BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

09/16/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/16/2025 13:23

County Employment and Wages in Virginia — First Quarter 2025

News Release Information

25-1445-PHI
Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

County Employment and Wages in Virginia - First Quarter 2025

Employment rose in 7 of the 11 largest counties in Virginia with published data from March 2024 to March 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that Loudoun County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 3.4 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

View Chart Data
Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Virginia, March 2025
County Percent change, March 2025

Loudoun

3.4

Chesterfield

2.5

Fairfax

1.3

Henrico

0.9

Prince William

0.6

Alexandria City

0.2

Richmond City

0.2

Norfolk City

-0.3

Chesapeake City

-0.8

Virginia Beach City

-0.9

Newport News City

-1.2

Among the 12 largest counties in Virginia, employment was highest in Fairfax (638,100) in March 2025. Together, the 12 largest counties accounted for 55.2 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.4 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2024.)

Large county average weekly wages in the first quarter 2025

Ten of the eleven large Virginia counties with published data reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Richmond City had the largest gain (+6.0 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among Virginia's other ten large counties ranged from 4.7 percent to -0.2 percent.

View Chart Data
Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Virginia, first quarter 2025
County Percent change, first quarter 2025

Richmond City

6.0

Loudoun

4.7

Alexandria City

3.7

Norfolk City

3.5

Virginia Beach City

3.5

Henrico

3.4

Prince William

2.7

Chesapeake City

2.5

Newport News City

1.0

Fairfax

0.4

Chesterfield

-0.2

Weekly wages in 5 of the 12 largest counties in Virginia were above the national average of $1,589. Average weekly wages ranged from $2,627 in Arlington to $1,165 in Chesapeake City.

Smaller county average weekly wages in the first quarter of 2025

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 121 small counties in Virginia, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 115 of the 121 smaller counties were below the national average. Goochland reported the highest average weekly wage ($3,164). Patrick reported the lowest average weekly wage ($756) in the commonwealth.

Among all 133 Virginia counties, 24 reported average weekly wages of less than $900, 52 registered wages from $900 to $1,074, 23 had wages from $1,075 to $1,249, and 34 had average weekly wages of $1,250 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)

Map 1. Average weekly wages by county in Virginia, first quarter 2025

(U.S. average = $1,589)

Select a filter: 9981,5901,4751,4401,0291,0981,2381,1911,0491,4189441,3531,7531,0622,0511,4781,1111,7311,1471,1031,1451,0859021,734
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1,734
Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

The County Employment and Wages release for the second quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.

County Changes for the 2025 County Employment and Wages News Releases

Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2024 are included in this release and will be included in future 2025 releases. Four counties have been added to the nationwide publication tables: Pinal, AZ; Henry, GA; Wood, OH; and Comal, TX. One county has been dropped from the publication tables: Gregg, TX.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the 12 largest counties in Virginia, first quarter 2025
Area Establishments,
first quarter
(thousands) 		Employment Average weekly wage (1)
March 2025
(thousands) 		Percent change,
March
2024-25 (2) 		National ranking
by percent change (3) 		First quarter
2025 ($) 		National ranking
by level (3) 		Percent change,
first quarter
2024-25 (2) 		National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

12,249.3 154,523.8 0.4 -- 1,589 -- 4.1 --

Virginia

321.9 4,108.8 0.8 -- 1,605 12 3.4 30

Arlington

9.6 179.1 (5) - 2,627 9 (5) -

Chesterfield

10.5 147.6 2.5 9 1,214 274 -0.2 341

Fairfax

39.4 638.1 1.3 56 2,379 12 0.4 335

Henrico

12.8 188.5 0.9 93 1,540 94 3.4 167

Loudoun

15.0 202.0 3.4 1 1,724 53 4.7 71

Prince William

10.8 143.3 0.6 141 1,263 234 2.7 239

Alexandria City

6.4 80.4 0.2 189 1,816 40 3.7 138

Chesapeake City

7.0 103.8 -0.8 323 1,165 307 2.5 251

Newport News City

4.6 101.7 -1.2 346 1,370 172 1.0 325

Norfolk City

6.5 143.3 -0.3 261 1,459 128 3.5 153

Richmond City

9.4 165.7 0.2 189 1,783 44 6.0 27

Virginia Beach City

14.1 175.9 -0.9 329 1,180 297 3.5 153

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications.
(3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(5) Data do not meet BLS or state agency disclosure standards.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Virginia, first quarter 2025
Area Establishments Employment March 2025 Average weekly wage ($) (1)

United States (2)

12,249,320 154,523,785 1,589

Virginia

321,899 4,108,826 1,605

Accomack

1,210 12,653 1,057

Albemarle

4,211 65,095 1,388

Alleghany

475 3,219 927

Amelia

413 2,495 908

Amherst

790 7,850 901

Appomattox

514 3,562 807

Arlington

9,631 179,062 2,627

Augusta

2,038 29,688 1,182

Bath

233 2,248 1,149

Bedford

2,335 18,392 951

Bland

142 2,079 1,113

Botetourt

994 11,652 1,135

Brunswick

491 3,520 1,010

Buchanan

555 5,872 1,189

Buckingham

481 3,044 978

Campbell

1,772 18,581 1,557

Caroline

753 7,043 922

Carroll

661 5,796 779

Charles City

239 1,928 1,082

Charlotte

471 2,801 927

Chesterfield

10,504 147,556 1,214

Clarke

484 3,968 1,088

Craig

145 792 1,021

Culpeper

1,593 16,315 1,113

Cumberland

257 1,434 856

Dickenson

324 3,299 1,009

Dinwiddie

563 9,971 1,343

Essex

396 3,517 900

Fairfax

39,397 638,124 2,379

Fauquier

2,596 23,783 1,293

Floyd

517 3,791 784

Fluvanna

677 4,670 1,114

Franklin

1,628 15,675 919

Frederick

2,224 39,407 1,265

Giles

448 5,178 1,025

Gloucester

1,106 10,195 933

Goochland

1,050 18,594 3,164

Grayson

348 3,331 765

Greene

548 4,001 837

Greensville

238 3,254 1,331

Halifax

1,018 11,814 1,006

Hanover

4,354 58,739 1,097

Henrico

12,833 188,505 1,540

Henry

1,746 15,756 876

Highland

124 604 894

Isle of Wight

941 9,773 1,664

James City

2,286 29,774 1,045

King and Queen

207 1,141 1,111

King George

684 13,647 1,940

King William

492 4,212 1,207

Lancaster

547 4,634 1,007

Lee

536 4,228 899

Loudoun

15,048 202,037 1,724

Louisa

1,124 10,364 1,252

Lunenburg

353 2,331 872

Madison

466 3,065 969

Mathews

260 1,561 819

Mecklenburg

1,050 11,760 1,017

Middlesex

401 3,182 907

Montgomery

2,598 43,760 1,174

Nelson

541 3,990 944

New Kent

586 6,262 963

Northampton

601 4,260 813

Northumberland

386 2,209 897

Nottoway

475 5,345 1,034

Orange

1,027 9,486 993

Page

619 5,340 854

Patrick

480 4,043 756

Pittsylvania

1,441 12,971 946

Powhatan

904 8,528 1,039

Prince Edward

712 8,699 963

Prince George

689 15,014 1,281

Prince William

10,754 143,254 1,263

Pulaski

882 14,090 1,073

Rappahannock

288 1,551 995

Richmond

294 2,888 939

Roanoke

2,724 37,257 1,077

Rockbridge

583 6,000 864

Rockingham

2,077 34,727 1,184

Russell

574 6,058 953

Scott

414 4,953 888

Shenandoah

1,174 13,016 1,001

Smyth

791 11,322 955

Southampton

348 3,455 958

Spotsylvania

3,634 38,078 1,018

Stafford

3,360 46,999 1,337

Surry

144 2,255 2,074

Sussex

283 3,115 1,031

Tazewell

1,006 13,499 916

Warren

1,189 12,991 1,049

Washington

1,624 21,036 952

Westmoreland

497 3,094 839

Wise

793 11,015 923

Wythe

934 11,466 917

York

1,735 22,155 1,092

Alexandria City

6,370 80,363 1,816

Bristol City

618 10,183 913

Buena Vista City

158 2,252 1,096

Charlottesville City

2,588 37,122 1,397

Chesapeake City

7,048 103,787 1,165

Colonial Heights City

747 9,640 852

Covington City

295 3,680 1,222

Danville City

1,829 25,215 977

Emporia City

269 3,378 780

Fairfax City

1,823 25,004 1,331

Falls Church City

1,064 12,484 1,617

Franklin City

320 3,902 846

Fredericksburg City

1,751 24,913 1,260

Galax City

395 5,520 794

Hampton City

3,156 50,225 1,279

Harrisonburg City

1,779 31,368 1,009

Hopewell City

550 7,272 1,310

Lexington City

315 5,708 929

Lynchburg City

2,692 47,783 1,225

Manassas City

1,589 23,774 1,733

Manassas Park City

339 3,681 1,273

Martinsville City

972 8,790 869

Newport News City

4,587 101,653 1,370

Norfolk City

6,535 143,311 1,459

Norton City

233 3,097 939

Petersburg City

1,018 11,763 1,046

Poquoson City

255 1,848 874

Portsmouth City

1,893 43,275 1,367

Radford City

374 6,510 1,008

Richmond City

9,389 165,672 1,783

Roanoke City

3,603 66,706 1,254

Salem City

1,126 20,410 1,289

Staunton City

930 11,697 925

Suffolk City

2,280 37,107 1,293

Virginia Beach City

14,067 175,918 1,180

Waynesboro City

781 9,954 986

Williamsburg City

579 11,915 1,037

Winchester City

1,489 24,781 1,226

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, first quarter 2025
State Establishments,
first quarter
(thousands) 		Employment Average weekly wage (1)
March 2025
(thousands) 		Percent change,
March
2024-25 		First quarter
2025 ($) 		National ranking
by level 		Percent change,
first quarter
2024-25 		National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

12,249.3 154,523.8 0.4 1,589 -- 4.1 --

Alabama

163.3 2,102.3 0.3 1,245 39 3.8 23

Alaska

25.3 323.5 1.3 1,452 20 5.8 4

Arizona

226.1 3,259.3 0.3 1,431 21 3.8 23

Arkansas

107.6 1,304.4 0.7 1,236 40 5.6 6

California

1,945.4 18,066.2 0.1 1,905 6 4.2 13

Colorado

242.4 2,862.7 0.1 1,681 8 4.2 13

Connecticut

148.5 1,671.7 0.5 1,980 4 3.8 23

Delaware

45.4 474.3 0.8 1,535 15 3.4 30

District of Columbia

51.5 748.9 -1.4 2,606 1 7.2 1

Florida

886.5 9,958.4 0.9 1,456 19 5.1 8

Georgia

394.8 4,860.7 0.4 1,491 17 3.4 30

Hawaii

60.3 644.8 0.6 1,363 27 6.7 2

Idaho

102.7 848.2 1.2 1,178 48 4.2 13

Illinois

407.1 5,988.9 0.2 1,662 9 3.2 38

Indiana

194.8 3,161.4 0.3 1,323 30 4.2 13

Iowa

111.3 1,537.7 -0.5 1,253 36 3.2 38

Kansas

104.3 1,428.0 0.8 1,246 38 4.0 19

Kentucky

159.6 1,986.3 0.0 1,213 44 2.4 51

Louisiana

157.0 1,921.2 0.5 1,227 42 2.8 49

Maine

66.6 629.6 0.1 1,283 34 2.7 50

Maryland

197.7 2,739.0 -0.2 1,634 10 3.2 38

Massachusetts

289.8 3,575.8 -0.7 2,107 3 4.6 11

Michigan

307.3 4,337.3 -0.3 1,391 24 2.9 48

Minnesota

211.8 2,878.6 -0.1 1,570 14 3.7 27

Mississippi

91.3 1,160.4 -0.4 1,018 51 4.1 17

Missouri

252.4 2,886.9 0.1 1,310 31 3.2 38

Montana

67.1 505.8 0.6 1,189 46 5.6 6

Nebraska

78.6 1,008.4 -0.1 1,231 41 3.1 42

Nevada

106.1 1,541.2 0.2 1,359 29 4.1 17

New Hampshire

66.3 681.0 0.1 1,606 11 4.8 9

New Jersey

338.9 4,259.0 1.1 1,815 7 3.0 44

New Mexico

66.8 868.2 0.3 1,203 45 3.9 22

New York

716.1 9,757.0 1.4 2,213 2 6.2 3

North Carolina

373.2 4,888.5 0.2 1,467 18 4.8 9

North Dakota

36.4 422.8 0.6 1,302 33 3.3 34

Ohio

344.2 5,466.8 0.2 1,361 28 3.5 28

Oklahoma

130.9 1,700.2 0.5 1,186 47 3.0 44

Oregon

186.2 1,965.7 -0.8 1,420 23 3.3 34

Pennsylvania

394.5 6,003.5 0.6 1,500 16 3.5 28

Rhode Island

49.0 489.3 1.0 1,429 22 3.0 44

South Carolina

198.7 2,304.9 1.7 1,247 37 4.4 12

South Dakota

40.5 450.5 0.2 1,163 49 3.0 44

Tennessee

221.0 3,251.5 -0.4 1,364 26 4.0 19

Texas

847.6 14,015.9 1.2 1,587 13 3.1 42

Utah

138.1 1,720.5 1.1 1,365 25 4.0 19

Vermont

33.5 306.8 -0.4 1,280 35 3.8 23

Virginia

321.9 4,108.8 0.8 1,605 12 3.4 30

Washington

240.9 3,583.7 0.9 1,935 5 5.8 4

West Virginia

61.9 694.6 0.0 1,149 50 3.3 34

Wisconsin

208.9 2,898.4 -0.2 1,305 32 3.4 30

Wyoming

31.0 274.6 0.0 1,216 43 3.3 34

Puerto Rico

52.0 946.1 -0.7 699 (3) 3.2 (3)

Virgin Islands

2.9 33.8 -7.5 1,034 (3) 2.7 (3)

Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(3) Data not included in the national ranking.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published this content on September 16, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 16, 2025 at 19:24 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]