Is Virginia's population growing or shrinking?
Updated annually
It grew by 60,500 between 2024 and 2025. Changes in population reflect birth and death rates, immigration patterns, regional shifts, and even the overall health of the economy. Virginia’s 0.69% annual increase was primarily driven by immigration to the state. In the decade between 2015 and 2025, Virginia’s population grew by 5.8%.
+60.5K
population change (2024 to 2025)
+0.69%
percent change in population (2024 to 2025)
Since 2000, Virginia's population increased in 25 of 25 years. The largest increase occurred between 2003 and 2004, when it gained 108,600 residents. The state's smallest increase during the 21st century occurred between 2021 and 2022 when it gained 21,000 residents.
Virginia gained 60,500 residents between 2024 and 2025.
Annual population change
A state’s population is influenced by three factors:
- Natural population change: If births outnumber deaths in a given year, natural population growth is positive. If deaths exceed births, it is negative. Between 2024 to 2025 natural population change was positive in Virginia, with births exceeding deaths by 13,800.
- Immigration: international migration directly into or out of a state. If more people move in than move out, population change from immigration is positive. If more people move out than move in, it’s negative. Virginia’s population change from immigration was positive, with about 40,400 more people coming from another country to Virginia than leaving.
- Domestic migration, moving between states: Virginia’s population change from domestic migration was positive, with about 6,300 more people moving to Virginia from other states than leaving.
Between 2024 and 2025, immigration was the primary driver of population growth in Virginia.
Components of population change
Among 133 county equivalents, Fairfax County had the largest population growth in Virginia, welcoming 14,248 new residents. Bristol city lost the most, with a loss of 352 residents. County-level population data is available as of 2024.
New Kent County led Virginia in percent population increase between 2023 and 2024 at 3.8 percent. Bristol city ranked last with a 2.1 percent decline.
Between 2023 and 2024, New Kent County gained 3.8% in population, the largest increase in Virginia.
Population change
Between 2015 and 2025, Virginia’s population has increased by 5.8%. During that same period, the US population grew by 6.2%. Virginia ranks 19th among states in population growth over that decade.
Virginia ranked 19th in population growth between 2015 and 2025.
Percent change in population
Keep exploring
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
