SNAPSHOT

• Virginia’s population increased by 7.9% in the last decade, bringing the total population to 8.6 million.
• The release of the census data marked the beginning of the state’s redistricting process, which will determine legislative district maps for the next decade. 
• Redistricting is being handled for the first time by a bipartisan commission, and the public now has the option to comment on proposed maps.

FULL STORY

Virginia’s population has been growing and becoming more diverse over the course of the past decade, recently released census data shows. The state’s population is currently 8.6 million, which is 7.9% higher than it was in 2010, when there were only 8 million people living in the commonwealth. 

The data, which was collected in 2020 and released after a nearly six month delay on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, reveals a number of interesting characteristics about the people who call Virginia home. For example, for the first time ever, a majority of those under the age of 18 in the state — 51% — are people of color. Age aside, people of color made up 35% of the state’s population in 2010; today, people of color account for 41% of the population. One out of every ten Virginians now identify as Hispanic, bringing the state’s Hispanic population to 900,000. The state’s Asian American population also grew significantly over the past decade, increasing from 522,000 in 2010 to 757,000 today, making up 9% of the population. 

The data also shows that most of Virginia’s population growth has been concentrated in the northern part of the state, while the Southside and Southwest regions saw the steepest decline in population. Loudoun County, in northern Virginia, saw the largest population gain in the state — with 108,000 new residents, the county grew by 35% since 2010 for a current total population of 421,000. Other northern Virginia localities that saw significant growth include Stafford County, which grew by 22%, and Prince William County, which grew by 20%. 

By contrast, every locality in the Southwest region saw population decline in the last decade. And of the 18 localities along the state’s southern border with North Carolina, 14 localities also saw the number of residents drop. 

The release of the census data kicks off a redistricting process in Virginia, which for the first time will be handled by a bipartisan redistricting commission that was established after voters approved a new amendment to the state constitution on the ballot last November. The commission, made up of eight state legislators and eight citizens and split evenly by political party, has 45 days to draw up new General Assembly districts and 60 days to map new congressional districts. The 45 and 60 day timelines began the day the census data was released; the commission released its first draft maps within the last week. Final General Assembly maps will need to be drawn up by October 10, just over a month from now, and congressional maps will need to be ready by October 25. 

All of the redistricting commission’s meetings are open to the public. At least three public hearings are required before the commission proposes any new redistricting plans, and at least three more public hearings will be required prior to any votes on proposed redistricting plans. The public can weigh in on the process via either written comment or verbal comment. The commission will meet next on Thursday, September 9; a full calendar of the redistricting commission’s meetings is available here.