I moved from Fairfax County (2020 population 1,150,292) to Fauquier County (72,964) to escape the congestion and gridlock of Virginia’s most populous county. However, the demographics of 1820 paint a different picture entirely. Back then, Fauquier boasted the largest population in Virginia, 34,270, while Fairfax’s 16,077 was far down the list at thirty-eighth.
Two centuries later the relative population size of the two counties has reversed. Fauquier’s population has increased just 113 percent and has been bypassed and dwarfed in size by Fairfax’s 7,054 percent growth, driven by the expansion of the Washington, DC suburbs since World War II.
How have the populations of Virginia’s other counties and cities changed between 1820 and 2020?
1820 Virginia Population by Population Size
Virginia county and city population in 1820. Source: Population of Virginia – 1820
http://www.virginiaplaces.org/population/pop1820numbers.html
Census reports in the era of slavery counted whites and enslaved African Americans separately.
Use Sort Buttons in column headings to sort table data
| GEOGRAPHIC AREA | WHITE | ENSLAVED | TOTAL | %ENSLAVED |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAUQUIER | 23,103 | 11,167 | 34,270 | 48.3 |
| FREDERICK | 24,706 | 7,179 | 31,885 | 29.1 |
| MECKLENBURG | 19,786 | 11,402 | 31,188 | 57.6 |
| CULPEPER | 20,944 | 9,468 | 30,412 | 45.2 |
| ALBEMARLE | 19,750 | 10,661 | 30,411 | 54 |
| PITTSYLVANIA | 21,323 | 8,484 | 29,807 | 39.8 |
| CAROLINE | 18,008 | 10,999 | 29,007 | 61.1 |
| HALIFAX | 19,060 | 9,880 | 28,940 | 51.8 |
| LOUDOUN | 22,702 | 5,729 | 28,431 | 25.2 |
| CHESTERFIELD | 18,003 | 9,513 | 27,516 | 52.8 |
| BUCKINGHAM | 17,569 | 9,939 | 27,508 | 56.6 |
| BEDFORD | 19,305 | 8,041 | 27,346 | 41.7 |
| BRUNSWICK | 16,687 | 10,081 | 26,768 | 60.4 |
| HANOVER | 15,267 | 8,756 | 24,023 | 57.4 |
| CAMPBELL | 16,569 | 7,445 | 24,014 | 44.9 |
| SPOTSYLVANIA | 14,254 | 7,724 | 21,978 | 54.2 |
| DINWIDDIE | 13,792 | 7,751 | 21,543 | 56.2 |
| CHARLOTTE | 13,290 | 8,124 | 21,414 | 61.1 |
| NORFOLK | 15,478 | 5,924 | 21,402 | 38.3 |
| LOUISA | 13,746 | 7,560 | 21,306 | 55 |
| SOUTHAMPTON | 14,170 | 6,737 | 20,907 | 47.5 |
| SHENANDOAH | 18,926 | 1,901 | 20,827 | 10 |
| ACCOMACK | 15,966 | 4,480 | 20,446 | 28.1 |
| ORANGE | 12,913 | 7,518 | 20,431 | 58.2 |
| AUGUSTA | 16,742 | 3,512 | 20,254 | 21 |
| PRINCE EDWARD | 12,577 | 7,616 | 20,193 | 60.6 |
| SUSSEX | 11,884 | 7,045 | 18,929 | 59.3 |
| AMELIA | 11,104 | 7,400 | 18,504 | 66.6 |
| KING AND QUEEN | 11,798 | 6,041 | 17,839 | 51.2 |
| CUMBERLAND | 11,023 | 6,813 | 17,836 | 61.8 |
| LUNENBURG | 10,662 | 6,663 | 17,325 | 62.5 |
| JEFFERSON | 13,087 | 4,132 | 17,219 | 31.6 |
| HENRICO | 11,600 | 5,417 | 17,017 | 46.7 |
| ROCKINGHAM | 14,784 | 1,871 | 16,655 | 12.7 |
| RICHMOND CITY | 12,067 | 4,387 | 16,454 | 36.4 |
| BOTETOURT | 13,589 | 2,806 | 16,395 | 20.6 |
| NOTTOWAY | 9,658 | 6,676 | 16,334 | 69.1 |
| FAIRFAX | 11,404 | 4,673 | 16,077 | 41 |
| AMHERST | 10,423 | 5,567 | 15,990 | 53.4 |
| ESSEX | 9,909 | 6,046 | 15,955 | 61 |
| NELSON | 10,137 | 5,660 | 15,797 | 55.8 |
| KING WILLIAM | 9,697 | 6,010 | 15,707 | 62 |
| FRANKLIN | 12,017 | 3,647 | 15,664 | 30.3 |
| GOOCHLAND | 10,007 | 5,526 | 15,533 | 55.2 |
| NANSEMOND | 10,494 | 4,526 | 15,020 | 43.1 |
| GLOUCESTER | 9,678 | 5,208 | 14,886 | 53.8 |
| ROCKBRIDGE | 11,945 | 2,612 | 14,557 | 21.9 |
| ISLE OF WIGHT | 10,139 | 4,297 | 14,436 | 42.4 |
| WASHINGTON | 12,444 | 1,898 | 14,342 | 15.3 |
| STAFFORD | 9,517 | 4,368 | 13,885 | 45.9 |
| PRINCE WILLIAM | 9,419 | 4,380 | 13,799 | 46.5 |
| POWHATAN | 8,292 | 5,476 | 13,768 | 66 |
| BERKELEY | 11,211 | 1,898 | 13,109 | 16.9 |
| MADISON | 8,490 | 4,612 | 13,102 | 54.3 |
| PRINCESS ANNE | 8,768 | 3,705 | 12,473 | 42.3 |
| PRINCE GEORGE | 8,030 | 4,323 | 12,353 | 53.8 |
| HAMPSHIRE | 10,889 | 1,279 | 12,168 | 11.7 |
| NORFOLK CITY | 8,478 | 3,261 | 11,739 | 38.5 |
| HARRISON | 10,932 | 569 | 11,501 | 5.2 |
| MONONGALIA | 11,060 | 375 | 11,435 | 3.4 |
| GREENSVILLE | 6,858 | 4,512 | 11,370 | 65.8 |
| NORTHUMBERLAND | 8,016 | 3,268 | 11,284 | 40.8 |
| WYTHE | 9,692 | 1,533 | 11,225 | 15.8 |
| NORTHAMPTON | 7,705 | 3,323 | 11,028 | 43.1 |
| NEW KENT | 6,630 | 3,759 | 10,389 | 56.7 |
| WESTMORELAND | 6,901 | 3,393 | 10,294 | 49.2 |
| MATHEWS | 6,920 | 3,186 | 10,106 | 46 |
| MONTGOMERY | 8,733 | 1,255 | 9,988 | 14.4 |
| SURRY | 6,594 | 3,340 | 9,934 | 50.7 |
| FLUVANNA | 6,704 | 3,206 | 9,910 | 47.8 |
| KING GEORGE | 6,116 | 3,504 | 9,620 | 57.3 |
| OHIO | 9,182 | 419 | 9,601 | 4.6 |
| PETERSBURG | 6,690 | 2,428 | 9,118 | 36.3 |
| LANCASTER | 5,517 | 2,944 | 8,461 | 53.4 |
| RICHMOND | 5,706 | 2,664 | 8,370 | 46.7 |
| CHARLES CITY | 5,255 | 2,967 | 8,222 | 56.5 |
| GREENBRIER | 7,041 | 786 | 7,827 | 11.2 |
| HENRY | 5,624 | 2,178 | 7,802 | 38.7 |
| KANAWHA | 6,399 | 1,073 | 7,472 | 16.8 |
| MONROE | 6,620 | 501 | 7,121 | 7.6 |
| BROOKE | 6,631 | 383 | 7,014 | 5.8 |
| WOOD | 5,860 | 852 | 6,712 | 14.5 |
| HARDY | 5,700 | 964 | 6,664 | 16.9 |
| YORK | 4,384 | 2,165 | 6,549 | 49.4 |
| BATH | 5,237 | 1,202 | 6,439 | 23 |
| PATRICK | 5,089 | 1,213 | 6,302 | 23.8 |
| MIDDLESEX | 4,057 | 2,166 | 6,223 | 53.4 |
| RUSSELL | 5,536 | 526 | 6,062 | 9.5 |
| GRAYSON | 5,598 | 345 | 5,943 | 6.2 |
| MASON | 4,868 | 593 | 5,461 | 12.2 |
| ELIZABETH CITY | 3,789 | 1,643 | 5,432 | 43.4 |
| PENDLETON | 4,846 | 381 | 5,227 | 7.9 |
| CABELL | 4,789 | 392 | 5,181 | 8.2 |
| JAMES CITY | 3,161 | 1,677 | 4,838 | 53.1 |
| GILES | 4,521 | 305 | 4,826 | 6.7 |
| LEE | 4,256 | 366 | 4,622 | 8.6 |
| SCOTT | 4,263 | 258 | 4,521 | 6.1 |
| TAZEWELL | 3,916 | 463 | 4,379 | 11.8 |
| LEWIS | 4,247 | 115 | 4,362 | 2.7 |
| PRESTON | 3,422 | 80 | 3,502 | 2.3 |
| RANDOLPH | 3,357 | 131 | 3,488 | 3.9 |
| MORGAN | 2,500 | 98 | 2,598 | 3.9 |
| WARWICK | 1,608 | 954 | 2,562 | 59.3 |
| TYLER | 2,314 | 100 | 2,414 | 4.3 |
| WILLIAMSBURG | 1,402 | 783 | 2,185 | 55.8 |
| NICHOLAS | 1,853 | 48 | 1,901 | 2.6 |
2020 Virginia Population by Population Size
Virginia county and city population in April 2020. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024
https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html
Use Sort Buttons in column headings to sort table data
| GEOGRAPHIC AREA | POPULATION |
|---|---|
| Fairfax County | 1,150,292 |
| Prince William County | 482,209 |
| Virginia Beach city | 459,444 |
| Loudoun County | 420,955 |
| Chesterfield County | 364,087 |
| Henrico County | 334,961 |
| Chesapeake city | 249,302 |
| Arlington County | 238,646 |
| Norfolk city | 238,029 |
| Richmond city | 226,525 |
| Newport News city | 186,239 |
| Alexandria city | 159,463 |
| Stafford County | 156,937 |
| Spotsylvania County | 140,095 |
| Hampton city | 137,154 |
| Albemarle County | 112,438 |
| Hanover County | 109,976 |
| Roanoke city | 100,016 |
| Montgomery County | 99,725 |
| Portsmouth city | 97,945 |
| Roanoke County | 96,956 |
| Suffolk city | 94,406 |
| Frederick County | 91,451 |
| Rockingham County | 83,765 |
| Bedford County | 79,483 |
| Lynchburg city | 79,017 |
| James City County | 78,252 |
| Augusta County | 77,492 |
| Fauquier County | 72,964 |
| York County | 70,054 |
| Pittsylvania County | 60,509 |
| Campbell County | 55,666 |
| Franklin County | 54,457 |
| Washington County | 53,940 |
| Culpeper County | 52,546 |
| Harrisonburg city | 51,811 |
| Henry County | 50,945 |
| Charlottesville city | 46,513 |
| Shenandoah County | 44,179 |
| Prince George County | 43,006 |
| Manassas city | 42,773 |
| Danville city | 42,586 |
| Warren County | 40,724 |
| Tazewell County | 40,440 |
| Gloucester County | 38,714 |
| Isle of Wight County | 38,611 |
| Louisa County | 37,583 |
| Orange County | 36,183 |
| Wise County | 36,118 |
| Halifax County | 34,023 |
| Pulaski County | 33,790 |
| Botetourt County | 33,592 |
| Petersburg city | 33,465 |
| Accomack County | 33,421 |
| Amherst County | 31,311 |
| Caroline County | 30,887 |
| Powhatan County | 30,342 |
| Mecklenburg County | 30,315 |
| Smyth County | 29,793 |
| Carroll County | 29,153 |
| Wythe County | 28,288 |
| Winchester city | 28,115 |
| Fredericksburg city | 27,976 |
| Dinwiddie County | 27,936 |
| Fluvanna County | 27,250 |
| King George County | 26,724 |
| Russell County | 25,781 |
| Staunton city | 25,751 |
| Salem city | 25,341 |
| Goochland County | 24,746 |
| Fairfax city | 24,147 |
| Page County | 23,706 |
| Hopewell city | 23,032 |
| New Kent County | 22,946 |
| Rockbridge County | 22,658 |
| Waynesboro city | 22,193 |
| Lee County | 22,172 |
| Prince Edward County | 21,836 |
| Scott County | 21,566 |
| Greene County | 20,554 |
| Buchanan County | 20,346 |
| Westmoreland County | 18,471 |
| Colonial Heights city | 18,146 |
| Southampton County | 17,997 |
| King William County | 17,813 |
| Patrick County | 17,606 |
| Bristol city | 17,222 |
| Manassas Park city | 17,218 |
| Buckingham County | 16,832 |
| Giles County | 16,790 |
| Appomattox County | 16,118 |
| Radford city | 16,063 |
| Brunswick County | 15,851 |
| Nottoway County | 15,646 |
| Floyd County | 15,476 |
| Williamsburg city | 15,416 |
| Grayson County | 15,332 |
| Alleghany County | 15,222 |
| Clarke County | 14,788 |
| Nelson County | 14,770 |
| Falls Church city | 14,657 |
| Dickenson County | 14,130 |
| Madison County | 13,840 |
| Martinsville city | 13,482 |
| Amelia County | 13,260 |
| Poquoson city | 12,454 |
| Northampton County | 12,280 |
| Lunenburg County | 11,939 |
| Northumberland County | 11,835 |
| Charlotte County | 11,530 |
| Greensville County | 11,400 |
| Lancaster County | 10,925 |
| Sussex County | 10,838 |
| Middlesex County | 10,621 |
| Essex County | 10,599 |
| Cumberland County | 9,689 |
| Richmond County | 8,917 |
| Mathews County | 8,534 |
| Franklin city | 8,177 |
| Rappahannock County | 7,351 |
| Lexington city | 7,311 |
| Charles City County | 6,771 |
| Galax city | 6,727 |
| Buena Vista city | 6,641 |
| King and Queen County | 6,607 |
| Surry County | 6,558 |
| Bland County | 6,272 |
| Emporia city | 5,751 |
| Covington city | 5,746 |
| Craig County | 4,896 |
| Bath County | 4,207 |
| Norton city | 3,696 |
| Highland County | 2,232 |