Northern Virginia Population Surges
Population Estimated to Now Exceed 2.6 Million; Every jurisdiction in Northern Virginia experienced growth from 2023 to 2024. This is the first time that has occurred since 2016 to 2017.
The NOVA Region Dashboard has been updated with 2024 population and components of change estimates released this March by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The updated data includes total population, domestic migration, international migration, and natural change (births, deaths) for the region and by county/city. To see this data and stay informed about current demographic conditions and trends, visit the People section of the dashboard.
Population Key Highlights
The 2024 population estimates update reveals key highlights about Northern Virginia's population, including significant growth and demographic shifts.
From 2023 to 2024 the region grew by 35,181. This is the highest annual amount of growth since 2016 to 2017.
Fairfax County had the greatest population change from 2023 to 2024, growing by 3.6%. No jurisdiction in Northern Virginia has grown that much in one year’s time since 2011 to 2012, when it was also Fairfax County.
Every jurisdiction in Northern Virginia experienced growth from 2023 to 2024. This is the first time that has occurred since 2016 to 2017.
Population Components of Change Key Highlights
The update of the 2024 population components of change, which include domestic migration, international migration, and natural change (births, deaths), reveals key highlights about Northern Virginia's population change drivers.
Like the nation, the region experienced a surge in international migration from 2023 to 2024. From 2023 to 2024, the nation experienced the fastest annual population growth since 2001, as a result of a surge in international migration.
International migration has dominated growth and outpaced natural change (births minus deaths) since 2021.
Natural change exceeded domestic migration for the first time since 2018-2019.
Northern Virginia has experienced a greater population outflow than inflow from other parts of the country since 2013, mainly due to the region’s high cost of living. Work-from home became widespread for office workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and has persisted, leading many people to take advantage of the opportunity to move to more affordable places, particularly ex-urban areas on the fringes of large metropolitan areas, and mid-sized and smaller metropolitan areas. Domestic migration continued to show this pattern from 2022 to 2024, though it slowed for larger and mid-sized urban areas, including Northern Virginia. The region’s net outflow returned to pre-pandemic levels by 2024.
The slowdowns nationwide may be attributable to high mortgage rates (starting mid-2022), both of which discourage and make relocating harder. For a comprehensive assessment of the migration shifts and demographics driving the shifts see the NVRC State of the Region Report titled Shifting Migration Patterns of Northern Virginia - Affordable Housing Needs, published in January 2025.
About the Northern Virginia Regional Commission
NVRC is a consortium of thirteen local governments representing more than 2.6 million residents. While only 3% of Virginia's land mass, Northern Virginia has a GDP of $302 Billion which is 42% of the GDP of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Northern Virginia’s GDP is larger than 24 states and the District of Columbia and if a country would be the 48th largest economy in the world.