• county
  • FIPS 51179

Stafford County, Virginia

Stafford County had 168,919 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 268.5 square miles of land. It ranks 12th of 133 in Virginia by population and 74th by land area.

Population
168,919
#12 of 133 in Virginia · #415 in US
Area
268.5 sq mi
#74 of 133 in Virginia · #2,867 in US
Density
629 / sq mi
#44 of 133 in Virginia · #228 in US
Median household income
$130,751
#5 of 133 in Virginia · #18 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Stafford County within Virginia. Pin: Richmond.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Stafford County

Stafford County population, land area and income

Stafford County had 168,919 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 268.5 square miles of land. It ranks 12th of 133 in Virginia by population and 74th by land area. That works out to 629.1 people per square mile, 6.5 times the US average of 96.3, and in the top tenth nationally.

The median county-equivalent in Virginia has 27,800 residents, so Stafford County is 6.1 times that size.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $130,751 is in the top tenth among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

168,919

3144th1st

415th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

269 sq mi

3144th1st

2867th of 3,144 (US)

Density

629.1 / sq mi

3144th1st

228th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$130,751

3143rd1st

18th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Virginia (133)

Population

168,919

133rd1st

12th of 133 (VA)

Land area

269 sq mi

133rd1st

74th of 133 (VA)

Density

629.1 / sq mi

133rd1st

44th of 133 (VA)

Median household income

$130,751

133rd1st

5th of 133 (VA)

How Stafford County's population changed since 2020

Stafford County gained 11,152 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 7.1%. That ranks 13th of 133 in Virginia for growth. The median Virginia county changed by +1.3%, and the state as a whole by +2.0%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Stafford County recorded 7,633 births and 4,109 deaths, a natural change of +3,524. Net international migration added +2,464 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +6,123. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 6,123 people.

157.8k2020161.6k2021163.2k2022165.8k2023168.9k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
7,633
Deaths
4,109
Net international migration
+2,464
Net domestic migration
+6,123
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+3,098

Where Stafford County is

The Census internal point of Stafford County is at 38.423100, -77.458000. It sits in UTM zone 18N. The map shades Virginia's 133 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Stafford County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Martinsville city: +2.7%Norton city: -5.5%Charlottesville city: -3.6%Winchester city: -0.7%Bristol city: -5.7%Manassas Park city: -3.2%Fluvanna County: +5.3%Clarke County: +5.3%Lunenburg County: +0.9%Colonial Heights city: +2.8%Franklin city: +2.8%Lexington city: +6.7%Petersburg city: +2.0%Suffolk city: +8.8%Emporia city: -5.1%Middlesex County: +3.2%Fairfax city: +8.9%Fredericksburg city: +7.1%Floyd County: +1.2%Radford city: +7.2%Waynesboro city: +5.5%Hopewell city: -0.2%Staunton city: +2.1%Buena Vista city: -0.6%Covington city: -1.4%Poquoson city: +3.1%Madison County: +2.8%Falls Church city: +2.4%Franklin County: +2.1%Mecklenburg County: +1.8%Smyth County: -2.2%Pittsylvania County: -1.6%Frederick County: +6.7%Russell County: -1.3%Nottoway County: -0.1%Scott County: -0.9%Mathews County: +1.0%Stafford County: +7.1%Goochland County: +13.5%Henrico County: +1.1%Caroline County: +8.2%Prince George County: +1.2%Prince William County: +2.9%Cumberland County: +4.0%Essex County: +0.8%Fairfax County: +1.1%Henry County: -2.9%Carroll County: +0.3%Grayson County: -0.1%Louisa County: +11.4%James City County: +5.5%Albemarle County: +4.2%Lynchburg city: +1.7%King William County: +7.3%Charles City County: -2.7%Northumberland County: +4.7%Alexandria city: -0.0%Salem city: +2.0%Galax city: +0.3%Isle of Wight County: +5.8%Newport News city: -1.6%Tazewell County: -3.8%Amherst County: +1.1%Manassas city: +2.2%Buckingham County: +1.7%Shenandoah County: +2.7%Richmond city: +3.0%Alleghany County: -3.7%Culpeper County: +6.4%Warren County: +4.1%Northampton County: -1.7%Southampton County: -0.1%Portsmouth city: -1.5%Rockingham County: +4.6%Orange County: +7.1%Sussex County: -0.4%Bland County: -1.1%Chesapeake city: +2.1%Harrisonburg city: -1.0%Powhatan County: +6.4%Virginia Beach city: -1.1%Dinwiddie County: +2.5%Campbell County: -0.5%Gloucester County: +3.7%Greene County: +5.5%Page County: -0.0%Halifax County: -1.4%Hanover County: +4.6%Buchanan County: -8.0%Highland County: +4.8%Surry County: +0.4%Westmoreland County: +3.9%Wythe County: -0.8%Greensville County: -2.2%Roanoke city: -2.0%Loudoun County: +4.9%Spotsylvania County: +8.1%Brunswick County: -0.5%King George County: +7.4%Bedford County: +3.3%Patrick County: -1.6%Lancaster County: +1.4%Nelson County: +0.2%Montgomery County: -0.6%Amelia County: +3.4%York County: +1.7%Norfolk city: -2.8%Williamsburg city: +3.6%Bath County: -2.8%Accomack County: +0.0%Washington County: +0.4%Pulaski County: -0.7%Rockbridge County: -1.3%Roanoke County: +0.4%Wise County: -3.0%Fauquier County: +3.9%Craig County: -1.0%Charlotte County: -2.4%Richmond County: +3.3%Lee County: -1.5%Chesterfield County: +6.7%Danville city: -1.4%King and Queen County: +2.4%Prince Edward County: +1.7%Hampton city: +0.2%Appomattox County: +4.9%Botetourt County: +1.5%Arlington County: +0.4%Rappahannock County: +2.1%New Kent County: +17.7%Augusta County: +1.3%Giles County: -1.5%Dickenson County: -4.7%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.4%
  2. < +0.3%
  3. < +2.1%
  4. < +4.7%
  5. ≥ +4.7%
no data

Orange pin: Stafford County internal point. Dark pin: Richmond.

Internal point

Decimal
38.423100, -77.458000
DMS
38°25'23.16"N 77°27'28.80"W
UTM
18N 285424.8E 4255621.9N
Geohash
dqbft6syc
Plus code
87C4CGFR+6R

Towns in Stafford County

No incorporated place of 1,000 or more people has residents in Stafford County. Its 168,919 residents live in smaller towns, census-designated places, or unincorporated land, which the subcounty estimates do not list at this size.

Counties bordering Stafford County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 8 neighbors for Stafford County, including 1 across a state line. The most populous is Prince William County, VA, with 497,003 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Richmond and the nearest big city

Richmond is 61.1 miles S of Stafford County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Alexandria, VA (population 159,102), 34.1 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Fredericksburg, VA (population 29,992), 8.7 miles away.

Stafford County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Stafford County is 51179: state code 51 for Virginia plus county code 179. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $130,751.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Stafford County, Virginia?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 168,919. That is up 11,152 people (7.1%) from the July 2020 estimate of 157,767.

What is the FIPS code of Stafford County?

51179. The first two digits (51) are Virginia; the last three (179) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Stafford County?

No incorporated place of 1,000 or more people has residents in Stafford County. Its people live in smaller towns, census-designated places or unincorporated land.

Which counties border Stafford County?

8 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Prince William County, VA; Charles County, MD; Spotsylvania County, VA; Fauquier County, VA; Culpeper County, VA; Caroline County, VA; Fredericksburg city, VA; King George County, VA.

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.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.