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1 / 20#20. Radford and Pulaski County
- Radford population: 16,971
- Pulaski County population: 33,655
- Social connectedness index: 6,867,686
Most socially connected counties in Virginia
In today's digital age, social media platforms enable people to bridge geographic distances and connect with their friends, family, and community, no matter where they are. According to a 2022 Gallup and Meta study, at least 1 in 3 people across seven countries, including the U.S., said they used social media to interact with others at least once a day in the past week.
While social media has its drawbacks—such as pulling attention away from other tasks or fostering a problematic comparison culture—it remains a vital tool for helping people stay connected.
A majority of students in grades 3 to 12 said social media helped them develop relationships, learn social skills, and make a positive impact in their community, according to a 2024 report from The Social Institute.
Spokeo compiled a ranking of the most socially connected counties in Virginia using 2021 data from Facebook, based on a national analysis. County pairs were ranked by their social connectedness index, which measures the relative probability that two individuals across two locations are friends with each other on Facebook. The social connectedness index is a scaled value up to a billion. Larger indexes indicate a greater share of Facebook friends between county pairs.
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2 / 20#19. Dickenson County and Buchanan County
- Dickenson County population: 13,640
- Buchanan County population: 19,087
- Social connectedness index: 7,517,674
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3 / 20#18. Bland County and Wythe County
- Bland County population: 6,179
- Wythe County population: 28,104
- Social connectedness index: 8,044,476
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4 / 20#17. Westmoreland County and Essex County
- Westmoreland County population: 19,013
- Essex County population: 10,598
- Social connectedness index: 8,684,178
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5 / 20#16. Petersburg and Dinwiddie County
- Petersburg population: 33,309
- Dinwiddie County population: 28,343
- Social connectedness index: 9,435,637
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6 / 20#15. Danville and Pittsylvania County
- Danville population: 41,837
- Pittsylvania County population: 59,571
- Social connectedness index: 10,609,864
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7 / 20#14. Mecklenburg County and Brunswick County
- Mecklenburg County population: 30,648
- Brunswick County population: 15,749
- Social connectedness index: 10,969,890
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8 / 20#13. King and Queen County and King William County
- King and Queen County population: 6,720
- King William County population: 19,030
- Social connectedness index: 11,950,481
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9 / 20#12. Lunenburg County and Nottoway County
- Lunenburg County population: 12,038
- Nottoway County population: 15,566
- Social connectedness index: 12,724,613
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10 / 20#11. Cumberland County and Prince Edward County
- Cumberland County population: 9,878
- Prince Edward County population: 22,049
- Social connectedness index: 12,951,945
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11 / 20#10. Accomack County and Northampton County
- Accomack County population: 33,239
- Northampton County population: 12,021
- Social connectedness index: 13,484,180
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12 / 20#9. Surry County and Sussex County
- Surry County population: 6,593
- Sussex County population: 10,757
- Social connectedness index: 16,569,399
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13 / 20#8. Henry County and Martinsville
- Henry County population: 49,702
- Martinsville population: 13,763
- Social connectedness index: 17,387,990
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14 / 20#7. Wise County and Norton
- Wise County population: 35,174
- Norton population: 3,492
- Social connectedness index: 20,772,326
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15 / 20#6. Richmond County and Northumberland County
- Richmond County population: 9,184
- Northumberland County population: 12,391
- Social connectedness index: 22,729,146
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16 / 20#5. Galax and Grayson County
- Galax population: 6,717
- Grayson County population: 15,285
- Social connectedness index: 26,076,927
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17 / 20#4. Buena Vista and Rockbridge County
- Buena Vista population: 6,566
- Rockbridge County population: 22,358
- Social connectedness index: 28,602,577
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18 / 20#3. Southampton County and Franklin
- Southampton County population: 17,975
- Franklin population: 8,339
- Social connectedness index: 30,484,329
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19 / 20#2. Alleghany County and Covington
- Alleghany County population: 14,595
- Covington population: 5,545
- Social connectedness index: 50,302,819
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20 / 20#1. Emporia and Greensville County
- Emporia population: 5,463
- Greensville County population: 11,133
- Social connectedness index: 55,870,163
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Kayla Zhu, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.
