Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1790 | 691,737 | — | |
1800 | 807,557 | 16.7% | |
1810 | 877,683 | 8.7% | |
1820 | 938,261 | 6.9% | |
1830 | 1,044,054 | 11.3% | |
1840 | 1,025,227 | −1.8% | |
1850 | 1,119,348 | 9.2% | |
1860 | 1,219,630 | 9.0% | |
1870 | 1,225,163 | 0.5% | |
1880 | 1,512,565 | 23.5% | |
1890 | 1,655,980 | 9.5% | |
1900 | 1,854,184 | 12.0% | |
1910 | 2,061,612 | 11.2% | |
1920 | 2,309,187 | 12.0% | |
1930 | 2,421,851 | 4.9% | |
1940 | 2,677,773 | 10.6% | |
1950 | 3,318,680 | 23.9% | |
1960 | 3,966,949 | 19.5% | |
1970 | 4,648,494 | 17.2% | |
1980 | 5,346,818 | 15.0% | |
1990 | 6,187,358 | 15.7% | |
2000 | 7,078,515 | 14.4% | |
2010 | 8,001,024 | 13.0% | |
2020 | 8,631,393 | 7.9% | |
Sources: 1910–2020 [1] |
The demographics of Virginia are the various elements used to describe the population of the Commonwealth of Virginia and are studied by various government and non-government organizations. Virginia is the 12th-most populous state in the United States with over 8 million residents [2] and is the 35th largest in area. [3]
As of the 2010 United States Census, Virginia has a reported population of 8,001,024, which is an increase of 288,933, or 3.6%, from a previous estimate in 2007 and an increase of 922,509, or 13.0%, since the year 2000. This includes an increase from net migration of 314,832 people into the Commonwealth from 2000 to 2007. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 159,627 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 155,205 people. [4] Also in 2009, 6.7% of Virginia's population were reported as under five years old, 23.4% under eighteen, and 12.1% were senior citizens-65+. [5] The center of population of Virginia is located in Goochland County outside of Richmond. [6]
Historical population | ||
---|---|---|
|
Note: Births in table don't add up, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.
Race | 2013 [7] | 2014 [8] | 2015 [9] | 2016 [10] | 2017 [11] | 2018 [12] | 2019 [13] | 2020 [14] | 2021 [15] | 2022 [16] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
White: | 71,126 (69.6%) | 71,861 (69.6%) | 71,485 (69.2%) | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
> Non-Hispanic White | 59,280 (58.0%) | 59,885 (58.0%) | 59,244 (57.3%) | 57,469 (56.1%) | 55,540 (55.3%) | 54,798 (54.9%) | 52,997 (54.4%) | 51,120 (53.9%) | 52,069 (54.3%) | 51,085 (53.4%) |
Black | 22,937 (22.5%) | 22,828 (22.1%) | 23,029 (22.3%) | 20,782 (20.3%) | 21,101 (21.0%) | 20,860 (20.9%) | 20,339 (20.9%) | 19,622 (20.7%) | 19,170 (20.0%) | 18,543 (19.4%) |
Asian | 7,835 (7.7%) | 8,356 (8.1%) | 8,535 (8.1%) | 7,909 (7.7%) | 7,670 (7.6%) | 7,625 (7.6%) | 7,524 (7.7%) | 6,945 (7.3%) | 6,956 (7.2%) | 7,140 (7.5%) |
American Indian | 249 (0.2%) | 255 (0.2%) | 254 (0.2%) | 152 (0.1%) | 155 (0.2%) | 157 (0.2%) | 144 (0.1%) | 146 (0.1%) | 134 (0.1%) | 151 (0.2%) |
Pacific Islander | ... | ... | ... | 131 (0.1%) | 125 (0.1%) | 103 (0.1%) | 127 (0.1%) | 116 (0.1%) | 103 (0.1%) | 114 (0.1%) |
Hispanic | 13,073 (12.8%) | 13,490 (13.1%) | 13,930 (13.5%) | 14,230 (13.9%) | 13,999 (13.9%) | 14,397 (14.4%) | 14,442 (14.8%) | 14,806 (15.6%) | 15,044 (15.7%) | 15,943 (16.7%) |
Total Virginia | 102,147 (100%) | 103,300 (100%) | 103,303 (100%) | 102,460 (100%) | 100,391 (100%) | 99,843 (100%) | 97,429 (100%) | 94,749 (100%) | 95,825 (100%) | 95,630 (100%) |
Racial composition | 1990 [17] | 2000 [18] | 2010 [19] | 2020 [lower-alpha 1] [20] |
---|---|---|---|---|
White | 77.4% | 72.3% | 68.6% | 60.3% |
Black | 18.8% | 19.6% | 19.4% | 18.6% |
Asian | 2.6% | 3.7% | 5.5% | 7.1% |
Native | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.5% |
Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander | – | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Other race | 0.9% | 2.0% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
Two or more races | – | 2.0% | 2.9% | 8.2% |
|
The five largest reported ancestry groups in Virginia are: African American (19.6%), German (11.7%), American (11.4%), English (11.1%), and Irish (9.8%). [21] Most of those claiming to be of "American" ancestry are actually of English descent, but have family that has been in the country for so long, in many cases since the early seventeenth century, that they choose to identify simply as "American". [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] Most of Virginia's Black population are descended from enslaved Africans who worked its tobacco, cotton, and hemp plantations. Initially, these slaves came from west central Africa, primarily Angola. During the eighteenth century, however, about half of them were derived from various ethnicities located in the Niger Delta region of modern-day Nigeria. [27] With continued immigration to Virginia of other European groups and the 19th-century sales of tens of thousands of enslaved Africans from Virginia to the Deep South, the percent of enslaved Africans fell from once being half of the total population. By 1860 slaves comprised 31% of the state's population of 1.6 million. [28]
In colonial Virginia the majority of free people of color were descended from marriages or relationships of white men (servants or free) and black women (slave, servant or free), reflecting the fluid relationships among working people. Many free black families were well-established and headed by landowners by the Revolution. [29] From 1782 to 1818, a wave of slaveholders inspired by the Revolutionary ideals of equality freed slaves, until the legislature made manumissions more difficult. Some African Americans freed were those whose fathers were white masters, while others were freed for service. [30] By 1860 there were 58,042 free people of color (black or mulatto, as classified in the census) in Virginia. [28] Over the decades, many had gathered in the cities of Richmond and Petersburg where there were more job opportunities. Others were landowners who had working farms, or found acceptance from neighbors in the frontier areas of Virginia. [29]
The twentieth-century Great Migration of blacks from the rural South to the urban North reduced Virginia's black population to about 20%. [5] Today, African-Americans are concentrated in the eastern and southern Tidewater and Piedmont regions where plantation agriculture was the most dominant. [31] The western mountains were settled primarily by people of heavily Scots-Irish ancestry. [32] There are also sizable numbers of people of German descent in the northwestern mountains and Shenandoah Valley. [33]
Because of recent immigration in the late 20th century and early 21st century, there are rapidly growing populations from Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, especially in Northern Virginia. Northern Virginia, which is a part of the DC metropolitan area, is one of the most diverse regions in the country.[ citation needed ] Virginia has one of the largest Salvadoran populations in the US, the vast majority of which is concentrated in Northern Virginia. Northern Virginia also has the largest Vietnamese population on the East Coast, with about 48,000 Vietnamese statewide as of 2007, [34] their major wave of immigration followed the Vietnam War. [35] The Hampton Roads area in southeastern Virginia, though it lags far behind Northern Virginia in diversity,[ citation needed ] is the second most populous in the state compared to other metro areas; aside from 'native' blacks and whites, Hampton Roads only has large populations of Filipinos, Mexicans, and Puerto Ricans. The Hampton Roads area has the highest percentage of Puerto Ricans of any metropolitan area in the Southern US outside Florida, and also has a sizable Filipino population with about 45,000 in the area, many of whom have ties to the U.S. Navy. [36] As of 2005, 6.1% of Virginians are Hispanic and 5.2% are Asian. [5] Virginia also continues to be home to eight Native American tribes recognized by the state, though all lack federal recognition status. Most Native American groups are located in the Tidewater region. [37]
The Piedmont region is known for its dialect's strong influence on Southern American English. While a more homogenized American English is found in urban areas, various accents are also used, including the Tidewater accent, the Old Virginia accent, Appalachian English, and the anachronistic Elizabethan of Tangier Island. [39] [40]
Religion (2008) | ||
---|---|---|
Christian [41] | 76% | |
Baptist | 27% | |
Roman Catholic | 11% | |
Methodist | 8% | |
Lutheran | 2% | |
Other Christian | 28% | |
Judaism | 1% | |
Islam | 2.6% | |
Buddhism | 1% | |
Hinduism | 1% | |
Unaffiliated | 18% |
Virginia is predominantly Christian and Protestant; Baptists are the largest single group with 27% of the population as of 2008. [41] Baptist denominational groups in Virginia include the Baptist General Association of Virginia, with about 1,400 member churches, which supports both the Southern Baptist Convention and the moderate Cooperative Baptist Fellowship; and the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia with more than 500 affiliated churches, which supports the Southern Baptist Convention. [42] [43]
Roman Catholics are the second-largest religious group, and the group which grew the most in the 1990s. [44] [45] The Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington includes most of Northern Virginia's Catholic churches, while the Diocese of Richmond covers the rest. The Virginia Conference is the regional body of the United Methodist Church. The Virginia Synod is responsible for the congregations of the Lutheran Church. The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, Southern Virginia, and Southwestern Virginia support the various Episcopal churches. In November 2006, 15 conservative Episcopal churches voted to split from the Diocese of Virginia over its ordination of openly gay bishops and clergy; these churches continue to claim affiliation with the larger Anglican Communion through other bodies outside the United States. Though Virginia law allows parishioners to determine their church's affiliation, the diocese claims the secessionist churches' properties. The resulting property law case is a test for Episcopal churches nationwide. [46]
Presbyterians, Pentecostals, Congregationalists, and Episcopalians each composed 1–3% of the population as of 2001. [47] Among other religions, adherents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints constitute 1.1% of the population, with 204 congregations in Virginia as of 2020.Making Virginia the state with the highest percentage of Mormons east of the Mississippi. [48] [49] Fairfax Station is home to the Ekoji Buddhist Temple, of the Jodo Shinshu school, the Sikh Foundation of Virginia a Sikh Gurdwara, and the Hindu Durga Temple. Chesapeake, Virginia is home to the Guru Nanak Foundation of Tidewater Sikh Gurdwara. While a small population in terms of the state overall, organized Jewish sites date to 1789 with Congregation Beth Ahabah. [50] Muslims are a rapidly growing religious group throughout the state through immigration. [51] Megachurches in the state include Thomas Road Baptist Church, Immanuel Bible Church, and McLean Bible Church. [52]
The United States had an official estimated resident population of 334,914,895 on July 1, 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This figure includes the 50 states and Washington, D.C. but excludes the population of five unincorporated U.S. territories as well as several minor island possessions. The United States is the third most populous country in the world, and the most populous in the Americas and the Western Hemisphere. The Census Bureau showed a population increase of 0.4% for the twelve-month period ending in July 2022, below the world average annual rate of 0.9%. The total fertility rate in the United States estimated for 2022 is 1.665 children per woman, which is below the replacement fertility rate of approximately 2.1. By several metrics, including racial and ethnic background, religious affiliation, and percentage of rural and urban divide, Illinois is the most representative of the larger demography of the United States.
Hanover County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 109,979. Its county seat is Hanover.
Camden County is a consolidated city-county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,355, making it the fourth-least populous county in North Carolina. Its county seat is Camden. Camden County is included in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC Combined Statistical Area.
The 2010 census estimated Alabama's population at 4,802,740, an increase of 332,636 or 7.5% since 2000. This includes a natural increase of 87,818 and a net migration of 73,178 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 30,537 and migration within the country produced a net increase of 42,641.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2023, Texas was the second largest state in population after California, with a population of 30,503,301, an increase of more than 1.3 million people, or 4.7%, since the 29,145,505 of the 2020 census. Its apportioned population in 2020 was 29,183,290. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the state of Texas has experienced strong population growth. Texas has many major cities and metropolitan areas, along with many towns and rural areas. Much of the population is concentrated in the major cities of Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, McAllen, and El Paso and their corresponding metropolitan areas. The first four aforementioned main urban centers are also referred to as the Texas Triangle megaregion.
As of 2020, Alaska has a population of 733,391.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2020, the state of Oklahoma had a population of 3,959,353, which is an increase of 208,002 or 5.54% since the year 2010. Oklahoma is the 28th most populous state in the United States.
The District of Columbia is a federal district with an ethnically diverse population. In 2020, the District had a population of 689,545 people, with a resident density of 11,515 people per square mile.
Florida is the third-most populous state in the United States. Its residents include people from a wide variety of ethnic, racial, national and religious backgrounds. The state has attracted immigrants, particularly from Latin America. Florida's majority ethnic group are European Americans, with approximately 65% of the population identifying as White. National ethnic communities in the state include Cubans, who migrated en masse following the revolution in the mid 20th century. They have been joined by other immigrants from Latin America, and Spanish is spoken by more than 20% of the state's population, with high usage especially in the Miami-Dade County area.
Massachusetts has an estimated population of 6.981 million as of 2022 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This represents a −0.7% decrease in population from the 2020 census, when the population was 7.029 million. Currently, Massachusetts is the sixteenth most populous U.S. state.
As of the 2010 census, the United States Commonwealth of Kentucky had an estimated population of 4,339,367, which is an increase of 297,174, or 7.4%, since the year 2000. Approximately 4.4% of Kentucky's population was foreign-born as of 2010. The population density of the state is 107.4 people per square mile.
As of the 2020 United States census, Arizona had a population of 7,151,502.
Louisiana is a South Central U.S. state, with a 2020 U.S. census resident population of 4,657,757, and apportioned population of 4,661,468. Much of the state's population is concentrated in southern Louisiana in the Greater New Orleans, Florida Parishes, and Acadiana regions, with the remainder in North and Central Louisiana's major metropolitan areas. The center of population of Louisiana is located in Pointe Coupee Parish, in the city of New Roads.
Arkansas is the 32nd largest U.S. state, with a population of 3,011,524 as of the 2020 United States census.
Tennessee is the fifteenth most populous state in the United States with a population of 7,051,339 as of 2022, and has the twentieth-highest population density. The 2020 United States census reported its population to be 6,916,897.
Demographics of North Carolina covers the varieties of ethnic groups who reside in North Carolina and relevant trends.
According to the 2018 American Community Survey, New England had an estimated population of 14,853,290, of which 48.7% were male and 51.3% were female. Approximately 19.7% of the population were under 18 years of age; 17.4% were 65 years of age or over.
Georgia is a South Atlantic U.S. state with a population of 10,711,908 according to the 2020 United States census, or just over 3% of the U.S. population. The majority of the state's population is concentrated within Metro Atlanta, although other highly populated regions include: West Central and East Central Georgia; West, Central, and East Georgia; and Coastal Georgia; and their Athens, Columbus, Macon and Warner Robins, Augusta, Savannah, Hinesville, and Brunswick metropolitan statistical areas.
Utah is the 30th most populous state in the United States with a population of about 3.3 million, according to projections from the US Census Bureau's 2017 estimates. The state has also been characterized by a tremendous amount of growth in the last decade, with the highest percent increase in population of any state since 2010. Utah has a surface area of 84,899 square miles, though around 80% of its population is concentrated around a metropolitan area in the north-central part of the state known as the Wasatch Front.
The U.S. state of South Carolina is located in the Southern United States. It is the 23rd largest state by population, with a population of 5,118,425 according to 2020 United States Census estimates.