VA Population Growth Driver: ‘Immigrant Influx’

The driving force behind Virginia’s population growth is not births or out-of-state migration, but rather the influx of immigrants, a recent survey found. On December 23, Cardinal News published an article analysing newly released census data, which revealed that Virginia’s population has stopped declining and is now seeing an increase.

According to the report, Virginia’s population grew by 56,155 people as of July 1st of this year, with the primary factor being the inflow of immigrants. In particular, the number of immigrants arriving in Virginia has rapidly increased in recent years. In 2020, there were only 766 more immigrants to Virginia than those leaving for other countries. However, the number surged to 14,319 in 2021, 41,147 in 2022, and 46,416 in 2023.

This significant rise in immigration has led to a net population gain for Virginia, as more people are moving into the state than leaving or emigrating. This marks the first time since 2013 that the state has experienced this trend. The immigrant-led population growth in Virginia is part of a larger national trend, with 84% of the 3.3 million people added to the U.S. population between 2023 and 2024 attributed to immigration. Meanwhile, 18 states in the U.S. are experiencing population declines due to a lack of immigrant influx.