How many immigrants are in Virginia?
Data updated September 19, 2024
About 1.16M in 2023. This translates to approximately 13.4% of the population. This is roughly 2 in 15 residents in Virginia. Immigrants are defined as foreign-born residents, which includes people who became US citizens, are authorized to come to the US (e.g., for work), or are undocumented residents.
Showing data for
In 2023
1.16M
Virginia residents were foreign-born
In 2023
2 in 15
Virginia residents were foreign-born
The number of foreign-born residents in Virginia grew from 949K in 2013 to 1.16M in 2023. This increase occurred alongside changes in the native-born population due to births, deaths, and people moving. Analyzing the foreign-born share of the total population provides a better view of these demographics. In Virginia, the foreign-born share of the population was 13.4% in 2023, slightly lower than the US overall at 14.3%, and up from 11.5% in the state since 2013.
In Virginia, 13.4% of the population was foreign-born in 2023.
Variations in immigrant populations illustrate a changing population landscape in both local areas and the nation as a whole. The largest immigration populations are concentrated in big metro areas. Metro areas in California, Texas, Florida, and parts of the Northeast typically have a higher share of residents that are foreign-born.
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From 2018 to 2022, the metro areas (with data) in the US with the highest and lowest foreign-born population share were: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL at 41.5% foreign-born (highest) and Beckley, WV at 0.9% foreign-born (lowest). The highest and lowest among the metro areas in or connected to Virginia were: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV at 23.2% foreign-born (highest) and Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA at 1.4% foreign-born (lowest).
On average, 8.3% of the population in metro areas was foreign-born from 2018 to 2022
Foreign-born share of the population
Average foreign-born share of the population from 2018 to 2022
| 1. | Harrisonburg, VA Metro Area | 10.2% |
| 2. | Charlottesville, VA Metro Area | 8.3% |
| 3. | Richmond, VA Metro Area | 8.2% |
| 4. | Winchester, VA-WV Metro Area | 7.3% |
| 5. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC Metro Area | 6.7% |
| 6. | Blacksburg-Christiansburg, VA Metro Area | 6% |
| 7. | Roanoke, VA Metro Area | 5% |
| 8. | Staunton, VA Metro Area | 3.4% |
| 9. | Lynchburg, VA Metro Area | 3.1% |
