Wythe County
Source: Tim Pennington / iStock via Getty Images
- Median household income: $53,921
- Poverty rate: 17.2%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.2%
- Population: 28,275
34. Accomack County
Source: EJ-J / Getty Images
- Median household income: $52,694
- Poverty rate: 15.9%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.7%
- Population: 33,367
33. Brunswick County
Source: usdagov / Flickr / Public Domain
- Median household income: $52,678
- Poverty rate: 17.2%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.2%
- Population: 15,965
32. Pittsylvania County
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Median household income: $52,619
- Poverty rate: 16.4%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.4%
- Population: 60,541
31. Alleghany County
Source: ablokhin / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Median household income: $52,546
- Poverty rate: 13.7%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.7%
- Population: 15,159
30. Waynesboro (independent city)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Median household income: $52,519
- Poverty rate: 16.1%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.7%
- Population: 22,341
29. Essex County
- Median household income: $52,335
- Poverty rate: 17.1%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 9.8%
- Population: 10,602
28. Greensville County
- Median household income: $51,823
- Poverty rate: 12.9%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 6.3%
- Population: 11,373
27. Charlotte County
- Median household income: $51,548
- Poverty rate: 20.3%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.6%
- Population: 11,563
26. Roanoke (independent city)
Source: Peeter Viisimaa / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
- Median household income: $51,523
- Poverty rate: 19.1%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 6.6%
- Population: 99,213
25. Mecklenburg County
- Median household income: $51,265
- Poverty rate: 18.8%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.6%
- Population: 30,367
24. Radford (independent city)
Source: By DwayneP at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26626292
- Median household income: $51,039
- Poverty rate: 33.8%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 7.2%
- Population: 16,379
23. Hopewell (independent city)
Source: Floyd.lark / Wikimedia Commons
- Median household income: $50,661
- Poverty rate: 21.3%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 8.6%
- Population: 23,046
22. Patrick County
Source: John M. Chase / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
- Median household income: $49,180
- Poverty rate: 11.4%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 2.3%
- Population: 17,660
21. Halifax County
- Median household income: $49,145
- Poverty rate: 14.7%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.7%
- Population: 34,013
20. Carroll County
Source: Idawriter / Wikimedia Commons
- Median household income: $49,113
- Poverty rate: 15.2%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.8%
- Population: 29,126
19. Buena Vista (independent city)
Source: (c) Sean Board / iStock via Getty Images
- Median household income: $48,783
- Poverty rate: 21.9%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 1.3%
- Population: 6,639
18. Wise County
Source: Photo by John Moore / Getty Images
- Median household income: $47,541
- Poverty rate: 19.9%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 9.1%
- Population: 36,105
17. Petersburg (independent city)
Source: kenlund / Flickr
- Median household income: $46,930
- Poverty rate: 22.2%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 11.1%
- Population: 33,261
16. Tazewell County
Source: krblokhin / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Median household income: $46,508
- Poverty rate: 18.1%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.7%
- Population: 40,392
15. Covington (independent city)
Source: ablokhin / iStock via Getty Images
- Median household income: $45,737
- Poverty rate: 16.9%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 2.6%
- Population: 5,722
14. Bristol (independent city)
Source: Joel Carillet / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
- Median household income: $45,250
- Poverty rate: 17.0%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.1%
- Population: 17,036
13. Smyth County
Source: Tim Pennington / iStock via Getty Images
- Median household income: $45,061
- Poverty rate: 18.8%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.3%
- Population: 29,799
12. Galax (independent city)
Source: Eifel Kreutz / iStock / Getty Images Plus
- Median household income: $44,612
- Poverty rate: 22.4%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.4%
- Population: 6,687
11. Scott County
Source: Skye Marthaler / Wikimedia Commons
- Median household income: $44,535
- Poverty rate: 17.0%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.4%
- Population: 21,536
10. Russell County
- Median household income: $44,088
- Poverty rate: 19.3%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.9%
- Population: 25,763
9. Henry County
- Median household income: $43,694
- Poverty rate: 16.1%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.2%
- Population: 50,760
8. Grayson County
Source: Balashark / iStock via Getty Images
- Median household income: $43,348
- Poverty rate: 18.7%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.3%
- Population: 15,356
7. Lee County
Source: Nyttend / Public Domain / Nyttend / Wikimedia Commons
- Median household income: $41,619
- Poverty rate: 26.0%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 8.1%
- Population: 22,287
6. Danville (independent city)
Source: Miguel Gereda / Wikimedia Commons
- Median household income: $41,484
- Poverty rate: 25.3%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.8%
- Population: 42,507
5. Emporia (independent city)
Source: Corvokarasu at English Wikipedia / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Median household income: $41,442
- Poverty rate: 17.3%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 7.0%
- Population: 5,680
4. Dickenson County
Source: vastateparksstaff / Flickr
- Median household income: $40,143
- Poverty rate: 22.5%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.4%
- Population: 14,089
3. Buchanan County
Source: SheepNotGoats / Wikimedia Commons
- Median household income: $39,591
- Poverty rate: 25.3%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 6.0%
- Population: 20,246
2. Martinsville County (independent city)
Source: kamoteus / Flickr
- Median household income: $39,127
- Poverty rate: 24.6%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.3%
- Population: 13,539
1. Norton (independent city)
Source: Joshua Moore / Getty Images
- Median household income: $36,974
- Poverty rate: 29.1%
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 7.3%
- Population: 3,668
| Rank | County or county equivalent | Median household income ($) | Poverty rate (%) | 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norton, Virginia | 36,974 | 29.1 | 7.3 |
| 2 | Martinsville, Virginia | 39,127 | 24.6 | 4.3 |
| 3 | Buchanan, Virginia | 39,591 | 25.3 | 6.0 |
| 4 | Dickenson, Virginia | 40,143 | 22.5 | 3.4 |
| 5 | Emporia, Virginia | 41,442 | 17.3 | 7.0 |
| 6 | Danville, Virginia | 41,484 | 25.3 | 5.8 |
| 7 | Lee, Virginia | 41,619 | 26.0 | 8.1 |
| 8 | Grayson, Virginia | 43,348 | 18.7 | 4.3 |
| 9 | Henry, Virginia | 43,694 | 16.1 | 5.2 |
| 10 | Russell, Virginia | 44,088 | 19.3 | 5.9 |
| 11 | Scott, Virginia | 44,535 | 17.0 | 3.4 |
| 12 | Galax, Virginia | 44,612 | 22.4 | 4.4 |
| 13 | Smyth, Virginia | 45,061 | 18.8 | 3.3 |
| 14 | Bristol, Virginia | 45,250 | 17.0 | 4.1 |
| 15 | Covington, Virginia | 45,737 | 16.9 | 2.6 |
| 16 | Tazewell, Virginia | 46,508 | 18.1 | 5.7 |
| 17 | Petersburg, Virginia | 46,930 | 22.2 | 11.1 |
| 18 | Wise, Virginia | 47,541 | 19.9 | 9.1 |
| 19 | Buena Vista, Virginia | 48,783 | 21.9 | 1.3 |
| 20 | Carroll, Virginia | 49,113 | 15.2 | 4.8 |
| 21 | Halifax, Virginia | 49,145 | 14.7 | 3.7 |
| 22 | Patrick, Virginia | 49,180 | 11.4 | 2.3 |
| 23 | Hopewell, Virginia | 50,661 | 21.3 | 8.6 |
| 24 | Radford, Virginia | 51,039 | 33.8 | 7.2 |
| 25 | Mecklenburg, Virginia | 51,265 | 18.8 | 3.6 |
| 26 | Roanoke, Virginia | 51,523 | 19.1 | 6.6 |
| 27 | Charlotte, Virginia | 51,548 | 20.3 | 3.6 |
| 28 | Greensville, Virginia | 51,823 | 12.9 | 6.3 |
| 29 | Essex, Virginia | 52,335 | 17.1 | 9.8 |
| 30 | Waynesboro, Virginia | 52,519 | 16.1 | 4.7 |
| 31 | Alleghany, Virginia | 52,546 | 13.7 | 3.7 |
| 32 | Pittsylvania, Virginia | 52,619 | 16.4 | 5.4 |
| 33 | Brunswick, Virginia | 52,678 | 17.2 | 5.2 |
| 34 | Accomack, Virginia | 52,694 | 15.9 | 3.7 |
| 35 | Wythe, Virginia | 53,921 | 17.2 | 5.2 |
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