countyscore

Best Counties for Retirement in Virginia 2026

131 counties ranked by health care, safety, tax burden, and affordability.

Top 5 Retirement Counties in Virginia

1Floyd County
71.5
2Bland County
72.8
3Goochland County
64
4Bath County
74.4
5Mathews County
63.4

All 131 Retirement-Ranked Counties in Virginia

RankCountyPersona ScoreOverall Score
1Floyd County, VA7471.5
2Bland County, VA7272.8
3Goochland County, VA7064
4Bath County, VA7074.4
5Mathews County, VA6963.4
6Clarke County, VA6863.6
7Botetourt County, VA6865
8Lexington city, VA6664.7
9Northumberland County, VA6666.8
10Fluvanna County, VA6659.6
11Craig County, VA6561.3
12Bedford County, VA6458.7
13Fauquier County, VA6357.9
14Rockingham County, VA6358.3
15Dickenson County, VA6364.1
16Highland County, VA6362.1
17Madison County, VA6359.1
18Augusta County, VA6358.8
19Spotsylvania County, VA6354.4
20Appomattox County, VA6262.4
21Poquoson city, VA6255.9
22Franklin County, VA6260.2
23Loudoun County, VA6257
24Grayson County, VA6165.7
25Surry County, VA6167.1
26Lunenburg County, VA6159.4
27Prince Edward County, VA6156.7
28Carroll County, VA6063.4
29New Kent County, VA6055.6
30King William County, VA6057
31King and Queen County, VA5963.7
32Rappahannock County, VA5959.7
33Campbell County, VA5957.1
34Pittsylvania County, VA5954
35Richmond County, VA5962.9
36Stafford County, VA5853.6
37Frederick County, VA5854.7
38Powhatan County, VA5854.7
39Lancaster County, VA5857.1
40King George County, VA5854.7
41Charlotte County, VA5858.3
42Shenandoah County, VA5753.4
43Hanover County, VA5755.4
44Russell County, VA5761.3
45Wythe County, VA5757.5
46Giles County, VA5657.4
47Gloucester County, VA5653.6
48Amherst County, VA5658.4
49Rockbridge County, VA5553.6
50York County, VA5552.5
51Southampton County, VA5554.7
52Washington County, VA5558.3
53Greensville County, VA5456.9
54Orange County, VA5452.9
55Louisa County, VA5451.9
56Halifax County, VA5455.6
57Culpeper County, VA5450.1
58Isle of Wight County, VA5448.1
59Buckingham County, VA5456.4
60Brunswick County, VA5455.5
61Middlesex County, VA5353.2
62Greene County, VA5350.6
63Patrick County, VA5358.1
64Montgomery County, VA5349.3
65Scott County, VA5353.7
66Nelson County, VA5251.8
67Northampton County, VA5254.7
68Amelia County, VA5254.9
69Caroline County, VA5247.9
70Lee County, VA5252.2
71Mecklenburg County, VA5151.2
72Smyth County, VA5156.8
73Radford city, VA5147.6
74Williamsburg city, VA5150.1
75Albemarle County, VA5144.7
76Westmoreland County, VA5055.4
77Roanoke County, VA5049.4
78Chesterfield County, VA4943.3
79Covington city, VA4947
80Warren County, VA4950.8
81Page County, VA4952.3
82Accomack County, VA4947
83Falls Church city, VA4851.8
84Tazewell County, VA4850
85Arlington County, VA4844.8
86Virginia Beach city, VA4844.4
87Henry County, VA4851.7
88Prince George County, VA4849.4
89Fairfax County, VA4844.4
90Wise County, VA4754
91Buchanan County, VA4651.3
92Buena Vista city, VA4644.1
93Alleghany County, VA4653.3
94Cumberland County, VA4651.6
95Dinwiddie County, VA4544.1
96Sussex County, VA4549.8
97Pulaski County, VA4445.7
98Alexandria city, VA4439.3
99Staunton city, VA4445.7
100Henrico County, VA4339.2
101Salem city, VA4343
102Essex County, VA4351.1
103Prince William County, VA4339.6
104Nottoway County, VA4243.8
105Chesapeake city, VA4039.8
106Waynesboro city, VA3940.2
107Norton city, VA3847.5
108Lynchburg city, VA3736.9
109Suffolk city, VA3735.9
110Fairfax city, VA3636.5
111Harrisonburg city, VA3538.5
112Charlottesville city, VA3540.3
113Bristol city, VA3541.6
114Manassas Park city, VA3536.6
115Martinsville city, VA3344.6
116Fredericksburg city, VA3337.1
117Hampton city, VA3333.3
118Danville city, VA3237.5
119Colonial Heights city, VA3136.9
120Winchester city, VA3136.2
121Newport News city, VA3031.1
122Galax city, VA3041.7
123Manassas city, VA2832.5
124Richmond city, VA2827.4
125Franklin city, VA2835.5
126Emporia city, VA2741
127Norfolk city, VA2627.4
128Hopewell city, VA2529.8
129Roanoke city, VA2427.7
130Petersburg city, VA2429
131Portsmouth city, VA2326.7

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for retirement in Virginia?

Based on our analysis of health care access, safety, property taxes, and cost of living, Floyd County ranks as the top retirement county in Virginia with a retirement score of 74.

How many counties in Virginia are ranked for retirement?

We rank 131 counties in Virginia for retirement suitability, scoring each on health care access (35%), safety (30%), property tax (20%), and cost of living (15%).

Also Browse Virginia Counties For

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Retirement Rankings by State

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Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019-2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.