Virginia · 63 places of 5,000+
Fastest-growing cities in Virginia, 2020 to 2024
Short answer
- Fastest
- +8.9%
- Growing
- 39
- Shrinking
- 24
The 20 fastest-growing
Fairfax grew fastest, from 24,179 in July 2020 to 26,340 in July 2024, +8.9%. It is the 22nd largest of the 63 places ranked. 39 places grew and 24 shrank or held flat; the median change was +1.7%.
By raw numbers the biggest gain was in Suffolk, +8,311 people. At the other end, Bristol changed by -5.7%. Growth is measured between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates for places with 5,000 or more residents in 2024, so fast growth from a small base can outrank larger absolute gains.
- 01Fairfax+8.9%
- 02Suffolk+8.8%
- 03Radford+7.2%
- 04Fredericksburg+7.1%
- 05Lexington+6.7%
- 06Culpeper+6.4%
- 07Orange+6.4%
- 08Smithfield+5.5%
- 09Waynesboro+5.5%
- 10Dumfries+4.5%
- 11Ashland+4.0%
- 12Front Royal+3.9%
- 13Williamsburg+3.6%
- 14Bridgewater+3.5%
- 15Poquoson+3.1%
- 16Richmond+3.0%
- 17Leesburg+2.9%
- 18Colonial Heights+2.8%
- 19Franklin+2.8%
- 20Woodstock+2.7%
Dots: the 20 places in the chart. Orange pin: Fairfax, ranked first.
All 63 places of 5,000+ ranked
| # | Place | 2024 | Since 2020 | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fairfax | 26,340 | +8.9% | Fairfax city |
| 2 | Suffolk | 103,105 | +8.8% | Suffolk city |
| 3 | Radford | 17,273 | +7.2% | Radford city |
| 4 | Fredericksburg | 29,992 | +7.1% | Fredericksburg city |
| 5 | Lexington | 7,802 | +6.7% | Lexington city |
| 6 | Culpeper | 21,464 | +6.4% | Culpeper County |
| 7 | Orange | 5,210 | +6.4% | Orange County |
| 8 | Smithfield | 9,032 | +5.5% | Isle of Wight County |
| 9 | Waynesboro | 23,498 | +5.5% | Waynesboro city |
| 10 | Dumfries | 5,978 | +4.5% | Prince William County |
| 11 | Ashland | 7,910 | +4.0% | Hanover County |
| 12 | Front Royal | 15,628 | +3.9% | Warren County |
| 13 | Williamsburg | 16,030 | +3.6% | Williamsburg city |
| 14 | Bridgewater | 6,826 | +3.5% | Rockingham County |
| 15 | Poquoson | 12,854 | +3.1% | Poquoson city |
| 16 | Richmond | 233,655 | +3.0% | Richmond city |
| 17 | Leesburg | 49,831 | +2.9% | Loudoun County |
| 18 | Colonial Heights | 18,674 | +2.8% | Colonial Heights city |
| 19 | Franklin | 8,373 | +2.8% | Franklin city |
| 20 | Woodstock | 5,954 | +2.7% | Shenandoah County |
| 21 | Martinsville | 13,834 | +2.7% | Martinsville city |
| 22 | Strasburg | 7,290 | +2.6% | Shenandoah County |
| 23 | Bedford | 7,823 | +2.6% | Bedford County |
| 24 | Falls Church | 15,034 | +2.4% | Falls Church city |
| 25 | Herndon | 25,180 | +2.4% | Fairfax County |
| 26 | Manassas | 43,616 | +2.2% | Manassas city |
| 27 | Staunton | 26,361 | +2.1% | Staunton city |
| 28 | Chesapeake | 254,997 | +2.1% | Chesapeake city |
| 29 | Salem | 25,908 | +2.0% | Salem city |
| 30 | Petersburg | 34,058 | +2.0% | Petersburg city |
| 31 | Warrenton | 10,224 | +1.8% | Fauquier County |
| 32 | Lynchburg | 80,301 | +1.7% | Lynchburg city |
| 33 | Blacksburg | 45,452 | +1.6% | Montgomery County |
| 34 | Vienna | 16,562 | +0.7% | Fairfax County |
| 35 | Farmville | 7,578 | +0.4% | Prince Edward County +1 |
| 36 | Galax | 6,739 | +0.3% | Galax city |
| 37 | Hampton | 137,596 | +0.2% | Hampton city |
| 38 | Purcellville | 8,965 | +0.2% | Loudoun County |
| 39 | Vinton | 8,059 | +0.2% | Roanoke County |
| 40 | Alexandria | 159,102 | -0.0% | Alexandria city |
| 41 | Hopewell | 22,970 | -0.2% | Hopewell city |
| 42 | Buena Vista | 6,581 | -0.6% | Buena Vista city |
| 43 | Abingdon | 8,316 | -0.6% | Washington County |
| 44 | Winchester | 27,800 | -0.7% | Winchester city |
| 45 | Harrisonburg | 51,164 | -1.0% | Harrisonburg city |
| 46 | Virginia Beach | 454,808 | -1.1% | Virginia Beach city |
| 47 | Wytheville | 8,160 | -1.3% | Wythe County |
| 48 | Danville | 41,993 | -1.4% | Danville city |
| 49 | Covington | 5,663 | -1.4% | Covington city |
| 50 | Portsmouth | 96,482 | -1.5% | Portsmouth city |
| 51 | Newport News | 183,056 | -1.6% | Newport News city |
| 52 | South Boston | 7,795 | -1.9% | Halifax County |
| 53 | Pulaski | 8,805 | -1.9% | Pulaski County |
| 54 | Roanoke | 97,912 | -2.0% | Roanoke city |
| 55 | Marion | 5,602 | -2.5% | Smyth County |
| 56 | Norfolk | 231,105 | -2.8% | Norfolk city |
| 57 | Christiansburg | 22,632 | -2.9% | Montgomery County |
| 58 | Big Stone Gap | 5,087 | -3.0% | Wise County |
| 59 | Manassas Park | 16,611 | -3.2% | Manassas Park city |
| 60 | Charlottesville | 44,767 | -3.6% | Charlottesville city |
| 61 | Richlands | 5,074 | -3.8% | Tazewell County |
| 62 | Emporia | 5,402 | -5.1% | Emporia city |
| 63 | Bristol | 16,316 | -5.7% | Bristol city |
Questions people ask
What is the fastest-growing city in Virginia?
Fairfax, up 8.9% from July 2020 to July 2024 among places of 5,000+, to 26,340 residents.
Which Virginia city added the most people?
Suffolk, which gained 8,311 residents from July 2020 to July 2024.
How many Virginia cities are shrinking?
24 of 63 places of 5,000+ had the same or fewer residents in July 2024 than in July 2020.
Why use places of 5,000 or more?
Small towns can swing by double-digit percentages from a few new homes, and Census estimates for them carry more uncertainty. The 5,000 floor keeps the ranking to places where a percentage means something.
Sources and data as of
Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.
How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.