Virginia Population Trends

Despite an influx of new residents, Mecklenburg County’s population has declined in the three years since the last census was conducted in 2020.

The Demographic Research Group at University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center recently released the 2023 population estimates for Virginia’s counties and independent cities, giving us an insight into the changing demographic landscape of Virginia.

Prince William County Public Schools leaders provided insight this week into their decision to recommend a delay in construction of the county’s 14th high school, citing a projected slowdown in enrollment growth.

Lunenburg County has a population problem. The number is dropping and is expected to keep falling over the next 25 years. Despite a small increase from 2020 to the present day, a new study from the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service projects that Lunenberg will see some severe losses over the next 26 years.

The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed a monumental shift to remote and hybrid work, decoupling jobs from traditional office locations and transforming local economies across Virginia.

In perhaps another indication of the growth Frederick County is experiencing, residential building permits in January and February outpaced last year’s numbers for the same period. According to data from the county’s Planning and Development Department, 206 residential building permits were issued in Frederick County in the first two months of 2024, with 144 issued in February alone.

Places like New Kent County and Goochland County are the fastest growing parts of Virginia – exurban areas in central Virginia where population is booming. Hamilton Lombard at the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at UVA says it's a function of the real estate market.

Henry County has a problem that most localities in Virginia have. Henry County just has it to a bigger degree. Whether Henry County can solve that problem will determine what kind of future the county has.

According to data provided by the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, Harrisonburg’s elderly population is expected to surpass 8,000 by 2030, making up nearly 12 percent of the city’s total population.

The 2023 Virginia county and city population estimates released Jan. 29 by the Weldon Cooper Center show clearly that rural areas such as Martinsville and Henry County are not only attracting the public’s attention, but beginning to make a significant impact on the landscape of the region’s demographics.