Most Native American places in Virginia research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to research the Virginia cities with the highest percentage of Native American residents for 2026. The data comes from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 vintage, which breaks down race by origin.
The city with the highest percentage of Native Americans is Buena Vista. 1.26% of people in Buena Vista are Native Americans.
The city with the lowest percentage of Native Americans is Martinsville. 0.00% of people in Martinsville are Native American.
The city with the most Native Americans is Norfolk. 626 people in Norfolk are Native American.
The city with the fewest Native Americans is Martinsville. 0 people in Martinsville are Native American.
The United States has 1,698,432 Native Americans and is 0.51% Native American.
Which city in Virginia had the largest Native American population? The place with the largest Native American population in Virginia for 2026 is Buena Vista. 1.26% of Buena Vista identify as Native American.
1.3% Native American · 83 Native American residents
Located in
Buena Vista city, Virginia
Buena Vista is an independent city located in the Blue Ridge Mountains region of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 6,650. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the independent cities of Buena Vista and Lexington, along with surrounding Rockbridge County, for statistical purposes.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
0.3% Native American · 25 Native American residents
Located in
Lexington city, Virginia
Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. At the 2010 census, the population was 7,042. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Lexington with Rockbridge County for statistical purposes. Lexington is about 57 miles east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1777.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
0.3% Native American · 17 Native American residents
Located in
Wise County, Virginia
Big Stone Gap is a town in Wise County, Virginia, United States. The population was 5,643 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
0.3% Native American · 626 Native American residents
Located in
Norfolk city, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. At the 2010 census, the population was 242,803; in 2015, the population was estimated to be 247,189 making it the second-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Beach.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers | Compare
0.3% Native American · 20 Native American residents
Located in
Prince Edward County, Virginia
Farmville is a town in Prince Edward and Cumberland counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 8,216 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Prince Edward County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
0.2% Native American · 339 Native American residents
Located in
Hampton city, Virginia
Hampton is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the population was 137,436.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
0.2% Native American · 20 Native American residents
Located in
Washington County, Virginia
Abingdon is a town in Washington County, Virginia, United States, 133 miles southwest of Roanoke. The population was 8,191 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Washington County. The town encompasses several historically significant sites and features a fine arts and crafts scene centered on the galleries and museums along Main Street.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
0.2% Native American · 60 Native American residents
Located in
Salem city, Virginia
Salem is an independent city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 24,802. It is the county seat of Roanoke County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Salem with Roanoke County for statistical purposes.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
0.2% Native American · 420 Native American residents
Located in
Newport News city, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 180,719. In 2013, the population was estimated to be 183,412, making it the fifth-most populous city in Virginia.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
0.2% Native American · 35 Native American residents
Located in
Williamsburg city, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,068. In 2014, the population was estimated to be 14,691.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Virginia’s statewide median.
On the map
Where Virginia’s Native American population is concentrated
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Virginia With The Largest Native American Population For 2026
We still believe in the accuracy of data — especially from the Census. So that’s where we went to get the race breakdown across Virginia.
We used Saturday Night Science to analyze the Census’s most recently available data, the 2020-2024 American Community Survey data.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- Hispanic or Latino
- White alone
- Black or African American alone
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone
- Asian alone
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone
- Some other race alone
- Two or more races
Our particular column of interest here was the number of people identifying as American Indian and Alaska Native alone.
We limited our analysis to places with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 59 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are American Indian and Alaska Native. The percentages ranked from 1.26 to 0.00.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of the American Indian and Alaska Native population, with a higher score being more American Indian and Alaska Native than a lower score. Buena Vista took the distinction of being the most American Indian and Alaska Native, while Martinsville was the least Native American city.
We updated this article for 2026. This article is our eleventh time ranking the cities in Virginia with the largest Native American population.
The full plate
Most Native American Places In Virginia
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Native American Population | % Native American |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buena Vista | 6,593 | 83 | 1.3% |
| 2 | Lexington | 7,525 | 25 | 0.3% |
| 3 | Big Stone Gap | 5,162 | 17 | 0.3% |
| 4 | Norfolk | 233,596 | 626 | 0.3% |
| 5 | Farmville | 7,774 | 20 | 0.3% |
| 6 | Hampton | 137,557 | 339 | 0.2% |
| 7 | Abingdon | 8,330 | 20 | 0.2% |
| 8 | Salem | 25,618 | 60 | 0.2% |
| 9 | Newport News | 184,216 | 420 | 0.2% |
| 10 | Williamsburg | 15,798 | 35 | 0.2% |
| 11 | Portsmouth | 97,190 | 189 | 0.2% |
| 12 | Galax | 6,726 | 13 | 0.2% |
| 13 | Colonial Heights | 18,352 | 34 | 0.2% |
| 14 | Winchester | 27,913 | 41 | 0.1% |
| 15 | Pulaski | 8,893 | 13 | 0.1% |
| 16 | Blacksburg | 45,446 | 66 | 0.1% |
| 17 | Fairfax | 25,026 | 36 | 0.1% |
| 18 | Alexandria | 156,976 | 217 | 0.1% |
| 19 | Poquoson | 12,639 | 17 | 0.1% |
| 20 | Chesapeake | 252,583 | 309 | 0.1% |
| 21 | Fredericksburg | 28,873 | 34 | 0.1% |
| 22 | Virginia Beach | 456,349 | 502 | 0.1% |
| 23 | Staunton | 25,948 | 28 | 0.1% |
| 24 | Richmond | 229,359 | 244 | 0.1% |
| 25 | Marion | 5,670 | 6 | 0.1% |
| 26 | Purcellville | 8,973 | 9 | 0.1% |
| 27 | Warrenton | 10,176 | 10 | 0.1% |
| 28 | Manassas | 42,976 | 42 | 0.1% |
| 29 | Waynesboro | 22,841 | 22 | 0.1% |
| 30 | Suffolk | 98,796 | 93 | 0.1% |
| 31 | Herndon | 24,672 | 23 | 0.1% |
| 32 | Roanoke | 98,355 | 90 | 0.1% |
| 33 | Christiansburg | 22,720 | 18 | 0.1% |
| 34 | Lynchburg | 79,497 | 55 | 0.1% |
| 35 | Petersburg | 33,537 | 22 | 0.1% |
| 36 | Smithfield | 8,834 | 5 | 0.1% |
| 37 | Ashland | 7,772 | 4 | 0.1% |
| 38 | Wytheville | 8,202 | 4 | 0.0% |
| 39 | Radford | 16,726 | 8 | 0.0% |
| 40 | Danville | 42,214 | 20 | 0.0% |
| 41 | Vienna | 16,412 | 7 | 0.0% |
| 42 | Charlottesville | 45,437 | 15 | 0.0% |
| 43 | Leesburg | 49,171 | 16 | 0.0% |
| 44 | Hopewell | 22,959 | 6 | 0.0% |
| 45 | Harrisonburg | 51,392 | 7 | 0.0% |
| 46 | Vinton | 8,056 | 1 | 0.0% |
| 53 | Falls Church | 14,710 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 53 | Emporia | 5,547 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 53 | Manassas Park | 16,798 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 53 | South Boston | 7,853 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 53 | Strasburg | 7,214 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 53 | Culpeper | 20,794 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 53 | Franklin | 8,250 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 53 | Covington | 5,680 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 53 | Richlands | 5,171 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 53 | Bristol | 16,849 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 53 | Bridgewater | 6,708 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 53 | Front Royal | 15,296 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 53 | Martinsville | 13,658 | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, table B03002. 59 Virginia cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Native American Populations Across Virginia
If you’re looking for a breakdown of Native American populations across Virginia according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
The most Native American cities in Virginia are Buena Vista, Lexington, Big Stone Gap, Norfolk, Farmville, Hampton, Abingdon, Salem, Newport News, and Williamsburg. Not sold on Virginia? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Native American Population In Virginia FAQs
What city in Virginia has the highest share of Native American residents?
Buena Vista has the highest share of Native American residents in Virginia for 2026, at 1.26% of the population. Lexington and Big Stone Gap are next.
What city in Virginia has the most Native American residents overall?
Norfolk has the most Native American residents in Virginia, with 626 people. That is the raw count; Buena Vista leads on share of population.
What are the top Native American communities in Virginia?
The Virginia places with the highest Native American population shares are Buena Vista, Lexington, Big Stone Gap, Norfolk, Farmville, Hampton, Abingdon, Salem, Newport News, and Williamsburg. We ranked all 59 places with more than 5,000 residents.
How many Native Americans live in the United States?
The United States has 1,698,432 residents identifying as American Indian and Alaska Native, which is 0.51% of the country. The share in Buena Vista runs far above that national mark.
Where does this data come from?
Every number comes from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020-2024), table B03002, based on residents identifying as American Indian and Alaska Native. We rank each Virginia place with more than 5,000 residents.
