Virginia Population and Demographics

Published: October 1, 2020 11:02 am

Population

Virginia is a state in the Southern United States with a population of 8,413,774 and land area of 39,490 square miles. It ranks as the 12th largest state by population and the 15th smallest state by area.

Race and Ethnicity

According to the most recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, 62.20% of state residents identify as white, 18.80% as Black or African American, 0.20% as American Indian or Alaska Native, 6.30% as Asian, 0.10% as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 9.20% as Hispanic or Latino, and 3.30% as some other race or combination of races.

Nationally, some 61.1% of Americans identify as white, 12.3% as Black or African American, 0.7% as American Indian or Alaska Native, 5.4% as Asian, 0.2% as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 17.8% as Hispanic or Latino, and 2.6% as some other race or combination of races.

Ancestry

Census respondents are also asked to report ancestry. Some of the most commonly reported ancestries in Virginia include German, American, English, Irish, and Italian. Measured by location quotient -- comparing the state share to the national share -- some of the most highly concentrated ancestries in Virginia are Sierra Leonean, Afghan, and Ghanaian.

Native and foreign-born population

An estimated 87.70% of Virginia residents are native-born, meaning they were born in the United States, Puerto Rico, a U.S. Island Area, or abroad to a U.S. citizen.

Of the 12.30% of the population that is foreign-born, 51.60% have become naturalized U.S. citizens. Nationwide, 86.5% of Americans are native-born. And of the 13.5% of Americans who are foreign-born, 48.8% have become naturalized U.S. citizens.

Age

The population of Virginia is about as old as the United States as a whole. The median age in the state is 38.1 years old, 0.2 years more than the national median age of 37.9 years. An estimated 14.60% of the population is 65 years and over, compared to 15.2% of the U.S. population.

Family and household composition

Family and household composition also varies heavily across the United States. In Virginia, 50.50% of households are occupied by married-couple families, compared to the 48.3% national figure. Some 4.40% of households are occupied by single male householders, 11.80% by single female householders, and 33.30% by non-family occupants. Nationwide, 4.9% of households are occupied by single male householders, 12.6% by single female householders, and 34.3% by non-family occupants. An estimated 66.20% of heads of household own their homes, compared to the national homeownership rate of 63.8%.

Language spoken

As is the case across the United States, English is the most commonly spoken language in Virginia. Of the 7,903,800 people aged 5 and up living in Virginia, 94.1% speak English exclusively, or, if they are multilingual, speak English very well. English usage is about as common in the state as it is nationwide where an average of 91.5% of the 5 and older population only speaks English, or speak it very well.

Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language in the United States. In Virginia, 7.1% of the population aged 5 and older speaks Spanish, the 23rd largest share among all states. Nationwide, 13.3% of all Americans in the same age group speak Spanish.

Marital status

Residents of Virginia are more likely to be married than the typical American. Of the 6.9 million Virginia residents aged 15 and older, 49.9% are currently married, compared to 48.1% of Americans nationwide in the same age group. Divorce, meanwhile, is less common in the state than it is nationwide. In Virginia, 10.1% of the 15 and older population is divorced, compared to the 10.8% share of the same age group across the U.S. as a whole.

An estimated 32% of Virginia residents 15 and older have never married, compared to one-third of Americans in the same age group.

Veterans

In Virginia, 10.6% of the 18 and over population are veterans -- above the 7.5% of adult civilians who have served in the military nationwide. Compared to other states, Virginia is home to the 2nd largest share of military veterans.

Virginia is the only state where the largest share of veterans served in the Gulf War and throughout the 1990's. Of Virginia’s 684,500 resident veterans, 2.7% served in World War II, 30.5% served in the Vietnam War, 32.9% served in the period between the beginning of the Gulf War and 2001, and 29.8% served since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. An additional 40,900 men and women served during the Korean War.

Educational attainment

In Virginia, adults are more likely to have a high school education than the typical American adult, and are also more likely to have a four-year college education. Among Virginia residents 25 and older, 89.3% have a high school diploma or equivalent, and 38.2% have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 87.7% and 31.5% of adults nationwide, respectively.

Income

Though it is not always the case, incomes tend to rise with educational attainment rates across broad populations -- and Virginia is no exception. With a higher than average bachelor’s degree attainment rate, the state also has a higher than average median income. The typical household in Virginia earns $71,564 a year, about $11,300 more than the national median household income of $60,293.

Additionally, Virginia has a higher than average concentration of wealthy residents. An estimated 10.1% of households in the state earn $200,000 or more annually, compared to 7.0% of households nationwide.

Poverty

With the higher than average median household income, serious financial hardship is less common in the state than it is nationwide. The poverty rate in Virginia stands at 10.9%, while the national poverty rate is 14.1%.