How many immigrants are in Virginia?
About 1.08M in 2021. This represents approximately 12.5% of the population, or about 1 in 8 residents. Immigrants include foreign-born residents, those who have become US citizens, individuals authorized to work in the US, and undocumented residents.
Showing data for
In 2021
1.08M
Virginia residents were foreign-born
In 2021
1 in 8
Virginia residents were foreign-born
The number of foreign-born residents in Virginia increased from 870K in 2011 to 1.08M in 2021. This growth occurred alongside changes in the native-born population due to births, deaths, and migration. In 2021, foreign-born residents made up 12.5% of Virginia's population, which was lower than the national average of 13.6%, up from 11% in 2011.
Foreign-born share of the population in Virginia
Changes in immigrant populations reflect shifts in both local and national demographics. The largest immigrant populations are found in major metropolitan areas. Metropolitan areas in California, Texas, Florida, and parts of the Northeast generally have a higher proportion of foreign-born residents.
Subscribe to get unbiased, data-driven insights sent to your inbox weekly.
In 2021, among US metropolitan areas with available data, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL had the highest foreign-born population share at 41.2%, while Beckley, WV had the lowest at 0.8%. In Virginia, the highest was Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV at 22.9%, and the lowest was Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA at 1.3%.
On average, 8.2% of the population in metro areas was foreign-born in 2021
Foreign-born share of the population (2021)
1. | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro Area | 22.9% |
2. | Harrisonburg, VA Metro Area | 9.7% |
3. | Charlottesville, VA Metro Area | 8.7% |
4. | Richmond, VA Metro Area | 8.1% |
5. | Winchester, VA-WV Metro Area | 7.1% |
6. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC Metro Area | 6.6% |
7. | Blacksburg-Christiansburg, VA Metro Area | 5.7% |
8. | Roanoke, VA Metro Area | 4.7% |
9. | Lynchburg, VA Metro Area | 3.4% |
10. | Staunton, VA Metro Area | 3.3% |