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Population Overall Reports, maps, and charts are best viewed on a desktop or tablet. Population Northern Virginia is on the front lines of a demographic transformation shaping the United States. There has been an extraordinary amount of population growth in Northern Virginia. In 2023, the Northern Virginia population was 74% more than in 1990 when the population was 1,466,350. Population Estimate 2023 2,556,143 The COVID-19 pandemic began in the United States in March 2020 and the emergency declaration was lifted in May 2023. The pandemic changed the country's and region's demographic migration patterns significantly due to the substantial rise in remote work. Remote work is providing people with the opportunity to move to places away from employment centers. Most people relocate for family-reasons, housing reasons, and for more affordable, lower cost of living according to the U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey. Young adult, first time home buyers are the largest, working-age demographic group that are choosing to move to more affordable areas. In the four years since the pandemic, the country has had a wave of out-migration from urban areas to suburban and rural areas or smaller urban areas. The shift to remote work is one of the most impactful societal changes impacting demographic trends in the country and region, and likely will shape future trends for a long time. From July 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021, the nation's most populous areas, including Northern Virginia, experienced significant out migration and population declines. This was the first and only annual decline in Northern Virginia since the Census Bureau annual record keeping began in 1970, with a decline of an estimated 7,800 persons. Nationally, by County, and in Northern Virginia, growth patterns of 2022 and 2023 have "edged closer to pre-pandemic levels", according to the U.S. Census Bureau and NVRC Analysis. ​ Annual Estimates/Trends Decennial Census/Trends Annual Estimates Annual Estimates: Population, Natural Change (Births and Deaths), Migration Annual estimates of population and the components of change (domestic migration, international migration, births, and deaths) paint a portrait of the annual growth patterns in the towns of Northern Virginia. Annual estimates are not based on a full census of the population. Rather, they are estimates based on a compilation of multiple administrative data pieces such as birth records and residential building permits. The estimates are obtained from the U.S. Census, which benchmarks estimates to the Decennial Censuses. Decennial Census data represents the population as of April 1 of the year, whereas the annual estimates are as of July 1 of each year. ​ The 2020 to 2022 estimates are benchmarked to the 2020 Decennial Census. The 2010 to 2019 estimates are benchmarked to the 2010 Decennial Census, and the U.S. Census Bureau has yet to be adjust this series to reflect the results of the 2020 Decennial Census. Until data adjustments occur, annual growth amounts may be somewhat overstated or understated from 2010 to 2020. Decennial Population Decennial Census Data: Population The Decennial Census is based on a survey of the entire population. It is conducted once a decade. The 2020 Decennial Census population was released on August 12, 2021. The Decennial Census regional, county, and city population data is shown in the interactive charts that follow. Key Facts: ​ Decennial Growth In 2020, Northern Virginia's population was 2,550,337 according to the Decennial Census. The population increased from 1,466,409 in 1990, a 74% increase in the 30 year period from 1990 to 2020. Northern Virginia added approximately 320,000 people in this past decade, 2010 to 2020. This is 96,000 or 23% less than the previous decade, signaling a significant slowdown in the pace of growth. However, growth still continues at a high amount. Virginia’s population grew by 630,369 from 2010 to 2020, of which 50.7% of that growth was in Northern Virginia. I​​n 2020, 29.5% of Virginia’s population was in Northern Virginia, compared to 27.9% in 2010. Growth peaked in 2010. Growth in Northern Virginia has slowed since 2010. It has trended down annually since 2010, but it is still large and impactful growth that the the region is facing. The localities in Northern Virginia the growth is occurring in this decade is different in some ways than in the 1990s and 2000s. The preponderance of population growth of Northern Virginia continues to be located in the outer-ring suburbs of Prince William, Loudoun Counties, and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park. However, the share of the region's growth that is in the outer-ring has dropped from 65.1% in the 2000 to 2010 period to 61.5% in the 2010 to 2020 period. Arlington has seen its share of the region's growth more than double from what it experienced in the 2000's. Alexandria has seen its share of the region's growth become 2.2 times what it experienced in the 2000's. Intensification of developmental pressures this decade in the inner-core is a response to the millennial generation preferences, demographics, urbanization, transportation and other market pressures. ​

NOVA Region Dashboard Northern Virginia Regional Commission This dashboard provides basic information about the Northern Virginia community, demographics, and the people who live and work in Northern Virginia. This dashboard is maintained by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission . All data on this dashboard is best viewed on a desktop computer. ​ Check back here regularly to see new analyses and finding. You may also subscribe to the NVRC Blog an d News and Highlights to be alerted when there is new analyses available. If we can help you with your data needs, please give us a call at 703-642-0700 or send us an email . Home Reports/Resources 2020 Census People Education Economics

Entrepreneurship Information on the overall Northern Virginia immigrant population, as presented in the original report published in March 2020. Overall Information on the Northern Virginia economic impact of immigrants during COVID-19, as presented in the addendum report published in October 2020. COVID-19

Coronavirus Demographics Reports, maps, and charts are best viewed on a desktop or tablet. Cases and Vaccine Demographics VDH maintains a dashboard on case demographics. View VDH's Case and Vaccine Demographics Dashboards . ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

Student Enrollment Overall Reports, maps, and charts are best viewed on a desktop or tablet. Key Facts Public School Student Enrollment Overall With population growth in the Northern Virginia region has come substantial student enrollment growth in the region's public elementary, middle, and high schools since 2004. On September 30, 2004, there were 315,898 public school students in the region. By September 30, 2019 student enrollment had increased to 423,670. In 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world. Fall student enrollments have been a different story due to the impacts and transformations caused by the COVID-19. Prior to the pandemic, in 2019 students were 16.7% of the total population. ​ COVID-19 Pandemic Impact Fall 2020: School enrollment dropped in the region for the first time since at least 2003, with a drop of 16,413. ​ Fall 2021: Enrollment dropped slightly further by fall 2021, with a drop of 626 from 2020. ​ 2020 and 2021 decreases: Largely attributed to public school students transferring to at-home schooling and private schools, and to the overall decline in the region's population from mid-2020 to mid-2021. ​ Slow Recovery from COVID-19 Pandemic Fall 2022: Students that were home-school or attended private school during the peak of COVID-19 started to return to public schools and a Northern Virginia population rebound was underway. The 2022 fall enrollment was 4,081 higher than the prior year. ​ Fall 2023: Enrollment of 411,329, which lags pre-pandemic enrollment by 12,341 or 2.9% . The 2023 fall enrollment only 617 higher than in 2022. ​ Slow regional recovery: In 2020 and 2021, students were 16.0% of the total population. It rose slightly in 2022 to 16.1% but greatly lagged the pre-pandemic share of 16.7%. The population estimate for 2023 is unavailable until mid-2024. The slow recovery is directly correlated with the population rebound that is underway. The lower shares since 2019 can be attributed to the impacts of COVID-19 when at-home and private schooling accelerated in the region, and out-migration of young-adults with children was occurring at a much greater rate than in normal times. The slow growth can also be attributed to declining birth rates. Birth rates have steadily declined nationally and in Northern Virginia. Northern Virginia's birth rate per 1,000 total population was 15.2 in 2010 compared to 11.7 in 2020 according to the Virginia Department of Health. From 2020 to 2022, Northern Virginia's five largest jurisdictions aggregated together had the same birth rate rather than a decline that has been typical for over a decade, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ​ County/City recovery : The only county/city to have surpassed the 2019 pre-pandemic level as of 2023 was the City of Alexandria, with enrollment at 16,439 in 2023 compared to 16,307 in 2019. Alexandria's 2023 enrollment was the highest enrollment on record since 1971. ​ ​ Future Growth and Planning The Washington region is forecasted to have much population growth in the next few decades, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG). A significant amount of that growth is forecasted to be in Northern Virginia. The Northern Virginia region had a population of over 2.54 million in 2022 and is forecasted to be more than 3 million by 2040. See the NVRC Demographic and Economic Fact Sheet for more details. ​ A multitude of variables alter student enrollment trends, including new development, transfers to and from private schools, in and out migration rates, and changing size and composition of families in existing housing stock. With growth comes challenges in maintaining the high quality of education and school facilities in the region. To maintain the high quality of education, planning and acquiring land or buildings for school sites to accommodate future growth is vitally important, but has been increasingly challenging in this region with quickly diminishing land supply. ​

Economics of Towns About the Towns Economics Data There are 14 incorporated towns in Northern Virginia. For comparative purposes, Northern Virginia counties and cities, Commonwealth of Virginia, and United States data are provided in the graphs. About the Data and Proper Data Interpretation The economic data of incorporated towns is sourced from the 2000 Census and the American Community Survey (ACS). All of the incorporated towns in N orthern Virginia have a population of less than 65,000 persons. One-year ACS estimates do not exist for incorporated places with a population of less than 65,000. All incorporated towns and places in the United States are included in the five-year ACS estimates. ​ It is important to note that any data sourced from the ACS is based on a small sample of the population of a place. The ACS estimates for places with smaller populations such as Clifton, Dumfries, Hamilton, Haymarket, Hillsboro, Lovettsville, Middleburg, and Quantico can be unreliable if the margin of error is large. A town's margin of area for an ACS data piece can be found by hovering over the town's data in a graph. If there is a large increase or decrease in the estimate from one time period to the next, and the margin of error is large and overlaps other periods, then the large change between time periods is likely due to statistical sampling error and is not considered statistically significant. In addition to the margin of error, the accuracy of the American Community Survey data for an area can be gaged by evaluating the trend. If the data has a clear trend then the data from one period to the next can be deemed reliable. ​ Only data variables that are deemed relatively reliable have data provided at the town level. For instance, poverty data is unreliable for many towns in Northern Virginia so that data is not being provided. Median Household Income

Economy Key Facts Economy Immigrants hold billions of dollars in economic power and contribute billions to the Northern Virginia economy As Virginia's economy continues to expand, businesses and firms will require more workers across all skill levels to stay competitive and productive. As a tight labor market, with some of the lowest levels of unemployment in the country according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2017 annual averages, much of the labor needed to meet Northern Virginia's demand for workers comes from outside the region, U.S born and immigrant alike. Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 2017 Estimates (in 2017 Inflation Adjusted Dollars) How many billions of dollars do immigrants contribute to the NOVA GDP? Source: National Association of Counties, Data Explorer, 2019. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. NAE Analysis of the 2013-2017 American Community Survey, 5-Year Sample, downloaded from IPUMS USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org . 57.7 Billion What is the total household earnings and tax contributions of NOVA's immigrants? Total Household Earnings $28.3 Billion State & Local Taxes Paid $2.1 Billion Federal Taxes Paid $5.9 Billion Source: NAE analysis of the 2013-2017 American Community Survey,5-Year Sample, downloaded from IPUMS USA, University of Minnesota, www.ipums.org ; ITEP, “Who Pays?”; Congressional Budget Office; U.S. Social Security Administration.

Median Household Income Overall Reports, maps, and charts are best viewed on a desktop or tablet. Key Facts Median Household Income Overall Northern Virginia is known for having communities with some of the highest median incomes in the United States, including the county with the highest in the nation. High median household incomes coincide with the large, thriving business community of the Northern Virginia region. While the median household income is high, it must be recognized that there are segments of the community in need of assistance that live in this prosperous region of the country and that high housing costs offset the high income when it comes to standards of living and well-being. ​ About the Data and Proper Data Interpretation Median household income data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau 2000 Census and the American Community Survey (ACS). ​ It is important to note that any data sourced from the ACS is based on a small sample of the population of a place. Areas with smaller populations, such as the cities of Northern Virginia, may have a larger margin of error in the data due to the survey sample size being small. This is less of an issue the larger the population. The margin of error is shown in the popup that is displayed when hovering over a bar in the bar charts. If there is a large increase or decrease in the estimate from one time period to the next, and the margin of error is large and overlaps other periods, then the large change between time periods is likely due to statistical sampling error and is not considered statistically significant. In addition to the margin of error, the accuracy of the American Community Survey data for an area can be gaged by evaluating the trend. If the data has a clear trend then the data from one period to the next can be deemed reliable. Median Household Income - Current Five-Year Estimates All jurisdictions in the United States are included in the five-year American Community Survey estimates. The Median household income of all jurisdictions in Northern Virginia is shown in this graph. The median household income of every Northern Virginia jurisdiction is higher than the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States. Out of all 3,144 jurisdictions in the USA, three of the five highest ranked for median household income are located in Northern Virginia, and those include Loudoun County (1st), Falls Church City (2nd), Fairfax County (4th), and Arlington County (10th). Northern Virginia's median household income, at an estimated $140,511 (in 2022 dollars), is higher than 10th ranked Arlington, making Northern Virginia one of the most affluent region's of the USA. Median Household Income - Current ​ One-Year Estimates Those jurisdictions with a population of 65,000 or more are included in the one-year American Community Survey estimates. The median household income of jurisdictions in Northern Virginia with a population of 65,000 or more is shown in this graph. The five largest jurisdictions of Northern Virginia all have incomes higher than the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States. Out of the 837 jurisdictions with a population of 65,000 or more in the USA, three of the top fifteen highest income jurisdictions are located in Northern Virginia, and those include Loudoun County (1st), Fairfax County (4th), and Arlington County (13th). The median household income of Northern Virginia's five largest jurisdiction together is estimated to be $140,511 (in 2022 dollars), making Northern Virginia one of the most affluent areas of the USA. Median Household Income - Historic Compared to Current Five-Year Estimates The Northern Virginia region's median household income had been rising since 1999 until it stagnated in the 2018-2022 period. The greatest upward transformations in median household income, to levels well beyond inflation, have occurred in the Counties of Arlington and Loudoun. Median Household Income - Historic Compared to Current One-Year Estimates The median household income trend, for the regions large jurisdictions (population of 65,000 or more), are shown in the following graph. Key Facts: There were dips in median household income in the early 2010s for some jurisdictions. The effects of the recession from 2007 to 2009 were still causing economic hardships and in 2013 there was federal sequestration when the federal government made large budget cuts. The Northern Virginia region is heavily dependent on the federal government for its economy, so job layoffs during sequestration impacted household incomes. ​ Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically from 2012 to 2019 the trend in the Northern Virginia median household income was upward after accounting for inflation. The COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, setting off a wave of demographic changes in the region and around the nation. Notably, NVRC research has shown that workers retired early but generally remained in the region, immigration slowed, and many young moderate to high-income office workers migrated out of the region to work remotely to places that have a more affordable cost of living. The impact of these shifts is evidenced by Northern Virginia's median household income having a downward trend from 2019 to 2022 after accounting for inflation. Policy makers have given much attention to finding solutions and implementing programs for low-income, but the pandemic has manifested the need for middle-income housing and middle-income programs that will allow current and potential new households to afford to comfortably live and raise families in the region.

Economics Information on economics of the overall Northern Virginia region and its county and cities. Overall Information on economics of Northern Virginia incorporated towns . Towns

People / Population Overall About the Overall Population Data Northern Virginia is on the front lines of a demographic transformation shaping the United States. There has been an extraordinary amount of population growth in Northern Virginia. The April 1st Decennial Census population of Northern Virginia was 1,466,350 in 1990, 1,815,197 in 2000, 2,230,623 in 2010, and 2,550,377 in 2020. On July 1, 2023 the Northern Virginia population was estimated to be 2,556,143. Population Migration Births/Deaths Foreign Born Race and Ethnicity

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Education Overall About the Overall Education Data What is it that sets Northern Virginia apart from other places, that gives Northern Virginia its competitive edge, that makes it such a unique, dynamic and interesting place? It’s unparalleled human capital, the people who live here, work here, and come here from all corners of the globe. Proximity to the nation’s capital has transformed Northern Virginia and the entire Washington metropolitan area into one of America’s — and the world’s — most dynamic, fastest growing, economically advanced, highly-educated , prosperous, and culturally-diverse regions on the planet. The region has some of the top, most renowned public school systems in the nation. The quality of education in the region's public school systems draws numerous amounts of families to the region. The demographic, social, and economic profile of this region shows it.​ Educational Attainment Student Enrollment