This State Is the Beating Heart of the US Military

24/7 Wall St. Insights

• With nearly 2.6 million people on payroll, the Department of Defense is one of the largest employers in the world.
• While DOD employees, including civilians and active-duty service members, are spread across the 50 states, a disproportionate share of defense workers are concentrated in a handful of Virginia communities.
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Headquartered at the Pentagon, the Department of Defense employs nearly 2.6 million people and has an annual budget of more than $870 billion, making it the largest, and one of the best funded agencies in the federal government.

Thousands of DOD employees, including both civilians and active-duty service members, are stationed in each of the 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C. But the number of troops stationed in Virginia — home state of the DOD’s nerve center — outnumbers those in nearly every other part of the country.

According to Defense Spending by State, a recent report from the DOD, approximately 247,200 national defense personnel were stationed in Virginia in fiscal 2023 — the second most among the 50 states. The largest share of department employees in the state — 49.3% — are active-duty troops. An additional 40.6% are civilian employees, 6.7% are reservists, and 3.4% are members of the National Guard. (Here is a look at the states with the most armed forces personnel.)

The largest DOD service branches in the state by total employment, including civilians and reservists, are the Navy and Marine Corps with a combined total of about 142,600 employees, followed by the Army with a total of 52,600 personnel. The Air Force and Space Force also collectively have about 23,600 in the state on payroll, and another 29,400 Virginians work in other areas of national defense.

Just as Virginia stands out as a critical state for the U.S. military, there are certain parts of the state where the DOD’s presence is especially concentrated. Due in part to major military installations in the state — including Naval Station Norfolk and the Pentagon itself — there are multiple counties and independent cities in Virginia that are each home to several thousand Defense Department employees. In one independent city in Virginia, the DOD has more personnel than in 41 entire states. In this single city, the DOD spent over $5.1 billion on payroll alone in fiscal 2023. (Here is a look at the newest American military bases.)

These are the 10 counties and county equivalents in Virginia with the most military and civilian Defense Department personnel. All data in this story was compiled by the DOD and is current as of fiscal 2023. Counties and independent cities for which personnel data was not disclosed were excluded from analysis.

This post was updated on November 26, 2025 to clarify the value of knowing the areas in Virginia with the most military and civilian Defense Department personnel.

Why it Matters

A significant share of the Pentagon’s budget goes to payroll for the 2.6 million American men and women who work for the national defense. In fiscal 2023 alone, the Department of Defense spent over $167.4 billion on employee salaries and wages. While this money is spread across the 50 states, it has an outsized impact in places that have emerged as hubs for U.S. military operations.

Knowing which Virginia counties have the highest concentration of military and civilian DoD personnel offers insight into how federal defense activity affects local economies, public services, and community life. These counties often benefit from increased job opportunities, higher average incomes, and greater demand for housing and infrastructure. However, they can also experience increased pressure on schools, transportation systems, and healthcare resources. Understanding this information helps explain why certain areas grow faster, have higher costs of living, or receive more federal funds.

10. Accomack County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 7,735 (3.1% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 6,359 (5.2% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 100 (1.2% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 1,173 (7.0% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 103 (0.1% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $1,087,689,949 (5.1% of DOD payroll statewide)

9. York County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 10,894 (4.4% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 8,249 (6.8% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 996 (11.8% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 920 (5.5% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 729 (0.7% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $752,371,944 (3.5% of DOD payroll statewide)

8. Newport News City

• Total Defense Department personnel: 11,116 (4.5% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 6,249 (5.1% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 192 (2.3% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 1,063 (6.4% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 3,612 (3.6% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $848,425,131 (4.0% of DOD payroll statewide)

7. Prince George County

Prince George County Courthous... (CC BY 2.0) by Taber Andrew Bain

• Total Defense Department personnel: 12,301 (5.0% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 8,355 (6.9% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 0 (0% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 502 (3.0% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 3,444 (3.4% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: N/A

6. Prince William County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 13,261 (5.4% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 7,945 (6.5% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 151 (1.8% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 724 (4.3% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 4,441 (4.4% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $956,452,817 (4.5% of DOD payroll statewide)

5. Portsmouth City

• Total Defense Department personnel: 17,000 (6.9% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 3,833 (3.1% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 159 (1.9% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 20 (0.1% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 12,988 (12.9% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $1,454,772,481 (6.8% of DOD payroll statewide)

4. Arlington County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 19,378 (7.8% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 2,628 (2.2% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 72 (0.9% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 118 (0.7% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 16,560 (16.5% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $2,423,463,821 (11.4% of DOD payroll statewide)

3. Fairfax County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 21,709 (8.8% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 5,849 (4.8% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 787 (9.3% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 2,898 (17.4% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 12,175 (12.1% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $2,363,208,127 (11.1% of DOD payroll statewide)

2. Virginia Beach City

Blue Angels Soar During the 50th Anniversary Air Show at Naval Air Station Oceana (BY 2.0) by DVIDSHUB

• Total Defense Department personnel: 29,492 (11.9% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 20,078 (16.5% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 822 (9.8% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 4,696 (28.2% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 3,896 (3.9% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $2,155,030,974 (10.1% of DOD payroll statewide)

1. Norfolk City

USS New Mexico (SSN 779) returns to homeport at Naval Station Norfolk. (BY 2.0) by Official U.S. Navy Imagery

• Total Defense Department personnel: 65,035 (26.3% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 46,440 (38.1% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 299 (3.6% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 1,017 (6.1% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 17,279 (17.2% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $5,144,654,254 (24.1% of DOD payroll statewide)