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Cliff-Zone Families
181,773
Total Wage Suppression
$132.3M
State Avg Cliff Zone
13.3%
The benefits cliff — sometimes called the welfare cliff or cliff effect — occurs when families lose public benefits faster than they can replace them through increased earnings. In Virginia, an estimated 181,773 families across 133 counties earn between 100–200% of the Federal Poverty Level, where benefits like SNAP, Medicaid, childcare subsidies, and housing assistance phase out. The CLIFF Index measures this exposure at the county level, including peak marginal effective tax rates, wage suppression estimates, and advancement thresholds. Click any county below for the full diagnostic report.
| CountyCounty↕ | PopulationPopulation↕ | Cliff Zone %Cliff Zone %↕ | Families AffectedFamilies↓ | Wage SuppressionWage Gap↕ | Peak METRPeak METR↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County | 1,147,837 | 8.0% | 15,620 | $11.4M | 479% |
| Virginia Beach city | 456,349 | 12.5% | 9,824 | $7.2M | 356% |
| Prince William County | 488,880 | 11.1% | 9,562 | $7.0M | 479% |
| Henrico County | 335,744 | 13.0% | 7,716 | $5.6M | 346% |
| Chesterfield County | 377,869 | 11.5% | 7,674 | $5.6M | 346% |
| Norfolk city | 233,596 | 17.1% | 6,397 | $4.7M | 356% |
| Richmond city | 229,359 | 18.0% | 5,367 | $3.9M | 346% |
| Newport News city | 184,216 | 17.9% | 5,213 | $3.8M | 356% |
| Chesapeake city | 252,583 | 11.7% | 5,032 | $3.7M | 356% |
| Loudoun County | 432,998 | 5.4% | 4,293 | $3.1M | 479% |
| Hampton city | 137,557 | 17.8% | 4,143 | $3.0M | 356% |
| Portsmouth city | 97,190 | 21.5% | 3,439 | $2.5M | 356% |
| Spotsylvania County | 146,603 | 11.4% | 3,014 | $2.2M | 479% |
| Arlington County | 236,254 | 7.6% | 2,846 | $2.1M | 479% |
| Roanoke city | 98,355 | 20.7% | 2,733 | $2.0M | 262% |
| Alexandria city | 156,976 | 10.4% | 2,607 | $1.9M | 479% |
| Roanoke County | 97,023 | 14.5% | 2,242 | $1.6M | 262% |
| Pittsylvania County | 59,856 | 25.4% | 2,228 | $1.6M | 250% |
| Suffolk city | 98,796 | 13.7% | 2,191 | $1.6M | 356% |
| Lynchburg city | 79,497 | 20.6% | 2,175 | $1.6M | 250% |
| Stafford County | 163,466 | 7.4% | 2,151 | $1.6M | 479% |
| Bedford County | 80,894 | 15.7% | 2,047 | $1.5M | 250% |
| Frederick County | 95,008 | 12.7% | 2,041 | $1.5M | 333% |
| Rockingham County | 85,600 | 14.8% | 1,945 | $1.4M | 278% |
| Augusta County | 78,033 | 15.6% | 1,785 | $1.3M | 264% |
| Campbell County | 55,312 | 20.3% | 1,770 | $1.3M | 250% |
| Albemarle County | 114,919 | 10.0% | 1,672 | $1.2M | 382% |
| Henry County | 49,980 | 25.9% | 1,589 | $1.2M | 250% |
| Washington County | 53,926 | 20.0% | 1,587 | $1.2M | 250% |
| Franklin County | 55,130 | 18.2% | 1,539 | $1.1M | 250% |
| Hanover County | 112,879 | 8.4% | 1,534 | $1.1M | 346% |
| Montgomery County | 99,101 | 12.0% | 1,425 | $1.0M | 266% |
| Tazewell County | 39,624 | 25.5% | 1,371 | $998K | 250% |
| Harrisonburg city | 51,392 | 20.1% | 1,338 | $974K | 278% |
| Shenandoah County | 44,925 | 19.2% | 1,255 | $914K | 250% |
| Louisa County | 39,980 | 16.3% | 1,248 | $909K | 260% |
| Danville city | 42,214 | 24.2% | 1,245 | $906K | 250% |
| Culpeper County | 54,397 | 13.2% | 1,173 | $854K | 301% |
| James City County | 81,013 | 10.5% | 1,168 | $850K | 356% |
| Gloucester County | 39,526 | 18.8% | 1,145 | $834K | 356% |
| Prince George County | 43,146 | 16.7% | 1,107 | $806K | 346% |
| Wise County | 35,448 | 22.6% | 1,093 | $796K | 250% |
| York County | 71,005 | 8.6% | 1,088 | $792K | 356% |
| Accomack County | 33,335 | 22.8% | 1,073 | $781K | 250% |
| Smyth County | 29,420 | 25.3% | 1,050 | $764K | 250% |
| Halifax County | 33,639 | 24.0% | 1,036 | $754K | 250% |
| Manassas city | 42,976 | 14.2% | 990 | $721K | 479% |
| Carroll County | 29,157 | 22.7% | 987 | $719K | 250% |
| Wythe County | 28,188 | 20.5% | 966 | $703K | 250% |
| Fauquier County | 74,577 | 7.5% | 959 | $698K | 479% |
| Warren County | 41,531 | 16.0% | 954 | $695K | 276% |
| Petersburg city | 33,537 | 22.7% | 924 | $673K | 346% |
| Waynesboro city | 22,841 | 22.8% | 913 | $665K | 264% |
| Mecklenburg County | 30,516 | 22.2% | 872 | $635K | 250% |
| Russell County | 25,538 | 23.8% | 837 | $609K | 250% |
| Caroline County | 32,098 | 14.5% | 832 | $606K | 259% |
| Charlottesville city | 45,437 | 14.8% | 818 | $596K | 382% |
| Isle of Wight County | 39,974 | 12.5% | 792 | $577K | 356% |
| Pulaski County | 33,687 | 16.5% | 782 | $569K | 250% |
| Salem city | 25,618 | 19.1% | 767 | $558K | 262% |
| Rockbridge County | 22,531 | 21.0% | 762 | $555K | 250% |
| Amherst County | 31,485 | 19.3% | 751 | $547K | 250% |
| Page County | 23,727 | 23.6% | 746 | $543K | 250% |
| Staunton city | 25,948 | 19.5% | 695 | $506K | 264% |
| Brunswick County | 15,841 | 24.4% | 648 | $472K | 250% |
| Winchester city | 27,913 | 16.9% | 628 | $457K | 333% |
| Prince Edward County | 21,996 | 18.7% | 627 | $456K | 250% |
| Dinwiddie County | 28,191 | 12.7% | 615 | $448K | 346% |
| Hopewell city | 22,959 | 18.8% | 605 | $440K | 346% |
| Cumberland County | 9,818 | 29.4% | 593 | $432K | 250% |
| Grayson County | 15,287 | 26.9% | 591 | $430K | 250% |
| Botetourt County | 34,004 | 12.2% | 584 | $425K | 262% |
| Patrick County | 17,512 | 21.5% | 574 | $418K | 250% |
| Lee County | 21,900 | 19.9% | 568 | $414K | 250% |
| Dickenson County | 13,733 | 27.2% | 560 | $408K | 250% |
| Buchanan County | 19,415 | 27.1% | 559 | $407K | 250% |
| King George County | 27,896 | 11.0% | 554 | $403K | 312% |
| Southampton County | 17,964 | 16.0% | 531 | $387K | 250% |
| Bristol city | 16,849 | 23.8% | 530 | $386K | 250% |
| Manassas Park city | 16,798 | 15.7% | 527 | $384K | 479% |
| Floyd County | 15,593 | 23.9% | 527 | $384K | 250% |
| Orange County | 37,822 | 8.7% | 520 | $379K | 256% |
| Scott County | 21,479 | 21.1% | 516 | $376K | 250% |
| Martinsville city | 13,658 | 29.0% | 512 | $373K | 250% |
| Amelia County | 13,462 | 18.2% | 511 | $372K | 346% |
| Appomattox County | 16,610 | 19.1% | 499 | $363K | 250% |
| New Kent County | 25,105 | 10.1% | 489 | $356K | 346% |
| Greensville County | 11,275 | 32.4% | 486 | $354K | 250% |
| King William County | 18,593 | 14.0% | 485 | $353K | 346% |
| Nottoway County | 15,597 | 19.0% | 484 | $352K | 250% |
| Giles County | 16,557 | 18.8% | 463 | $337K | 250% |
| Buckingham County | 16,976 | 22.2% | 439 | $320K | 250% |
| Westmoreland County | 18,826 | 16.4% | 431 | $314K | 250% |
| Alleghany County | 14,859 | 23.9% | 428 | $312K | 250% |
| Colonial Heights city | 18,352 | 14.4% | 405 | $295K | 346% |
| Madison County | 14,044 | 18.8% | 375 | $273K | 250% |
| Powhatan County | 31,555 | 8.2% | 361 | $263K | 346% |
| Lunenburg County | 12,016 | 24.6% | 348 | $253K | 250% |
| Northampton County | 12,059 | 20.8% | 342 | $249K | 250% |
| Fredericksburg city | 28,873 | 10.2% | 322 | $234K | 479% |
| Emporia city | 5,547 | 33.1% | 322 | $234K | 250% |
| Franklin city | 8,250 | 23.7% | 316 | $230K | 250% |
| Fairfax city | 25,026 | 7.2% | 308 | $224K | 479% |
| Sussex County | 10,765 | 21.4% | 305 | $222K | 346% |
| Lancaster County | 10,936 | 20.9% | 296 | $215K | 250% |
| Middlesex County | 10,847 | 21.1% | 284 | $207K | 271% |
| Fluvanna County | 28,092 | 7.7% | 265 | $193K | 382% |
| Goochland County | 26,410 | 6.2% | 259 | $189K | 346% |
| Essex County | 10,623 | 20.7% | 258 | $188K | 250% |
| Radford city | 16,726 | 18.1% | 257 | $187K | 266% |
| Charlotte County | 11,422 | 19.2% | 251 | $183K | 250% |
| Greene County | 21,155 | 10.0% | 247 | $180K | 382% |
| Nelson County | 14,732 | 14.9% | 228 | $166K | 382% |
| King and Queen County | 6,695 | 16.6% | 223 | $162K | 261% |
| Northumberland County | 12,188 | 15.0% | 204 | $149K | 275% |
| Richmond County | 9,095 | 19.1% | 183 | $133K | 250% |
| Buena Vista city | 6,593 | 22.5% | 178 | $130K | 250% |
| Surry County | 6,549 | 16.3% | 166 | $121K | 250% |
| Bland County | 6,199 | 20.7% | 163 | $119K | 250% |
| Covington city | 5,680 | 21.9% | 159 | $116K | 250% |
| Craig County | 4,856 | 23.3% | 158 | $115K | 262% |
| Williamsburg city | 15,798 | 13.7% | 153 | $111K | 356% |
| Mathews County | 8,540 | 11.6% | 153 | $111K | 356% |
| Rappahannock County | 7,427 | 14.1% | 142 | $103K | 290% |
| Bath County | 4,100 | 21.4% | 140 | $102K | 250% |
| Charles City County | 6,627 | 19.0% | 134 | $98K | 346% |
| Galax city | 6,726 | 17.0% | 129 | $94K | 250% |
| Norton city | 3,577 | 26.6% | 126 | $92K | 250% |
| Clarke County | 15,216 | 7.4% | 121 | $88K | 479% |
| Poquoson city | 12,639 | 7.2% | 121 | $88K | 356% |
| Falls Church city | 14,710 | 6.0% | 94 | $68K | 479% |
| Highland County | 2,296 | 12.4% | 47 | $34K | 250% |
| Lexington city | 7,525 | 10.7% | 8 | $6K | 250% |
133 of 133 counties shown. Click any county for full diagnostic.