Safest Counties and Cities in Virginia: 36 Ranked (2026)
The 36 Virginia county equivalents where police report enough to the FBI to build a reliable rate, ranked by violent crime, with home prices, asking rents and incomes where available.
Virginia has 133 county equivalents. Thirty-six of them clear the reporting bar this page uses, and the gap between the quietest, Fauquier at 59 violent offenses per 100,000, and the busiest, Newport News at 793, is 13 to one. What homes closed at over the last 12 months sits beside the rate where Resideline has enough sales to publish a median: 104,887 closing records tracked in the 34 counties that clear that bar.
Virginia's independent cities are county equivalents in the FBI and Census data, so twelve of the 36 places ranked here are cities rather than counties, and each is marked as one.
The crime rates here are built from the 6,812,382 residents those police agencies actually report on, over the months they reported. Each figure is a single county-wide figure, so treat this as a way to narrow a search rather than a verdict on any street.
We do not treat missing or conflicting crime data as zero. A county appears here only when its reporting clears our reliability threshold, and we set aside results that conflict materially with the state's own records. Whether a county is ranked depends on its crime reporting alone; whether it shows a price depends on whether Resideline tracked enough closings there.
The ranking
| # | County or city | Violent per 100k | Property per 100k | Median closed price | Median asking rent | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fauquier | 59 | 347 | $636,000 | $2,500 | $118,871 |
| 2 | Frederick | 70 | 708 | $415,000 | $2,248 | $95,730 |
| 3 | Pittsylvania | 78 | 428 | $160,000 | $1,250 | $61,655 |
| 4 | Loudoun | 90 | 669 | $760,000 | $3,200 | $177,457 |
| 5 | Augusta | 92 | 764 | $325,000 | $1,595 | $80,543 |
| 6 | Virginia Beach (city) | 97 | 1,477 | $400,000 | $2,250 | $93,989 |
| 7 | Rockingham | 99 | 429 | $355,000 | $1,750 | $81,772 |
| 8 | Albemarle | 105 | 1,422 | $489,990 | $2,164 | $103,657 |
| 9 | Bedford | 113 | 572 | $369,942 | $1,365 | $77,289 |
| 10 | Fairfax | 116 | 1,450 | $716,115 | $3,100 | $153,889 |
| 11 | Washington | 120 | 1,116 | $265,000 | $1,500 | $63,570 |
| 12 | James City | 122 | 752 | $490,000 | $2,400 | $113,101 |
| 13 | Franklin | 133 | 706 | $335,000 | $1,400 | $71,650 |
| 14 | Montgomery | 140 | 1,148 | $345,000 | $1,825 | $70,511 |
| 15 | Alexandria (city) | 143 | 1,654 | $700,000 | $2,925 | $123,840 |
| 16 | Hanover | 144 | 728 | $475,000 | $2,500 | $117,424 |
| 17 | Campbell | 159 | 1,035 | $224,000 | $1,250 | $65,111 |
| 18 | Henrico | 161 | 1,833 | $370,000 | $1,900 | $84,671 |
| 19 | Chesterfield | 165 | 1,179 | $402,295 | $2,295 | $101,573 |
| 20 | Roanoke | 172 | 1,096 | $329,950 | $1,710 | $85,809 |
| 21 | Stafford | 177 | 635 | $530,000 | $2,600 | $134,781 |
| 22 | Culpeper | 178 | 723 | $485,030 | $2,150 | $93,050 |
| 23 | York | 185 | 1,059 | n/a | n/a | $109,281 |
| 24 | Spotsylvania | 193 | 510 | $456,100 | $2,395 | $107,892 |
| 25 | Harrisonburg (city) | 211 | 1,401 | n/a | n/a | $63,973 |
| 26 | Prince William | 215 | 1,292 | $578,604 | $2,895 | $128,291 |
| 27 | Hampton (city) | 269 | 2,883 | $284,000 | $1,750 | $68,468 |
| 28 | Arlington | 282 | 1,938 | $760,806 | $2,900 | $133,394 |
| 29 | Chesapeake (city) | 322 | 1,488 | $409,994 | $2,395 | $90,226 |
| 30 | Lynchburg (city) | 364 | 1,676 | $286,000 | $1,660 | $57,883 |
| 31 | Suffolk (city) | 373 | 1,280 | $386,550 | $2,295 | $93,557 |
| 32 | Norfolk (city) | 399 | 3,186 | $319,000 | $1,900 | $64,281 |
| 33 | Richmond (city) | 445 | 3,382 | $408,500 | $1,795 | $63,865 |
| 34 | Roanoke (city) | 558 | 3,522 | $210,000 | $1,300 | $59,858 |
| 35 | Portsmouth (city) | 772 | 3,258 | $265,000 | $1,699 | $61,783 |
| 36 | Newport News (city) | 793 | 2,281 | $285,000 | $1,700 | $67,970 |
A closer look at the 12 safest counties
1. Fauquier County
Fauquier records 59 violent offenses per 100,000 residents, which places it in the lowest quarter of the Virginia counties measured here. That is below the median comparable US county, which records 245. A median closing price of $636,000 puts it at roughly 162 percent of the middle figure for this list. Safety and price line up here in the way people expect, which is not true of every county on this list. Homes cost 5.4 times what the median household there earns, among the steepest ratios on this list. Property crime is low too, at 347 per 100,000, the bottom quarter of this list and 0.3 times the median comparable US county. For prices at street level, see Warrenton, the market with the most tracked closings in this county's ZIP codes.
2. Frederick County
At 70 violent offenses per 100,000, Frederick sits in the lowest quarter of the places on this list. That is below the median comparable US county, which records 245. At $415,000, its median closed price is unremarkable against the rest of this list. Property crime is low too, at 708 per 100,000, the bottom quarter of this list and 0.6 times the median comparable US county. Asking rents run about $2,248 a month. Resideline publishes a separate page for Winchester, the market with the most tracked closings in this county's ZIP codes.
3. Pittsylvania County
Pittsylvania's violent crime rate is 78 per 100,000 residents, the lowest quarter among the Virginia counties Resideline can measure. That is below the median comparable US county, which records 245. A median closing price of $160,000 puts it at roughly 41 percent of the middle figure for this list. The same county is in the lowest quarter for both crime and price, which is rarer than the ranking makes it look. Against local incomes it is among the most affordable counties measured, at 2.6 times median household income. At $1,250 a month in asking rent, the gross return here is in the top quarter of the counties measured. For prices at street level, see Danville, the market with the most tracked closings in this county's ZIP codes.
4. Loudoun County
Loudoun records 90 violent offenses per 100,000 residents, which places it in the lowest quarter of the Virginia counties measured here. The median comparable US county records 245, so it is quieter than most of the country too. The median home closed at $760,000, roughly 193 percent of the middle figure for these counties. Low crime and high prices arrive together here, which is the arrangement buyers assume is universal and is not. Households there earn a median of $177,457, about 202 percent of the median for these counties. Property crime is low too, at 669 per 100,000, the bottom quarter of this list and 0.6 times the median comparable US county. Resideline publishes a separate page for Leesburg, the market with the most tracked closings in this county's ZIP codes.
5. Augusta County
Police in Augusta reported 92 violent offenses per 100,000 people, putting it in the lowest quarter of this list. That is below the median comparable US county, which records 245. A median closing price of $325,000 puts it at roughly 83 percent of the middle figure for this list. A home costs 4.0 times the median household income there, the lowest quarter of this list. Property offenses run at 764 per 100,000, in the middle of this list. The median rental listing asks $1,595 a month. For prices at street level, see Waynesboro, the market with the most tracked closings in this county's ZIP codes.
6. Virginia Beach (independent city)
At 97 violent offenses per 100,000, Virginia Beach sits in the lowest quarter of the places on this list. The median comparable US county records 245, so it is quieter than most of the country too. The median closed price, $400,000, sits near the center of the counties measured. Property offenses run at 1,477 per 100,000, in the middle of this list. The median rental listing asks $2,250 a month.
7. Rockingham County
Rockingham's violent crime rate is 99 per 100,000 residents, the lowest quarter among the Virginia counties Resideline can measure. The median comparable US county records 245, so it is quieter than most of the country too. At $355,000, its median closed price is unremarkable against the rest of this list. Property crime is low too, at 429 per 100,000, the bottom quarter of this list and 0.4 times the median comparable US county. Asking rents run about $1,750 a month.
8. Albemarle County
Albemarle records 105 violent offenses per 100,000 residents, which places it in the lowest quarter of the Virginia counties measured here. That is below the median comparable US county, which records 245. A median closing price of $489,990 puts it at roughly 125 percent of the middle figure for this list. Median household income is $103,657, roughly 118 percent of the level across this list. Property offenses run at 1,422 per 100,000, in the middle of this list. Asking rents run about $2,164 a month. Resideline publishes a separate page for Charlottesville, the market with the most tracked closings in this county's ZIP codes.
9. Bedford County
Bedford's violent crime rate is 113 per 100,000 residents, the lowest quarter among the Virginia counties Resideline can measure. The median comparable US county records 245, so it is quieter than most of the country too. The median closed price, $369,942, sits near the center of the counties measured. Its property rate is also among the lowest here, 572 per 100,000, or 0.5 times the median comparable US county. Asking rents run about $1,365 a month. For prices at street level, see Forest, the market with the most tracked closings in this county's ZIP codes.
10. Fairfax County
Police in Fairfax reported 116 violent offenses per 100,000 people, putting it in the middle range of this list. That is below the median comparable US county, which records 245. Buyers there paid a median of $716,115, some 182 percent of the level across the counties measured. Median household income is $153,889, roughly 175 percent of the level across this list. Its property rate, 1,450 per 100,000, sits in the middle of these counties. The median rental listing asks $3,100 a month.
11. Washington County
Washington's violent crime rate is 120 per 100,000 residents, the middle range among the Virginia counties Resideline can measure. The median comparable US county records 245, so it is quieter than most of the country too. A median closing price of $265,000 puts it at roughly 67 percent of the middle figure for this list. Households there earn a median of $63,570, about 72 percent of the median for these counties. Its property rate, 1,116 per 100,000, sits in the middle of these counties. Asking rents run about $1,500 a month.
12. James City County
James City records 122 violent offenses per 100,000 residents, which places it in the middle range of the Virginia counties measured here. The median comparable US county records 245, so it is quieter than most of the country too. Homes there closed at a median of $490,000, about 125 percent of the median across this list. Households there earn a median of $113,101, about 128 percent of the median for these counties. Its property rate, 752 per 100,000, sits in the middle of these counties. The median rental listing asks $2,400 a month. Resideline publishes a separate page for Williamsburg, the market with the most tracked closings in this county's ZIP codes.
Does safety set the price in Virginia?
Somewhat, and less than you would expect. The safest third of these counties runs 28 percent above the highest-crime third on price. The same safe places also earn 43 percent more, so income explains part of the raw gap. This state-level comparison does not isolate density, housing mix or other factors that may explain the remainder.
That matches what we found nationally: across 688 counties, once income and other county characteristics are controlled for, a crime rate stops predicting home prices. The full analysis is in our study of crime and home prices.
That is a county-level result. Within a county, research at the scale of a block or a neighborhood finds that violent crime does lower the value of the homes nearest to it, so use these figures to compare counties, not streets.
Where safety and affordability overlap in Virginia
Six of the 12 safest counties on this list also cost no more than the list's median once prices are set against local incomes: Pittsylvania (78 violent per 100,000, a home at 2.6 times median household income); Loudoun (90 violent per 100,000, a home at 4.3 times median household income); Augusta (92 violent per 100,000, a home at 4.0 times median household income); Virginia Beach (97 violent per 100,000, a home at 4.3 times median household income); Washington (120 violent per 100,000, a home at 4.2 times median household income). Against what households there earn, those are the counties where a low crime rate is not being charged for.
How to read this list
These figures describe whole areas. A quiet town and a rough district an hour apart carry the same number here, so the ranking is a starting point for a search rather than a description of any particular street.
Prices and rents are as of September 9, 2026, from closings and rental listings Resideline tracks over the previous 12 months; a price is shown where at least 100 closings were tracked and a rent where at least 50 listings were. Rent figures are the median asking rent on listings, not lease figures. Crime is the 2025 FBI Crime Data Explorer release, measured for the whole county over the months each agency reported, and violent crime means murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Household income is the Census SAIPE 2024 estimate of the county's median household income; population is the Census 2024 estimate. Where this page compares a rate with the median comparable US county, that figure (245 violent and 1188 property offenses per 100,000) is the median across the 874 US counties with at least 50,000 residents whose agencies reported on 90 percent or more of them for the year.
Sources and related pages
- •Crime: FBI Crime Data Explorer, agency-level offense counts for 2025, aggregated by county over the months each agency reported.
- •Income: Census SAIPE 2024, county median household income.
- •Population: Census county population estimates, vintage 2024.
- •Prices and rents: Resideline's tracked closings and rental listings, 12 months to September 2026.
- •Related: Safest counties by state; Does crime actually lower home prices?; Virginia housing market; Safest counties in Kentucky; Safest counties in Maryland; Safest counties in North Carolina; Safest counties in Tennessee; Safest counties in West Virginia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the safest county in Virginia?
Of the 36 Virginia county equivalents measured here, Fauquier County records the lowest violent crime rate at 59 offenses per 100,000 residents, against 245 for the median comparable US county. Homes there closed at a median of $636,000 over the last 12 months.
Is this every county in Virginia?
No. It covers 36 of the state's 133 county equivalents, the ones where police agencies report at least 90 percent of the population to the FBI, the area has at least 50,000 residents, and the resulting rate falls inside the sanity bounds we apply. Whether Resideline has enough sales there decides only whether a price is shown. No place above 150,000 residents was excluded.
Does a lower crime rate mean higher home prices?
Less than most people assume. Comparing the safest third of these counties with the highest-crime third, the median closed price is 28 percent higher and household income 43 percent higher. Across 688 US counties we found that once income and other county characteristics are controlled for, a county's crime rate stops predicting its home prices. At the scale of a block, the research says violent crime does lower nearby values.
Is this crime rate for my neighborhood?
No. The FBI publishes these figures for whole counties, so every part of a county carries the same number here, from its densest district to its farmland. It is useful for narrowing a search and not a substitute for looking at a specific address.
Are these rents asking rents or lease rents?
They are the median asking rent on rental listings in the county over the last 12 months. That is what landlords advertised, a guide to the market rather than a lease figure.
About the author
Jeffrey Batista
Jeffrey Batista is the founder of Resideline, a real estate technology company building institutional grade valuation and investment analysis tools for real estate investors.
A software engineer with more than 10 years of experience, Jeffrey has worked across full stack development, infrastructure, data engineering, machine learning, and large scale systems. He left his engineering career to build Resideline full time.
Jeffrey is also a real estate investor with nearly a decade of hands on experience buying, renovating, managing, and analyzing residential properties. His experience on both sides of the industry, as an engineer and an investor, led him to build Resideline after seeing how fragmented and outdated many of the tools available to individual investors were.
Today, he leads the development of Resideline's proprietary data infrastructure, automated valuation models, rental analytics, and investment underwriting technology.