Virginia earns a composite livability score of 50.9, placing it slightly ahead of the national median of 50.0. The state maintains this competitive position across all 133 of its counties, signaling a high baseline for quality of life.

Favorable Taxes and Economic Security

The state excels in financial stability with a tax score of 67.8 and an income score of 57.5. Residents also benefit from a risk score of 66.8, indicating the Commonwealth is safer from environmental and social hazards than many other states.

High Costs Impact Daily Affordability

A low cost score of 35.8 is Virginia's most significant hurdle, reflecting prices well above the national average. This strain is most visible in urban hubs like Richmond and Norfolk, where cost scores plummet to 9.9 and 10.6 respectively.

Rural Counties Offer the Best Value

Bath County leads the state with a composite score of 74.4, driven by a near-perfect tax score of 93.6. Bland County and Floyd County follow at 72.8 and 71.5, proving that Virginia's rural regions offer the best balance of affordability and low taxes.

Best for Professionals Seeking Stability

Virginia is an excellent fit for high-earning families and professionals who prioritize safety and public health over low housing costs. While urban centers are expensive, the state's overall economic health makes it a premier destination for long-term residency.

All County Rankings in Virginia

Search, sort, and filter all 133 ranked counties

Showing 1–25 of 133 counties

Rank
1	Bath County	74.4	93.6	66.1	44.3	81	49	86.7	94.7	86	67	34.3	53.1
2	Bland County	72.8	80.2	92.8	43.4	60.4	67.7	64.9	87	86	66.6	41.6	63.7
3	Floyd County	71.5	83.8	69.4	43.5	76.3	68.6	71.2	93.4	26.6	69.7	46	61.5
4	Surry County	67.1	71.4	43.1	70.1	66.1	58.4	91.4	95.3	86	71.5	31.5	49.3
5	Northumberland County	66.8	87.7	38.7	65.2	79.3	54.5	85.9	60	49.3	63	28.9	47
6	Grayson County	65.7	72	91.2	5.1	58.4	44.1	81.7	75.4	31.3	63	46.9	44.3
7	Botetourt County	65	67.9	33.6	84.4	67.1	82.9	75	81.9	58.3	58.4	38.8	52
8	Lexington city	64.7	48	34	91.8	66.5	90.2	78.5	96.3	N/A	58.1		66.5
9	Dickenson County	64.1	86.2	88.8	5.9	68.8	34.3	55.7	82.1	12.3	73.7	45.6	72.9
10	Goochland County	64	85.8	7.3	98.4	60.3	96.5	70.3	84.5	86	57.6	20.5	53.1
11	King and Queen County	63.7	83.6	27.6	73.5	83	38.9	77.5	83.8	86	66.2	30.7	54.9
12	Clarke County	63.6	84.6	7.3	98.1	78.3	75.2	77.5	93.1	5.8	70.7	25.8	57
13	Carroll County	63.4	74.9	92.3	19.8	55.2	41.6	56.6	54.9	86	71.7	32.8	30
14	Mathews County	63.4	92.4	36	78	65.5	72.5	57.3	87.8	2.2	77.5	32.9	56
15	Richmond County	62.9	79.9	36.7	51.1	75.7	40.9	78.2	89.6	86	63	26.9	50
16	Appomattox County	62.4	82.7	49.8	46.1	64.5	54.6	55.1	94.9	86	65.9	21.6	52.5
17	Highland County	62.1	78.8	68.2	48.1	34.9	76	49.9	97.5	86	62.7	36.5	48.2
18	Craig County	61.3	90.2	61.5	61.2	67	49.9	36.4	93.8	12.8	63.5	40.6	58
19	Russell County	61.3	82.1	92.8	12.5	44.4	37.5	53.1	63.5	86	72.7	45.2	76.1
20	Franklin County	60.1	82.6	60	62.5	45.1	64.6	55.5	57.3	44.6	65.6	30.3	53.5
21	Rappahannock County	59.7	78.1	8.5	94.8	64.8	64.9	89	93.1	0.8	57.8	26.4	47.5
22	Fluvanna County	59.6	68.4	14.1	92.8	70.4	81.9	51.8	86.5	86	55.2	22.9	52.3
23	Lunenburg County	59.4	91.6	72.3	23.9	65	34.2	27	80.2	86	68.5	50.3	54.7
24	Madison County	59.1	75.2	21.4	86.9	70.8	67.3	61.7	91.6	7.9	60.8	25.2	43.6
25	Augusta County	58.8	87	28.3	83.8	51	73.2	58.8	31.4	86	68.8	31.8	40.7

Bath County

93.666.144.3814986.794.7866734.353.1N/A

74.4

Bland County

80.292.843.460.467.764.9878666.641.663.7N/A

72.8

Floyd County

83.869.443.576.368.671.293.426.669.74661.5N/A

71.5

Surry County

71.443.170.166.158.491.495.38671.531.549.3N/A

67.1

Northumberland County

87.738.765.279.354.585.96049.36328.947N/A

66.8

Grayson County

7291.25.158.444.181.775.431.36346.944.3N/A

65.7

Botetourt County

67.933.684.467.182.97581.958.358.438.852N/A

Lexington city

483491.866.590.278.596.3N/A58.1N/A66.5N/A

64.7

Dickenson County

86.288.85.968.834.355.782.112.373.745.672.9N/A

64.1

Goochland County

85.87.398.460.396.570.384.58657.620.553.1N/A

King and Queen County

83.627.673.58338.977.583.88666.230.754.9N/A

63.7

Clarke County

84.67.398.178.375.277.593.15.870.725.857N/A

63.6

Carroll County

74.992.319.855.241.656.654.98671.732.830N/A

63.4

Mathews County

92.4367865.572.557.387.82.277.532.956N/A

63.4

Richmond County

79.936.751.175.740.978.289.6866326.950N/A

62.9

Appomattox County

82.749.846.164.554.655.194.98665.921.652.5N/A

62.4

Highland County

78.868.248.134.97649.997.58662.736.548.2N/A

62.1

Craig County

90.261.561.26749.936.493.812.863.540.658N/A

61.3

Russell County

82.192.812.544.437.553.163.58672.745.276.1N/A

61.3

Franklin County

82.66062.545.164.655.557.344.665.630.353.5N/A

60.1

Rappahannock County

78.18.594.864.864.98993.10.857.826.447.5N/A

59.7

Fluvanna County

68.414.192.870.481.951.886.58655.222.952.3N/A

59.6

Lunenburg County

91.672.323.96534.22780.28668.550.354.7N/A

59.4

Madison County

75.221.486.970.867.361.791.67.960.825.243.6N/A

59.1

Augusta County

8728.383.85173.258.831.48668.831.840.7N/A

58.8

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Frequently Asked Questions about Counties in Virginia

Common questions about county rankings and scores in Virginia.

What is the best county in Virginia?

Bath County is the top-ranked county in Virginia with a CountyScore of 74.4/100. It leads the state across the available scoring dimensions, which include Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate, Soil Quality, Lawn Care, Farmers Markets.

How many counties are ranked in Virginia?

Virginia has 133 counties in total. Of those, 133 have been ranked with a composite score based on available data dimensions. The remaining 0 counties do not yet have enough data for a full score.

What factors determine a county's score?

Each county is scored 0–100 across up to eight data dimensions: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, and Water Quality. The composite score is a weighted average of whichever dimensions have data. Currently available dimensions are: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate, Soil Quality, Lawn Care, Farmers Markets. Higher scores are always better — a score of 100 represents the best possible performance for that dimension.

What is the average county score in Virginia?

The average composite CountyScore across all ranked counties in Virginia is 51/100. The national average is 50/100, so Virginia counties score 1 points above the national average.

How does Virginia compare to other states?

Virginia's average county score of 51/100 is 1 points above the national average of 50/100. You can compare Virginia counties to counties in any other state using the county detail pages or the CountyScore compare tool.

Explore County Data by Category

Dive deeper into specific dimensions for counties in Virginia.

TaxByCountyEffective property tax rate vs national benchmarks CostByCountyMedian rent, home values, and housing affordability IncomeByCountyMedian household income and per capita earnings CrimeByCountyViolent and property crime rates per 100K residents HealthByCountyLife expectancy, uninsured rates, and health access SchoolsByCountyGraduation rates, per-pupil spending, and attainment RiskByCountyFEMA National Risk Index — flood, fire, tornado, and more WaterByCountyEPA drinking water health violations and safety grades WeatherByCountyAverage temperatures, precipitation, and extreme weather events SoilByCountySoil composition, pH, drainage, and organic matter content LawnByCountyLawn difficulty score based on climate, soil, and grass suitability MarketsByCountyLocal market density, SNAP/EBT acceptance, and product variety

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

Best Counties in Virginia — 2026 Rankings

Top Counties in Virginia

Understanding County Scores in Virginia

Virginia Surpasses the National Median