Fastest-growing counties in Virginia
Fastest-growing counties in Virginia
From 2018 to 2019, the U.S. population grew by .48%, its slowest rate in 100 years. Declining births, increasing deaths largely due to the graying Baby Boomer population, and a crackdown on immigration have contributed to many states seeing net population losses in recent years.
But in other pockets of the country, populations are growing. These shifts can be due to job opportunities, high quality of life, easy commutability to job centers, low rents, or any combination of these or other factors. Stacker compiled a list of the fastest-growing counties in Virginia using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest population growth from 2010 to 2019, based on 5-year estimates.
A county typically sees population growth as a “bedroom community” (a municipality with an atypically large commuting population) to a large city. These communities are typically quieter than their feeder cities, offer lower rents and a higher quality of living, and are remote enough to be immune to the feeder city’s crime, traffic, and crowds. Keep reading to see if your home county made the list.
#30. Manassas Park
--- #605 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +28.7%
--- #2 among counties in Virginia, #38 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 16,986
--- #88 largest county in Virginia, #1,980 largest county nationwide
#29. Louisa County
--- #604 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +11.8%
--- #17 among counties in Virginia, #309 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 36,040
--- #48 largest county in Virginia, #1,272 largest county nationwide
#28. New Kent County
--- #590 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +22.8%
--- #4 among counties in Virginia, #69 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 21,686
--- #80 largest county in Virginia, #1,741 largest county nationwide
#27. Charlottesville
--- #551 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +11.4%
--- #19 among counties in Virginia, #322 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 47,096
--- #38 largest county in Virginia, #1,032 largest county nationwide
#26. Manassas
--- #537 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +14.2%
--- #13 among counties in Virginia, #215 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 41,174
--- #41 largest county in Virginia, #1,146 largest county nationwide
#25. Fauquier County
--- #535 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +8.0%
--- #34 among counties in Virginia, #535 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 69,728
--- #29 largest county in Virginia, #771 largest county nationwide
#24. Fredericksburg
--- #530 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +22.4%
--- #5 among counties in Virginia, #74 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 28,622
--- #62 largest county in Virginia, #1,466 largest county nationwide
#23. Culpeper County
--- #527 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +11.7%
--- #18 among counties in Virginia, #313 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 51,101
--- #37 largest county in Virginia, #975 largest county nationwide
#22. Rockingham County
--- #526 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +7.2%
--- #39 among counties in Virginia, #598 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 80,284
--- #25 largest county in Virginia, #701 largest county nationwide
#21. Montgomery County
--- #514 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +6.1%
--- #43 among counties in Virginia, #690 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 98,140
--- #19 largest county in Virginia, #605 largest county nationwide
#20. Harrisonburg
--- #508 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +12.4%
--- #15 among counties in Virginia, #279 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 53,273
--- #35 largest county in Virginia, #945 largest county nationwide
#19. Hanover County
--- #484 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +6.4%
--- #42 among counties in Virginia, #656 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 105,537
--- #17 largest county in Virginia, #567 largest county nationwide
#18. Lynchburg
--- #473 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +9.3%
--- #26 among counties in Virginia, #449 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 80,569
--- #24 largest county in Virginia, #698 largest county nationwide
#17. Suffolk
--- #456 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +9.1%
--- #29 among counties in Virginia, #459 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 90,093
--- #22 largest county in Virginia, #648 largest county nationwide
#16. James City County
--- #380 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +16.4%
--- #10 among counties in Virginia, #165 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 74,916
--- #28 largest county in Virginia, #741 largest county nationwide

#15. Frederick County
--- #378 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +14.0%
--- #14 among counties in Virginia, #222 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 86,415
--- #23 largest county in Virginia, #664 largest county nationwide
#14. Bedford County
--- #377 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +15.8%
--- #11 among counties in Virginia, #178 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 78,376
--- #26 largest county in Virginia, #711 largest county nationwide
#13. Albemarle County
--- #372 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +11.1%
--- #22 among counties in Virginia, #332 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 107,405
--- #16 largest county in Virginia, #561 largest county nationwide
#12. Spotsylvania County
--- #346 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +10.5%
--- #23 among counties in Virginia, #375 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 132,833
--- #15 largest county in Virginia, #478 largest county nationwide

#11. Virginia Beach
--- #326 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +3.3%
--- #55 among counties in Virginia, #1,015 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 450,201
--- #3 largest county in Virginia, #155 largest county nationwide
#10. Chesapeake
--- #259 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +9.4%
--- #25 among counties in Virginia, #436 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 239,982
--- #8 largest county in Virginia, #280 largest county nationwide
#9. Stafford County
--- #244 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +17.8%
--- #9 among counties in Virginia, #135 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 146,773
--- #13 largest county in Virginia, #444 largest county nationwide
#8. Alexandria
--- #228 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +17.9%
--- #8 among counties in Virginia, #130 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 157,613
--- #12 largest county in Virginia, #417 largest county nationwide

#7. Richmond
--- #223 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +12.3%
--- #16 among counties in Virginia, #282 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 226,622
--- #10 largest county in Virginia, #295 largest county nationwide
#6. Henrico County
--- #199 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +9.2%
--- #28 among counties in Virginia, #458 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 327,535
--- #6 largest county in Virginia, #211 largest county nationwide
#5. Chesterfield County
--- #151 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +11.3%
--- #20 among counties in Virginia, #327 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 343,551
--- #5 largest county in Virginia, #204 largest county nationwide
#4. Arlington County
--- #148 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +18.2%
--- #7 among counties in Virginia, #127 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 233,464
--- #9 largest county in Virginia, #282 largest county nationwide
#3. Prince William County
--- #58 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +21.6%
--- #6 among counties in Virginia, #83 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 461,423
--- #2 largest county in Virginia, #150 largest county nationwide
#2. Fairfax County
--- #46 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +9.3%
--- #27 among counties in Virginia, #450 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 1,145,862
--- #1 largest county in Virginia, #37 largest county nationwide
#1. Loudoun County
--- #44 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +35.5%
--- #1 among counties in Virginia, #23 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 395,134
--- #4 largest county in Virginia, #176 largest county nationwide



