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Sunday storefronts, West Point, VirginiaWest Point, #1 on this list · Photo: self · CC BY 3.0
Virginia rankings · Civic life

Towns with the most civic life in Virginia

West Point ranks first on civic life among Virginia’s 88 towns of 2,500+; 26 of the 88 grade A− or better on civic life nationally.

The Civic life grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): library visits per resident (IMLS), community nonprofits (IRS) and volunteering groups. How grades work

#1

West Point

King William County · 3,595 people
A+

Civic life grade, better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #27 of 249 in VA

#2

Purcellville

Loudoun County · 8,890 people
A+

Civic life grade, better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #2 of 249 in VA

#3

Chincoteague

Accomack County · 3,309 people
A+

Civic life grade, better than 95% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #226 of 249 in VA

All 88 towns

Civic life grade, best first (the letter is national). Towns with the same score share a rank (T = tied; 6 towns here); the overall grade and state rank are beside each.

88 towns ranked. Not here? See why a town may be missing.

#TownGradeOverall
1West PointKing William County · 3,595 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #27 of 249
2PurcellvilleLoudoun County · 8,890 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #2 of 249
3ChincoteagueAccomack County · 3,309 peopleA+better than 95% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #226 of 249
4FarmvillePrince Edward County · 7,593 peopleAbetter than 94% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #235 of 249
5ViennaFairfax County · 16,691 peopleAbetter than 93% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #45 of 249
6LovettsvilleLoudoun County · 2,708 peopleAbetter than 92% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #7 of 249
7WarrentonFauquier County · 10,213 peopleAbetter than 91% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #39 of 249
8Falls ChurchFalls Church city · 15,159 peopleAbetter than 90% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #48 of 249
9TazewellTazewell County · 4,291 peopleAbetter than 90% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #205 of 249
10Clifton ForgeAlleghany County · 3,372 peopleAbetter than 90% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #211 of 249
11Big Stone GapWise County · 5,102 peopleAbetter than 90% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #182 of 249
12BerryvilleClarke County · 4,828 peopleAbetter than 88% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #49 of 249
13StauntonStaunton city · 26,801 peopleAbetter than 88% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #196 of 249
14NortonNorton city · 3,477 peopleAbetter than 86% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #214 of 249
15OrangeOrange County · 5,365 peopleAbetter than 85% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #178 of 249
16PulaskiPulaski County · 8,807 peopleA−better than 85% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #221 of 249
17CharlottesvilleCharlottesville city · 44,388 peopleA−better than 84% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #208 of 249
18RadfordRadford city · 17,243 peopleA−better than 83% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #110 of 249
19Blacksburg College campusMontgomery County · 45,104 peopleA−better than 82% of U.S. towns·Overall A−
20WoodstockShenandoah County · 6,002 peopleA−better than 80% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #217 of 249
21CulpeperCulpeper County · 22,074 peopleA−better than 78% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #162 of 249
T22BridgewaterRockingham County · 6,924 peopleA−better than 76% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #88 of 249
T22LeesburgLoudoun County · 49,917 peopleA−better than 76% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #103 of 249
24PearisburgGiles County · 2,873 peopleA−better than 76% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #169 of 249
25StrasburgShenandoah County · 7,380 peopleA−better than 76% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #187 of 249
26WiseWise County · 2,853 peopleA−better than 75% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #132 of 249
27WilliamsburgWilliamsburg city · 15,861 peopleB+better than 75% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #126 of 249
28BristolBristol city · 16,418 peopleB+better than 74% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #228 of 249
29SmithfieldIsle of Wight County · 9,112 peopleB+better than 72% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #129 of 249
30AshlandHanover County · 7,982 peopleB+better than 71% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #159 of 249
31LexingtonLexington city · 7,769 peopleB+better than 70% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #1 of 249
32PoquosonPoquoson city · 13,292 peopleB+better than 68% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #145 of 249
33ArlingtonArlington County (county government) · 236,254 peopleB+better than 66% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #43 of 249
34WinchesterWinchester city · 28,272 peopleB+better than 66% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #223 of 249
35AbingdonWashington County · 8,284 peopleB+better than 66% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #167 of 249
36FairfaxFairfax city · 26,772 peopleBbetter than 64% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #164 of 249
37AltavistaCampbell County · 3,353 peopleBbetter than 64% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #216 of 249
38HarrisonburgHarrisonburg city · 50,839 peopleBbetter than 63% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #201 of 249
39RoanokeRoanoke city · 99,111 peopleBbetter than 63% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #237 of 249
40BluefieldTazewell County · 4,839 peopleBbetter than 62% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #215 of 249
41LurayPage County · 4,823 peopleBbetter than 61% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #231 of 249
42WaynesboroWaynesboro city · 23,951 peopleBbetter than 60% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #225 of 249
43HerndonFairfax County · 25,506 peopleBbetter than 59% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #108 of 249
44WythevilleWythe County · 8,128 peopleBbetter than 59% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #183 of 249
45AlexandriaAlexandria city · 160,662 peopleBbetter than 59% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #190 of 249
46Front RoyalWarren County · 15,722 peopleBbetter than 58% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #198 of 249
47RichmondRichmond city · 237,257 peopleB−better than 55% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #236 of 249
48FredericksburgFredericksburg city · 30,393 peopleB−better than 54% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #219 of 249
49CovingtonCovington city · 5,680 peopleB−better than 52% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #220 of 249
50SalemSalem city · 25,816 peopleB−better than 52% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #138 of 249
51Colonial HeightsColonial Heights city · 18,738 peopleB−better than 51% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #186 of 249
52FranklinFranklin city · 8,478 peopleB−better than 50% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #249 of 249
T53ChristiansburgMontgomery County · 22,442 peopleB−better than 48% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #144 of 249
T53MartinsvilleMartinsville city · 13,849 peopleB−better than 48% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #240 of 249
55South HillMecklenburg County · 4,889 peopleB−better than 48% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #239 of 249
56BedfordBedford County · 7,911 peopleB−better than 48% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #209 of 249
57LynchburgLynchburg city · 81,347 peopleB−better than 46% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #222 of 249
58Rocky MountFranklin County · 4,973 peopleC+better than 43% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #184 of 249
59South BostonHalifax County · 7,795 peopleC+better than 43% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #248 of 249
60BlackstoneNottoway County · 3,389 peopleC+better than 42% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #245 of 249
61DublinPulaski County · 2,652 peopleC+better than 39% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #151 of 249
62Colonial BeachWestmoreland County · 4,151 peopleC+better than 38% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #232 of 249
63WindsorIsle of Wight County · 2,947 peopleC+better than 36% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #122 of 249
64TimbervilleRockingham County · 3,166 peopleCbetter than 33% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #213 of 249
T65ManassasManassas city · 44,332 peopleCbetter than 32% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #188 of 249
T65PetersburgPetersburg city · 33,734 peopleCbetter than 32% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #241 of 249
67MarionSmyth County · 5,555 peopleCbetter than 31% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #233 of 249
68RichlandsTazewell County · 5,051 peopleCbetter than 31% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #229 of 249
69LebanonRussell County · 3,075 peopleCbetter than 29% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #181 of 249
70VintonRoanoke County · 7,967 peopleCbetter than 28% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #112 of 249
71Buena VistaBuena Vista city · 6,672 peopleCbetter than 26% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #177 of 249
72BroadwayRockingham County · 4,463 peopleC−better than 25% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #179 of 249
73EmporiaEmporia city · 5,447 peopleC−better than 25% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #247 of 249
74DanvilleDanville city · 41,647 peopleC−better than 23% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #246 of 249
75ChesapeakeChesapeake city · 255,332 peopleC−better than 21% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #200 of 249
76NorfolkNorfolk city · 231,013 peopleC−better than 19% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #238 of 249
77SuffolkSuffolk city · 104,699 peopleC−better than 18% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #230 of 249
78HillsvilleCarroll County · 2,836 peopleC−better than 18% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #149 of 249
79HopewellHopewell city · 23,261 peopleC−better than 17% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #242 of 249
80PortsmouthPortsmouth city · 96,777 peopleC−better than 16% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #243 of 249
81Virginia BeachVirginia Beach city · 453,737 peopleC−better than 16% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #130 of 249
82DumfriesPrince William County · 6,405 peopleC−better than 15% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #128 of 249
83ElktonRockingham County · 3,136 peopleC−better than 15% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #172 of 249
84Manassas ParkManassas Park city · 16,560 peopleDbetter than 14% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #189 of 249
85GrottoesRockingham County · 3,099 peopleDbetter than 13% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #134 of 249
86Newport NewsNewport News city · 183,230 peopleDbetter than 11% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #227 of 249
87HamptonHampton city · 137,315 peopleDbetter than 11% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #206 of 249
88GalaxGalax city · 6,670 peopleDbetter than 9% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #244 of 249
Not ranked

165 towns without a civic life grade

Towns of 2,500+ that don’t have the figures this grade needs. Each town’s page says which ones are missing.

Quick answers

Questions people ask

Which Virginia town has the most civic life?

West Point (King William County) ranks first on civic life among 88 towns, with an A+; Purcellville and Chincoteague follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Civic life grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): library visits per resident (IMLS), community nonprofits (IRS) and volunteering groups. Towns are sorted on the grade’s score; the letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

The list covers towns of 2,500+ residents with a civic life grade (88 in Virginia). 165 towns of 2,500+ lack the figures and are listed above. Smaller towns have the grade on their page but no rank. Every town is on the Virginia page.

Go deeper

More Virginia lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Virginia rankings →
Best places to live249 towns · #1 LexingtonBest small towns123 towns · #1 LexingtonMost affordable towns253 towns · #1 PearisburgSafest towns84 towns · #1 BroadwayTowns with the best schools250 towns · #1 LexingtonHealthiest towns253 towns · #1 TysonsBest towns for jobs & income253 towns · #1 Braddock and Pimmit HillsMost walkable towns253 towns · #1 LexingtonTowns with the lowest natural-hazard risk253 towns · #1 MerrimacBest towns for the outdoors253 towns · #1 Laurel HillMost historic towns253 towns · #1 RichmondTowns with the least snow253 towns · #1 EmporiaDescribed, no lettersSnowiest towns253 towns · #1 NortonDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters225 towns · #1 NorfolkDescribed, no lettersTowns with the hottest summers225 towns · #1 Colonial HeightsDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers225 towns · #1 WiseDescribed, no lettersTowns with the highest incomes253 towns · #1 Crosspointe and 6 moreDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest property taxes240 towns · #1 CovingtonDescribed, no lettersFastest-growing towns87 towns · #1 DumfriesDescribed, no lettersTowns with the most-used libraries24 towns · #1 BristolDescribed, no letters
Other states

Towns with the most civic life in other states

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