The 10 Best Counties To Live In Virginia For 2022


Using science and data, we can tell you which counties in Virginia have the most for people looking to make the move to Virginia.

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Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment: is Virginia a good place?

The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best places to live in Virginia.

Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Old Dominion based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been helping people find the best places to live in America for years.

So, the question becomes, if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Virginia, where would you go? To answer that we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 133 counties in the state.

After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Old Dominion for 2022.

Arlington County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Virginia. And you might want to avoid Charlotte County if you can — at least according to the data.

So if you’re thinking of making the move Virginia, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.

Or, check out the best places to live in Virginia and the cheapest places to live in Virginia.

The Best Counties To Live In Virginia For 2022

1. Arlington County

Arlington, VA

Source: Wikipedia User Mariordo (Mario Roberto D | CC BY-SA 3.0

Biggest Place: Arlington

Population: 236,434
Median Income: $122,604.0 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $731,700.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (11th best)
More on Arlington County: Photos | Data

2. Poquoson City

Poquoson, VA

Source: Wikipedia User Chrisfortier at English W | GFDL

Biggest Place: Poquoson

Population: 12,121
Median Income: $100,696.0 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $344,300.0 (16th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.7% (2nd best)
More on Poquoson City: Photos | Data

3. Goochland County

Biggest Place: Goochland

Population: 23,472
Median Income: $97,146.0 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $379,200.0 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (36th best)
More on Goochland County: Data

4. Loudoun County

Leesburg, VA

Source: Wikipedia User Wallygva | GFDL

Biggest Place: Leesburg

Population: 405,312
Median Income: $147,111.0 (best)
Median Home Price: $534,600.0 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (32nd best)
More on Loudoun County: Photos | Data

5. Falls Church City

Falls Church, VA

Source: Wikipedia User Payton Chung | CC BY 2.0

Biggest Place: Falls Church

Population: 14,309
Median Income: $146,922.0 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $810,900.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.4% (68th best)
More on Falls Church City: Photos | Data

6. New Kent County

Biggest Place: New Kent

Population: 22,310
Median Income: $97,688.0 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $296,700.0 (24th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (19th best)
More on New Kent County: Data

7. Hanover County

Ashland, VA

Source: Public domain

Biggest Place: Mechanicsville

Population: 106,538
Median Income: $91,444.0 (17th best)
Median Home Price: $288,800.0 (27th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (22nd best)
More on Hanover County: Photos | Data

8. Powhatan County

Biggest Place: Powhatan

Population: 29,253
Median Income: $93,833.0 (14th best)
Median Home Price: $291,300.0 (25th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.4% (best)
More on Powhatan County: Data

9. Fauquier County

Warrenton, VA

Source: Wikipedia User Carter Nevill | CC BY-SA 4.0

Biggest Place: New Baltimore

Population: 70,353
Median Income: $105,665.0 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $420,600.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (13th best)
More on Fauquier County: Photos | Data

10. King George County

Biggest Place: King George

Population: 26,679
Median Income: $96,711.0 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $315,100.0 (2best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (43rd best)
More on King George County: Data

Methodology: How do you determine which Virginia county is the best?

To give you the best county in Virginia, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.

With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time period.

We paid particular attention to:

  • Violent Crime Rates
  • Property Crime Rates
  • Median Home Values
  • Median Income
  • Unemployment Rates
  • Adult Education Levels
  • Health Insurance Coverage
  • Poverty Rates
Cheapest Places To Live In Virginia

We then ranked each county in Virginia across each of the criteria from one to 133, with one being the best.

Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Virginia”.

The result is some of the safest, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Old Dominion.

Read on to see why Arlington County is the best county, while Charlotte County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Virginia.

Summary: The Best Counties In Virginia To Call Home For 2018

It turns out living in Virginia can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?

But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.

Here’s a look at the worst counties in Virginia according to the data:

  1. Charlotte County
  2. Henry County
  3. Galax City

For more Virginia reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Virginia

County Rank Population Median Income Median Home Price
Arlington County 1 236,434 $122,604.0 $731,700.0
Poquoson City 2 12,121 $100,696.0 $344,300.0
Goochland County 3 23,472 $97,146.0 $379,200.0
Loudoun County 4 405,312 $147,111.0 $534,600.0
Falls Church City 5 14,309 $146,922.0 $810,900.0
New Kent County 6 22,310 $97,688.0 $296,700.0
Hanover County 7 106,538 $91,444.0 $288,800.0
Powhatan County 8 29,253 $93,833.0 $291,300.0
Fauquier County 9 70,353 $105,665.0 $420,600.0
King George County 10 26,679 $96,711.0 $315,100.0
James City County 11 76,032 $91,675.0 $346,100.0
Fairfax County 12 1,149,439 $127,866.0 $576,700.0
Botetourt County 13 33,440 $72,719.0 $230,500.0
Albemarle County 14 108,819 $84,643.0 $376,000.0
York County 15 68,389 $93,356.0 $338,200.0
Stafford County 16 150,185 $112,247.0 $356,000.0
Clarke County 17 14,498 $86,154.0 $366,100.0
Fairfax City 18 23,312 $109,708.0 $587,000.0
Virginia Beach City 19 450,882 $78,136.0 $287,400.0
Fluvanna County 20 26,873 $78,885.0 $234,500.0
Caroline County 21 30,581 $67,901.0 $218,000.0
King William County 22 16,985 $73,284.0 $205,800.0
Alexandria City 23 158,309 $102,227.0 $572,700.0
Henrico County 24 330,076 $72,295.0 $253,900.0
Prince William County 25 466,834 $107,707.0 $390,500.0
Chesterfield County 26 348,500 $84,645.0 $252,600.0
Roanoke County 27 94,103 $70,076.0 $207,300.0
Bedford County 28 78,965 $67,136.0 $211,600.0
Chesapeake City 29 242,647 $81,261.0 $286,000.0
Gloucester County 30 37,362 $71,649.0 $230,300.0
Frederick County 31 88,054 $80,011.0 $265,700.0
Augusta County 32 75,754 $65,076.0 $219,600.0
Lexington City 33 7,205 $50,714.0 $235,400.0
Spotsylvania County 34 134,683 $90,913.0 $289,200.0
Salem City 35 25,290 $63,411.0 $200,000.0
King And Queen County 36 7,011 $65,385.0 $207,400.0
Isle Of Wight County 37 37,107 $77,870.0 $280,600.0
Culpeper County 38 51,935 $80,663.0 $310,700.0
Rockingham County 39 81,138 $64,496.0 $217,600.0
Manassas Park City 40 17,548 $81,639.0 $299,700.0
Craig County 41 5,103 $57,792.0 $147,900.0
Madison County 42 13,208 $63,482.0 $264,100.0
Williamsburg City 43 15,034 $59,288.0 $334,100.0
Montgomery County 44 98,495 $59,126.0 $230,000.0
Suffolk City 45 91,383 $79,899.0 $265,600.0
Prince George County 46 38,292 $75,123.0 $219,300.0
Rappahannock County 47 7,360 $82,077.0 $392,600.0
Mathews County 48 8,760 $74,489.0 $265,600.0
Manassas City 49 41,038 $86,227.0 $338,100.0
Orange County 50 36,501 $74,446.0 $261,000.0
Louisa County 51 36,654 $67,027.0 $234,700.0
Shenandoah County 52 43,441 $56,114.0 $214,900.0
Charlottesville City 53 47,217 $59,598.0 $329,100.0
Nelson County 54 14,812 $62,203.0 $233,400.0
Richmond County 55 8,951 $53,298.0 $193,700.0
Amherst County 56 31,782 $57,368.0 $159,900.0
Southampton County 57 17,829 $63,034.0 $176,600.0
Colonial Heights City 58 17,283 $60,522.0 $179,200.0
Staunton City 59 24,660 $52,292.0 $171,600.0
Appomattox County 60 15,814 $55,457.0 $160,600.0
Amelia County 61 12,970 $63,918.0 $215,600.0
Greene County 62 19,734 $67,266.0 $239,100.0
Middlesex County 63 10,642 $57,060.0 $265,500.0
Covington City 64 5,653 $41,024.0 $70,400.0
Floyd County 65 15,766 $51,250.0 $170,000.0
Alleghany County 66 15,030 $48,513.0 $121,100.0
Fredericksburg City 67 29,059 $69,528.0 $376,700.0
Rockbridge County 68 22,728 $54,133.0 $206,300.0
Warren County 69 39,888 $70,109.0 $251,600.0
Giles County 70 16,760 $57,279.0 $127,800.0
Wythe County 71 28,725 $51,639.0 $130,000.0
Hampton City 72 135,169 $57,041.0 $188,600.0
Northumberland County 73 12,151 $59,437.0 $270,900.0
Charles City County 74 6,965 $60,096.0 $168,200.0
Campbell County 75 55,406 $52,319.0 $159,400.0
Cumberland County 76 9,869 $50,565.0 $159,600.0
Pulaski County 77 34,113 $53,689.0 $156,600.0
Lunenburg County 78 12,294 $45,884.0 $123,900.0
Franklin County 79 56,231 $56,779.0 $174,600.0
Buena Vista City 80 6,477 $36,634.0 $125,700.0
Pittsylvania County 81 60,867 $49,520.0 $125,200.0
Winchester City 82 27,912 $61,102.0 $247,800.0
Bland County 83 6,334 $50,365.0 $125,600.0
Newport News City 84 179,582 $54,511.0 $194,700.0
Radford City 85 17,833 $34,576.0 $171,000.0
Lancaster County 86 10,686 $59,736.0 $236,500.0
Sussex County 87 11,202 $51,701.0 $123,200.0
Waynesboro City 88 22,300 $43,480.0 $183,600.0
Highland County 89 2,202 $51,831.0 $161,000.0
Washington County 90 54,005 $50,928.0 $159,000.0
Franklin City 91 8,015 $49,811.0 $179,200.0
Page County 92 23,862 $51,878.0 $167,900.0
Dinwiddie County 93 28,686 $65,485.0 $185,200.0
Halifax County 94 34,295 $43,714.0 $118,500.0
Harrisonburg City 95 53,558 $49,117.0 $220,100.0
Mecklenburg County 96 30,726 $50,224.0 $148,800.0
Surry County 97 6,459 $56,525.0 $201,000.0
Northampton County 98 11,826 $50,819.0 $194,000.0
Lynchburg City 99 80,970 $49,201.0 $162,900.0
Portsmouth City 100 94,961 $53,213.0 $174,200.0
Download The Entire Virginia Ranking Data
Editor’s Note: We updated this article for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the best counties to live in Virginia.

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

 Best Counties, Rankings