Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Virginia Population Density Map and Area Scores
State Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 82% of states in the US
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 90% of states in the US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Virginia | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Virginia grew by 12.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 8,702,460 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Virginia is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 22.4% of residents. That is 0.2 points above the US as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,861,047 21.4% on par
- Millennials 29–44 1,949,989 22.4% +0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,778,818 20.4% +0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,439,217 16.5% -0.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below the US, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.6% of the people living in Virginia and men 49.4%.
- Women 50.6% the US 50.5%
- Men 49.4% the US 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Virginia
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Virginia has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Virginia | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Virginia is about 16% higher than in US.
Housing
| Metric | Virginia | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Virginia is about 13.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,579 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Virginia spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 193 hours, about 8.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Virginia | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,531 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Virginia:
Lexington city (10.6 min), Covington city (12.2 min), Norton city (13.1 min).
Slowest:
Amelia County (43.7 min), Craig County (41.3 min), Buckingham County (41.3 min).
The average commute time in Virginia is 23 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in US.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Virginia has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Virginia | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.52 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Virginia:
Falls Church city (0.6), Arlington County (0.6), Alexandria city (0.5).
Lowest:
Greensville County (0.2), Lunenburg County (0.2), Buchanan County (0.2).
Health
Virginia has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Virginia | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Virginia:
Falls Church city (0.8), Arlington County (0.8), Fairfax County (0.8).
Lowest:
Emporia city (0.7), Petersburg city (0.8), Galax city (0.8).
Virginia Compared With Nearby States
Virginia is the 3rd largest of the 6 states compared here, 8,702,460 residents against a local median of 6,204,886. Where Virginia breaks from the states next to it is median household income, sitting 20% above the local median of $78,249 at $93,527. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The states themselves spread $50,931 on median household income, so Virginia sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Virginia has the 3rd highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 8,702,460 | $93,527 #3/6 | $256,082 #4/6 | 23.2 min #4/6 |
| North Carolina | 10,724,323 | $72,438 | $278,288 | 21.9 min |
| District of Columbia | 678,314 | $110,571 | $597,276 | 30.3 min |
| West Virginia | 1,778,099 | $59,640 | $94,699 | 21.6 min |
| Maryland | 6,204,886 | $103,916 | $267,101 | 28.3 min |
| Pennsylvania | 13,004,688 | $78,249 | $152,469 | 22.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Virginia.
How big is Virginia by population?
About 8,702,460 people live in Virginia, in 3,364,625 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 37.4, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Virginia urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Virginia has 203 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.4 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Virginia?
The median home costs 2.7 times the median household income ($256,082 against $93,527), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,579 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Virginia?
Unemployment in Virginia is only 4.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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