by Madison Hirneisen
Virginia gained more than 26,000 residents between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, according to 2022 population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
As of July 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates Virginia’s population sat at 8,683,619 – an increase of 26,254 residents compared to July 2021 estimates. The figure represents a 0.3% change from 2021 to 2022.
Population in the Commonwealth between 2021 and 2022 follows an increase of 20,894 residents between 2020 and 2021. Virginia ranks as the 12th most populous state in the nation, according to the 2022 estimates.
Virginia was among 32 states and the District of Columbia that saw net population growth between 2021 and 2022. The South was the fastest growing and largest-gaining region last year with population growth of 1,370,163 – an increase of 1.1%, according to the Census Bureau.
Nationwide, the U.S. population increased by 1.2 million in 2022, representing 0.4% growth. Net international migration, which represents the number of people moving in and out of the country, added 1 million people between 2021 and 2022 – 168% growth over 2021 and an indication that “migration patterns are returning to pre-pandemic levels,” according to the Census Bureau.
Positive natural change – births minus deaths – also increased the population by more than 245,000.
“There was a sizeable uptick in population growth last year compared to the prior year’s historically low increase,” Kristie Wilder, a demographer in the Population Division at the Census Bureau, said in a statement. “A rebound in net international migration, coupled with the largest year-over-year increase in total births since 2007, is behind this increase.”
The U.S. only grew by 0.1% between 2020 and 2021 – the lowest rate of population growth since the nation’s founding. While births and net international migration have decreased at the same time deaths have increased since the mid-2010s, the trend was amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to experts.
The latest 2022 estimates are an early indication of recovery amidst the pandemic, Census experts said.
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Madison Hirneisen is a staff reporter covering Virginia and West Virginia for The Center Square. Madison previously covered California for The Center Square out of Los Angeles, but recently relocated to the DC area.
Photo “A Couple Packs Boxes, Preparing to Migrate” by cottonbro studio.
