Safest Places to Live in Virginia of September 2026
ElitePersonalFinance
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Living •
Last Update: September 1, 2026
Virginia is located in the southeast of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains.
It was the first colonial possession, hence its nickname, the ‘Old Dominion.’ Another nickname of Virginia is the ‘Mother of Presidents’ since as many as eight US presidents were born there, more than in any other state. Being the first colony, it had had a very turbulent history. It played critical roles in the American Revolutionary War and the Civil War.
Virginia’s capital is Richmond, the most populous city in Virginia Beach, with around 450,000 people. Virginia is the 12th most populous state, with close to 8,5 million residents.
Ranking Criteria
ElitePersonalFinance extracted the latest data from the FBI crime statistics in the United States. We took violent crime as the main criteria. To get our score, we used this formula:
Crime Score = ( Total Number of Violent Crimes / Population ) * 1,000
This way, safer cities got the lowest score, and those more vulnerable to crimes got higher scores.
The cities that did not report crimes to the FBI and those under 5,000 residents were not included in the list.
30 Safest Places in Virginia of September 2026
| Rank: | City: | Population: | Total Number of Crimes: | Crime Score: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | City:Bridgewater | Population:6167 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:2 | City:Wytheville | Population:7909 | Total Number of Crimes:5 | Crime Score:0,63 |
| Rank:3 | City:Falls Church | Population:15008 | Total Number of Crimes:10 | Crime Score:0,67 |
| Rank:4 | City:Fairfax City | Population:24689 | Total Number of Crimes:18 | Crime Score:0,73 |
| Rank:5 | City:Purcellville | Population:10346 | Total Number of Crimes:8 | Crime Score:0,77 |
| Rank:6 | City:Big Stone Gap | Population:5170 | Total Number of Crimes:4 | Crime Score:0,77 |
| Rank:7 | City:Abingdon | Population:7933 | Total Number of Crimes:7 | Crime Score:0,88 |
| Rank:8 | City:Salem | Population:25590 | Total Number of Crimes:23 | Crime Score:0,90 |
| Rank:9 | City:Covington | Population:5372 | Total Number of Crimes:5 | Crime Score:0,93 |
| Rank:10 | City:Lexington | Population:7107 | Total Number of Crimes:7 | Crime Score:0,98 |
| Rank:11 | City:Blacksburg | Population:44948 | Total Number of Crimes:50 | Crime Score:1,11 |
| Rank:12 | City:Buena Vista | Population:6156 | Total Number of Crimes:7 | Crime Score:1,14 |
| Rank:13 | City:Manassas Park | Population:17602 | Total Number of Crimes:21 | Crime Score:1,19 |
| Rank:14 | City:Vienna | Population:16660 | Total Number of Crimes:20 | Crime Score:1,20 |
| Rank:15 | City:Virginia Beach | Population:449038 | Total Number of Crimes:581 | Crime Score:1,29 |
| Rank:16 | City:Dumfries | Population:5265 | Total Number of Crimes:7 | Crime Score:1,33 |
| Rank:17 | City:Christiansburg | Population:22700 | Total Number of Crimes:31 | Crime Score:1,37 |
| Rank:18 | City:Bedford | Population:6588 | Total Number of Crimes:9 | Crime Score:1,37 |
| Rank:19 | City:Warrenton | Population:9977 | Total Number of Crimes:14 | Crime Score:1,40 |
| Rank:20 | City:Williamsburg | Population:14965 | Total Number of Crimes:22 | Crime Score:1,47 |
| Rank:21 | City:Culpeper | Population:18873 | Total Number of Crimes:32 | Crime Score:1,70 |
| Rank:22 | City:Alexandria | Population:162258 | Total Number of Crimes:288 | Crime Score:1,77 |
| Rank:23 | City:Strasburg | Population:6686 | Total Number of Crimes:12 | Crime Score:1,79 |
| Rank:24 | City:Front Royal | Population:15336 | Total Number of Crimes:28 | Crime Score:1,83 |
| Rank:25 | City:Leesburg | Population:55461 | Total Number of Crimes:102 | Crime Score:1,84 |
| Rank:26 | City:Poquoson | Population:12126 | Total Number of Crimes:23 | Crime Score:1,90 |
| Rank:27 | City:Woodstock | Population:5267 | Total Number of Crimes:10 | Crime Score:1,90 |
| Rank:28 | City:Smithfield | Population:8485 | Total Number of Crimes:17 | Crime Score:2,00 |
| Rank:29 | City:Franklin | Population:7899 | Total Number of Crimes:16 | Crime Score:2,03 |
| Rank:30 | City:Staunton | Population:24931 | Total Number of Crimes:51 | Crime Score:2,05 |
Crime Score in All Cities in Virginia of September 2026
If your city didn’t make our list, you could see our full list of Virginia cities.
We can’t compare crime rates in small and large cities. That’s why ElitePersonalFinance made a detailed analysis and narrowed the results according to population segments:
- Under 3,000 Residents
- 3,000 – 10,000 Residents
- 10,000 – 30,000 Residents
- 30,000 – 100,000 Residents
- Over 100,000 Residents
(Other sites don’t include places with under 3,000 residents, but we included them.)
These are the results that we got:
Under 3,000 Residents
| Rank: | City: | Population: | Total Number of Crimes: | Crime Score: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | City:White Stone | Population:334 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:2 | City:Pocahontas | Population:354 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:3 | City:Haysi | Population:472 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:4 | City:La Crosse | Population:573 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:5 | City:Damascus | Population:787 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:6 | City:Parksley | Population:810 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:7 | City:Middleburg | Population:864 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:8 | City:Independence | Population:896 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:9 | City:Glasgow | Population:1111 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:10 | City:Kenbridge | Population:1180 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:11 | City:Bowling Green | Population:1187 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:12 | City:Clintwood | Population:1287 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:13 | City:Middletown | Population:1396 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:14 | City:Glade Spring | Population:1426 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:15 | City:Chatham | Population:1433 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:16 | City:Rural Retreat | Population:1453 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:17 | City:Warsaw | Population:1488 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:18 | City:Chilhowie | Population:1710 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:19 | City:Haymarket | Population:1740 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:20 | City:Shenandoah | Population:2335 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:21 | City:Grottoes | Population:2860 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:0,35 |
| Rank:22 | City:New Market | Population:2256 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:0,44 |
| Rank:23 | City:Stephens City | Population:2069 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:0,48 |
| Rank:24 | City:Narrows | Population:1955 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:0,51 |
| Rank:25 | City:Louisa | Population:1721 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:0,58 |
| Rank:26 | City:Pennington Gap | Population:1716 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:0,58 |
| Rank:27 | City:Stanley | Population:1670 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:0,60 |
| Rank:28 | City:Dayton | Population:1636 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:0,61 |
| Rank:29 | City:Kilmarnock | Population:1410 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:0,71 |
| Rank:30 | City:Pearisburg | Population:2639 | Total Number of Crimes:2 | Crime Score:0,76 |
| Rank:31 | City:Weber City | Population:1204 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:0,83 |
| Rank:32 | City:Gretna | Population:1197 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:0,84 |
| Rank:33 | City:Occoquan | Population:1109 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:0,90 |
| Rank:34 | City:Pembroke | Population:1085 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:0,92 |
| Rank:35 | City:Cedar Bluff | Population:1003 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:1,00 |
| Rank:36 | City:Lawrenceville | Population:993 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:1,01 |
| Rank:37 | City:Wise | Population:2926 | Total Number of Crimes:3 | Crime Score:1,03 |
| Rank:38 | City:Elkton | Population:2900 | Total Number of Crimes:3 | Crime Score:1,03 |
| Rank:39 | City:Jonesville | Population:931 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:1,07 |
| Rank:40 | City:Coeburn | Population:1857 | Total Number of Crimes:2 | Crime Score:1,08 |
| Rank:41 | City:Grundy | Population:900 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:1,11 |
| Rank:42 | City:Dublin | Population:2604 | Total Number of Crimes:3 | Crime Score:1,15 |
| Rank:43 | City:St. Paul | Population:862 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:1,16 |
| Rank:44 | City:Rich Creek | Population:743 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:1,35 |
| Rank:45 | City:Amherst | Population:2179 | Total Number of Crimes:3 | Crime Score:1,38 |
| Rank:46 | City:Chincoteague | Population:2872 | Total Number of Crimes:4 | Crime Score:1,39 |
| Rank:47 | City:Mount Jackson | Population:2115 | Total Number of Crimes:3 | Crime Score:1,42 |
| Rank:48 | City:Windsor | Population:2763 | Total Number of Crimes:4 | Crime Score:1,45 |
| Rank:49 | City:Timberville | Population:2697 | Total Number of Crimes:4 | Crime Score:1,48 |
| Rank:50 | City:Honaker | Population:1330 | Total Number of Crimes:2 | Crime Score:1,50 |
| Rank:51 | City:Saltville | Population:1910 | Total Number of Crimes:3 | Crime Score:1,57 |
| Rank:52 | City:Hurt | Population:1226 | Total Number of Crimes:2 | Crime Score:1,63 |
| Rank:53 | City:Halifax | Population:1217 | Total Number of Crimes:2 | Crime Score:1,64 |
| Rank:54 | City:Brookneal | Population:1098 | Total Number of Crimes:2 | Crime Score:1,82 |
| Rank:55 | City:Victoria | Population:1603 | Total Number of Crimes:3 | Crime Score:1,87 |
| Rank:56 | City:Onley | Population:500 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:2,00 |
| Rank:57 | City:Waverly | Population:1949 | Total Number of Crimes:4 | Crime Score:2,05 |
| Rank:58 | City:Gate City | Population:1857 | Total Number of Crimes:4 | Crime Score:2,15 |
| Rank:59 | City:Chase City | Population:2212 | Total Number of Crimes:5 | Crime Score:2,26 |
| Rank:60 | City:Onancock | Population:1210 | Total Number of Crimes:3 | Crime Score:2,48 |
| Rank:61 | City:Hillsville | Population:2644 | Total Number of Crimes:7 | Crime Score:2,65 |
| Rank:62 | City:Gordonsville | Population:1621 | Total Number of Crimes:6 | Crime Score:3,70 |
| Rank:63 | City:Appalachia | Population:1544 | Total Number of Crimes:6 | Crime Score:3,89 |
| Rank:64 | City:Cape Charles | Population:1002 | Total Number of Crimes:4 | Crime Score:3,99 |
| Rank:65 | City:Crewe | Population:2148 | Total Number of Crimes:9 | Crime Score:4,19 |
| Rank:66 | City:Exmore | Population:1368 | Total Number of Crimes:9 | Crime Score:6,58 |
| Rank:67 | City:Tappahannock | Population:2391 | Total Number of Crimes:19 | Crime Score:7,95 |
3,000 – 10,000 Residents
| Rank: | City: | Population: | Total Number of Crimes: | Crime Score: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | City:Broadway | Population:3973 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:2 | City:Bridgewater | Population:6167 | Total Number of Crimes:0 | Crime Score:0,00 |
| Rank:3 | City:Berryville | Population:4363 | Total Number of Crimes:1 | Crime Score:0,23 |
| Rank:4 | City:Wytheville | Population:7909 | Total Number of Crimes:5 | Crime Score:0,63 |
| Rank:5 | City:Big Stone Gap | Population:5170 | Total Number of Crimes:4 | Crime Score:0,77 |
| Rank:6 | City:Abingdon | Population:7933 | Total Number of Crimes:7 | Crime Score:0,88 |
| Rank:7 | City:West Point | Population:3254 | Total Number of Crimes:3 | Crime Score:0,92 |
| Rank:8 | City:Covington | Population:5372 | Total Number of Crimes:5 | Crime Score:0,93 |
| Rank:9 | City:Lexington | Population:7107 | Total Number of Crimes:7 | Crime Score:0,98 |
| Rank:10 | City:Buena Vista | Population:6156 | Total Number of Crimes:7 | Crime Score:1,14 |
| Rank:11 | City:Dumfries | Population:5265 | Total Number of Crimes:7 | Crime Score:1,33 |
| Rank:12 | City:Bedford | Population:6588 | Total Number of Crimes:9 | Crime Score:1,37 |
| Rank:13 | City:Warrenton | Population:9977 | Total Number of Crimes:14 | Crime Score:1,40 |
| Rank:14 | City:Norton | Population:3940 | Total Number of Crimes:6 | Crime Score:1,52 |
| Rank:15 | City:Strasburg | Population:6686 | Total Number of Crimes:12 | Crime Score:1,79 |
| Rank:16 | City:South Hill | Population:4335 | Total Number of Crimes:8 | Crime Score:1,85 |
| Rank:17 | City:Bluefield | Population:4822 | Total Number of Crimes:9 | Crime Score:1,87 |
| Rank:18 | City:Woodstock | Population:5267 | Total Number of Crimes:10 | Crime Score:1,90 |
| Rank:19 | City:Smithfield | Population:8485 | Total Number of Crimes:17 | Crime Score:2,00 |
| Rank:20 | City:Franklin | Population:7899 | Total Number of Crimes:16 | Crime Score:2,03 |
| Rank:21 | City:Tazewell | Population:4140 | Total Number of Crimes:9 | Crime Score:2,17 |
| Rank:22 | City:Luray | Population:4853 | Total Number of Crimes:11 | Crime Score:2,27 |
| Rank:23 | City:Clifton Forge | Population:3465 | Total Number of Crimes:8 | Crime Score:2,31 |
| Rank:24 | City:Emporia | Population:5000 | Total Number of Crimes:12 | Crime Score:2,40 |
| Rank:25 | City:Ashland | Population:7916 | Total Number of Crimes:19 | Crime Score:2,40 |
| Rank:26 | City:Lebanon | Population:3148 | Total Number of Crimes:9 | Crime Score:2,86 |
| Rank:27 | City:Orange | Population:5092 | Total Number of Crimes:15 | Crime Score:2,95 |
| Rank:28 | City:Colonial Beach | Population:3593 | Total Number of Crimes:11 | Crime Score:3,06 |
| Rank:29 | City:Richlands | Population:5198 | Total Number of Crimes:16 | Crime Score:3,08 |
| Rank:30 | City:Vinton | Population:8110 | Total Number of Crimes:27 | Crime Score:3,33 |
| Rank:31 | City:South Boston | Population:7601 | Total Number of Crimes:28 | Crime Score:3,68 |
| Rank:32 | City:Pulaski | Population:8683 | Total Number of Crimes:34 | Crime Score:3,92 |
| Rank:33 | City:Farmville | Population:7830 | Total Number of Crimes:31 | Crime Score:3,96 |
| Rank:34 | City:Rocky Mount | Population:4744 | Total Number of Crimes:20 | Crime Score:4,22 |
| Rank:35 | City:Marion | Population:5593 | Total Number of Crimes:24 | Crime Score:4,29 |
| Rank:36 | City:Galax | Population:6320 | Total Number of Crimes:29 | Crime Score:4,59 |
10,000 – 30,000 Residents
| Rank: | City: | Population: | Total Number of Crimes: | Crime Score: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | City:Falls Church | Population:15008 | Total Number of Crimes:10 | Crime Score:0,67 |
| Rank:2 | City:Fairfax City | Population:24689 | Total Number of Crimes:18 | Crime Score:0,73 |
| Rank:3 | City:Purcellville | Population:10346 | Total Number of Crimes:8 | Crime Score:0,77 |
| Rank:4 | City:Salem | Population:25590 | Total Number of Crimes:23 | Crime Score:0,90 |
| Rank:5 | City:Manassas Park | Population:17602 | Total Number of Crimes:21 | Crime Score:1,19 |
| Rank:6 | City:Vienna | Population:16660 | Total Number of Crimes:20 | Crime Score:1,20 |
| Rank:7 | City:Christiansburg | Population:22700 | Total Number of Crimes:31 | Crime Score:1,37 |
| Rank:8 | City:Williamsburg | Population:14965 | Total Number of Crimes:22 | Crime Score:1,47 |
| Rank:9 | City:Culpeper | Population:18873 | Total Number of Crimes:32 | Crime Score:1,70 |
| Rank:10 | City:Front Royal | Population:15336 | Total Number of Crimes:28 | Crime Score:1,83 |
| Rank:11 | City:Poquoson | Population:12126 | Total Number of Crimes:23 | Crime Score:1,90 |
| Rank:12 | City:Staunton | Population:24931 | Total Number of Crimes:51 | Crime Score:2,05 |
| Rank:13 | City:Radford | Population:18487 | Total Number of Crimes:45 | Crime Score:2,43 |
| Rank:14 | City:Waynesboro | Population:22711 | Total Number of Crimes:57 | Crime Score:2,51 |
| Rank:15 | City:Herndon | Population:24693 | Total Number of Crimes:64 | Crime Score:2,59 |
| Rank:16 | City:Winchester | Population:28201 | Total Number of Crimes:80 | Crime Score:2,84 |
| Rank:17 | City:Bristol | Population:16234 | Total Number of Crimes:52 | Crime Score:3,20 |
| Rank:18 | City:Hopewell | Population:22461 | Total Number of Crimes:75 | Crime Score:3,34 |
| Rank:19 | City:Colonial Heights | Population:17793 | Total Number of Crimes:71 | Crime Score:3,99 |
| Rank:20 | City:Martinsville | Population:12726 | Total Number of Crimes:66 | Crime Score:5,19 |
30,000 – 100,000 Residents
| Rank: | City: | Population: | Total Number of Crimes: | Crime Score: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | City:Blacksburg | Population:44948 | Total Number of Crimes:50 | Crime Score:1,11 |
| Rank:2 | City:Leesburg | Population:55461 | Total Number of Crimes:102 | Crime Score:1,84 |
| Rank:3 | City:Harrisonburg | Population:54387 | Total Number of Crimes:112 | Crime Score:2,06 |
| Rank:4 | City:Manassas | Population:41850 | Total Number of Crimes:103 | Crime Score:2,46 |
| Rank:5 | City:Danville | Population:40191 | Total Number of Crimes:112 | Crime Score:2,79 |
| Rank:6 | City:Suffolk | Population:91486 | Total Number of Crimes:270 | Crime Score:2,95 |
| Rank:7 | City:Charlottesville | Population:48453 | Total Number of Crimes:157 | Crime Score:3,24 |
| Rank:8 | City:Lynchburg | Population:82512 | Total Number of Crimes:316 | Crime Score:3,83 |
| Rank:9 | City:Roanoke | Population:99752 | Total Number of Crimes:386 | Crime Score:3,87 |
| Rank:10 | City:Petersburg | Population:31273 | Total Number of Crimes:234 | Crime Score:7,48 |
| Rank:11 | City:Portsmouth | Population:93991 | Total Number of Crimes:889 | Crime Score:9,46 |
Over 100,000 Residents
| Rank: | City: | Population: | Total Number of Crimes: | Crime Score: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | City:Virginia Beach | Population:449038 | Total Number of Crimes:581 | Crime Score:1,29 |
| Rank:2 | City:Alexandria | Population:162258 | Total Number of Crimes:288 | Crime Score:1,77 |
| Rank:3 | City:Hampton | Population:133173 | Total Number of Crimes:393 | Crime Score:2,95 |
| Rank:4 | City:Chesapeake | Population:243726 | Total Number of Crimes:1112 | Crime Score:4,56 |
| Rank:5 | City:Richmond | Population:230721 | Total Number of Crimes:1068 | Crime Score:4,63 |
| Rank:6 | City:Norfolk | Population:242813 | Total Number of Crimes:1325 | Crime Score:5,46 |
| Rank:7 | City:Newport News | Population:177319 | Total Number of Crimes:1056 | Crime Score:5,96 |
How safe do you feel?
Is your city safe enough? Are you worried because of the crime rate in your town? Do you have any thoughts on safety levels in the country?
If you want to share anything, feel free to leave a comment. That way, you can help us understand your perspective better.
Thank you!
Archives
- Safest Places to Live in Virginia 2020
- Safest Places to Live in Virginia 2019
- Safest Places to Live in Virginia 2018
- Safest Places to Live in Virginia 2017
- Safest Places to Live in Virginia 2016
Sources:
