The area of Virginia was part of the original territory of the United States. Virginia was the first chartered colony, with the original 1606 charter including the entire Eastern Seaboard. Individual charters provided to other colonies reduced the size of Virginia. In 1784, Virginia ceded area to the United States that became the Northwest Territory in 1787. Virginia ratified the U.S. Constitution on June 26, 1788; it was the tenth of the original 13 states to join the Union. At the time of statehood, Virginia included all of present-day Kentucky and West Virginia. The area of the state was reduced in 1791 by the formation of the District of Columbia and in 1792 when Virginia ceded the area that became the state of Kentucky. Virginia added territory in 1846 when the portion of the District of Columbia taken from Virginia was retroceded to the state. The state of West Virginia, consisting of 48 counties, was established from Virginia on June 20, 1863; in 1866, Congress officially added two more counties (Berkeley and Jefferson) to West Virginia, leaving Virginia with generally the same boundary as the present state. Virginia is one of four states that are legally described as a commonwealth.

Census data for Virginia are available beginning with the 1790 census. The populations shown from 1790 to 1860 are for the present boundary of Virginia. These data include, from 1800 to 1840, the portion of the District of Columbia not formally part of Virginia until 1846, and do not include the area of Kentucky in 1790 or the counties taken to form West Virginia from 1790 to 1860. The population of Virginia as legally existing from 1860 to 1790 was: 1,596,318 in 1860; 1,421,661 in 1850; 1,239,797 in 1840; 1,211,405 in 1830; 1,065,366 in 1820; 974,600 in 1810; 880,200 in 1800; and 821,287 in 1790.

Key Stats

From Census.gov / Data:

Data Tools and Apps. Find information using interactive applications (including the following five) to get statistics from multiple surveys.

Data Tool: My Community Explorer. This tool combines select demographic, business, and resilience data to help users identify potentially underserved areas of their state, county and community. Step 1: Select Virginia.

Data Tool: My Congressional District. Access selected statistics about your congressional district collected through the American Community Survey (ACS) and County Business Patterns (CBP). Virginia selected. You can select a district.

Data Tool: My Tribal Area. Access selected ACS statistics about the American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) population. Virginia selected, along with the Chickahominy tribe.

Data Tool: QuickFacts. QuickFacts provides frequently requested Census Bureau information at the national, state, county and city level. Dashboard for Virginia is shown below. Click the tab “TABLE 6” to compare the United States; Virginia; Virginia Beach city, Virginia; Chesapeake city, Virginia; Arlington CDP, Virginia; Norfolk city, Virginia.

Note: The dashboard above is cropped on the bottom. Click on the image for the full dashboard.

Experimental Data Product: Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS). Provides timely data for key economic measures and business expectations about future conditions. For a summary of Virginia data, select the "STATE" tab, mouse over and click on Virginia on the map. For detailed state data, scroll down and select “VA” under “Filter All Charts Below by State.”

More Stats

From data.census.gov:

Profile, Virginia

Note: The profile above is cropped at the bottom. Click on the image for the full profile.

Source: Selected Monthly State Tax Collections.

Monthly Comparisons for Selected State Tax Collections, click on Virginia in map

Source: 2021 American Community Survey, (ACS) 1-year estimates.

Table DP05, ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates, United States and Virginia

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division (Annual Estimates of the Resident Population).

State Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2022

Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022 (NST-EST2022-POP) find Virginia

County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2022

Virginia Counties: 2020-2022

City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2022

Virginia Incorporated Places 2020-2022

Source: 2018 - 2021 Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM).

Table AM1831BASIC01, Annual Survey of Manufactures: Summary Statistics for Industry Groups and Industries in the U.S.: 2018 - 2021, showing manufacturing in Virginia

Source: 2021 County Business Patterns (CBP).

Census Interactive Gallery: County Business Patterns by Industry: 2021 (Select Virginia and click “View state” for country level data.)

Table CB2100CBP, All Sectors: County Business Patterns, including ZIP Code Business Patterns, by Legal Form of Organization and Employment Size Class for the U.S., States, and Selected Geographies: 2021, showing all two-digit NAICS codes for Virginia

Source: 2020 Annual Business Survey (ABS) Program.

Table AB2000CSA01, Annual Business Survey: Statistics for Employer Firms by Industry, Sex, Ethnicity, Race, and Veteran Status for the U.S., States, and Metro Areas: 2020, showing Virginia

Source: 1978-2020 Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS).

Table BDSEAGE, Business Dynamics Statistics: Establishment Age: 1978-2020, for Virginia

Source: 2019 Nonemployer Statistics (NES).

Table NS1900NONEMP, All Sectors: Nonemployer Statistics by Legal Form of Organization and Receipts Size Class for the U.S., States, and Selected Geographies: 2019, showing all two-digit NAICS codes for Virginia

Source: Business Formation Statistics (BFS).

Interactive visualization: Annual Business Applications by State and County (Scroll down, then hover and click on Virginia.)

Interactive visualizations: Business Formation Statistics (BFS), U.S. Total and By State (Select Virginia on Monthly Business Applications by State – shown below – and on Monthly Business Formations by State.)

Note: Click on the image above to go to the Business Formation Statistics data page. For the Virginia graphic, scroll down to “Interactive Graphs.” Click on the icon for “Monthly Business Applications by State (BA)” and select “Virginia ” in the upper-right drop-down area.

From Census Business Builder (CBB):

Dashboard: Virginia

Business Profile, Custom Industries - Virginia

From Business and Economy > International Trade Data:

State and Metropolitan Area Trade Data

USA Trade Online, the Official Source of Trade Statistics

Note: After you create an account, you can choose between State Export Data (Origin of Movement) or State Import Data (State of Destination) by Harmonized System (HS) or NAICS. More information is available in the Quick Start Guide.

Source: Monthly State Retail Sales.

Interactive visualization: Monthly State Retail Sales (Hover and click on Virginia.)

From the State Data Center (SDC) Program:

Virginia

From the Library / America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers:

STATE PROFILES: 2020 Census, State Visualizations of Key Demographic Trends From the 2020 Census

STATE PROFILES: Virginia: 2020 Census

From the Statistics in Schools (SIS) program:

State Facts for Students, select Virginia

Note: The Virginia page is cropped on the bottom. Click on the image above to go to the “State Facts for Students” main page. Use the drop down to select “Virginia” or click “VA” on the map for the full page for Virginia.

Source: 2017 Economic Census.