Whitest cities in Virginia research summary. We analyzed Virginia’s most recent Census data to determine the whitest cities in Virginia based on the percentage of White residents.
97.6% White · #1 whitest in Virginia
Located in
Tazewell County, VirginiaRichlands is a town in Tazewell County, Virginia, United States. The population was 5,823 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,578.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
90.7% White · #2 whitest in Virginia
Located in
Washington County, VirginiaAbingdon 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
90.4% White · #3 whitest in Virginia
Located in
Roanoke County, VirginiaData | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
89.1% White · #4 whitest in Virginia
Located in
Wythe County, VirginiaWytheville is a town in, and the county seat of, Wythe County, Virginia, United States. It is named after George Wythe, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, and mentor to Thomas Jefferson. Wytheville’s population was 8,211 at the 2010 census. Located at the intersection of Interstate Highways 77 and 81, the town has long been a crossroads for travelers. During the American Civil War, Wytheville had a strategic importance, and was attacked in 1863 and 1865. The town is also the birthplace of Edith Bolling Wilson, wife of President Woodrow Wilson.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
87.3% White · #5 whitest in Virginia
Located in
Poquoson city, VirginiaPoquoson is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 12,150. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Poquoson with surrounding York County for statistical purposes.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
85.1% White · #6 whitest in Virginia
Located in
Pulaski County, VirginiaPulaski is a town in Pulaski County, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,086 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pulaski County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
84.7% White · #7 whitest in Virginia
Located in
Buena Vista city, VirginiaBuena 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
84.6% White · #8 whitest in Virginia
Located in
Shenandoah County, VirginiaStrasburg is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States, which was founded in 1761 by Peter Stover. It is the largest town by population in the county and is known for its pottery, antiques, and Civil War history. The population was 6,398 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
84.5% White · #9 whitest in Virginia
Located in
Bristol city, VirginiaBristol is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 17,835. It is the twin city of Bristol, Tennessee, just across the state line, which runs down the middle of its main street, State Street. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Bristol, Virginia, with neighboring Washington County, Virginia, for statistical purposes. Bristol is a principal city of the Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area – commonly known as the “Tri-Cities” region.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
83.8% White · #10 whitest in Virginia
Located in
Smyth County, VirginiaMarion is a town in Smyth County, Virginia, United States. The population was 6,033 according to a 2017 count- not estimate- using local resources, information and current data. It is the county seat. The town is named for American Revolutionary War officer Francis Marion.
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 White population is concentrated
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the whitest places in Virginia for 2026
To rank the whitest places in Virginia, we used Saturday Night Science to look at Census demographic data.
We had to look at the number of white people living in each city in Virginia on a per capita basis. In other words, the percentage of white people living in each city in Virginia.
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 who identified as White 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 White. The percentages ranked from 97.6% to 14.4%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of the White population, with a higher percentage being more White. Richlands took the distinction of being the most White, while Petersburg was the least White city.
We updated this article for 2026. This report represents our eleventh time ranking the whitest cities in Virginia.
The full plate
Cities In Virginia By White Population
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | White Population | % White |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richlands | 5,171 | 5,046 | 97.6% |
| 2 | Abingdon | 8,330 | 7,552 | 90.7% |
| 3 | Vinton | 8,056 | 7,284 | 90.4% |
| 4 | Wytheville | 8,202 | 7,310 | 89.1% |
| 5 | Poquoson | 12,639 | 11,037 | 87.3% |
| 6 | Pulaski | 8,893 | 7,565 | 85.1% |
| 7 | Buena Vista | 6,593 | 5,583 | 84.7% |
| 8 | Strasburg | 7,214 | 6,103 | 84.6% |
| 9 | Bristol | 16,849 | 14,230 | 84.5% |
| 10 | Marion | 5,670 | 4,752 | 83.8% |
| 11 | Christiansburg | 22,720 | 18,769 | 82.6% |
| 12 | Salem | 25,618 | 20,895 | 81.6% |
| 13 | Bridgewater | 6,708 | 5,465 | 81.5% |
| 14 | Radford | 16,726 | 13,535 | 80.9% |
| 15 | Covington | 5,680 | 4,495 | 79.1% |
| 16 | Staunton | 25,948 | 20,330 | 78.3% |
| 17 | Lexington | 7,525 | 5,887 | 78.2% |
| 18 | Galax | 6,726 | 5,165 | 76.8% |
| 19 | Big Stone Gap | 5,162 | 3,950 | 76.5% |
| 20 | Blacksburg | 45,446 | 34,069 | 75.0% |
| 21 | Smithfield | 8,834 | 6,574 | 74.4% |
| 22 | Purcellville | 8,973 | 6,666 | 74.3% |
| 23 | Front Royal | 15,296 | 11,167 | 73.0% |
| 24 | Waynesboro | 22,841 | 16,351 | 71.6% |
| 25 | Warrenton | 10,176 | 7,205 | 70.8% |
| 26 | Falls Church | 14,710 | 10,005 | 68.0% |
| 27 | Williamsburg | 15,798 | 10,618 | 67.2% |
| 28 | Colonial Heights | 18,352 | 11,961 | 65.2% |
| 29 | Vienna | 16,412 | 10,623 | 64.7% |
| 30 | Farmville | 7,774 | 5,016 | 64.5% |
| 31 | Charlottesville | 45,437 | 29,163 | 64.2% |
| 32 | Ashland | 7,772 | 4,988 | 64.2% |
| 33 | Winchester | 27,913 | 17,126 | 61.4% |
| 34 | Harrisonburg | 51,392 | 31,246 | 60.8% |
| 35 | Lynchburg | 79,497 | 47,601 | 59.9% |
| 36 | Virginia Beach | 456,349 | 268,555 | 58.8% |
| 37 | Roanoke | 98,355 | 54,346 | 55.3% |
| 38 | Fredericksburg | 28,873 | 15,787 | 54.7% |
| 39 | Leesburg | 49,171 | 26,613 | 54.1% |
| 40 | Chesapeake | 252,583 | 135,855 | 53.8% |
| 41 | Fairfax | 25,026 | 12,800 | 51.1% |
| 42 | Alexandria | 156,976 | 77,106 | 49.1% |
| 43 | Culpeper | 20,794 | 10,016 | 48.2% |
| 44 | Suffolk | 98,796 | 45,224 | 45.8% |
| 45 | Martinsville | 13,658 | 5,689 | 41.7% |
| 46 | Richmond | 229,359 | 94,895 | 41.4% |
| 47 | South Boston | 7,853 | 3,246 | 41.3% |
| 48 | Norfolk | 233,596 | 96,188 | 41.2% |
| 49 | Hopewell | 22,959 | 9,335 | 40.7% |
| 50 | Newport News | 184,216 | 72,296 | 39.2% |
| 51 | Danville | 42,214 | 16,369 | 38.8% |
| 52 | Franklin | 8,250 | 3,114 | 37.7% |
| 53 | Herndon | 24,672 | 8,878 | 36.0% |
| 54 | Portsmouth | 97,190 | 34,405 | 35.4% |
| 55 | Hampton | 137,557 | 48,479 | 35.2% |
| 56 | Manassas | 42,976 | 14,320 | 33.3% |
| 57 | Manassas Park | 16,798 | 4,430 | 26.4% |
| 58 | Emporia | 5,547 | 1,017 | 18.3% |
| 59 | Petersburg | 33,537 | 4,818 | 14.4% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 59 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: White Populations Across Virginia
We measured the locations with the highest percentage of white people in Virginia. According to the most recent data, this list provides accurate information on the whitest places in Virginia.
The most White cities in Virginia are Richlands, Abingdon, Vinton, Wytheville, Poquoson, Pulaski, Buena Vista, Strasburg, Bristol, and Marion. Not sold on Virginia? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
