Richmond area adds 12,000 residents as growth accelerates
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.

Metro Richmond keeps growing, new U.S. Census data shows.
Why it matters: As the region grows, so do its housing, school and infrastructure needs.
- Plus, now we have traffic.
By the numbers: The Richmond area added more than 12,000 people between July 2024 and July 2025, with each locality's population growing by nearly 1% or more. That breaks down to:
- Chesterfield: +5,905 residents / +1.5%
- Henrico: +2,751 residents / +0.8%
- Richmond: +2,450 residents / +1%
- Hanover: +870 residents / +0.8%
The intrigue: Immigration, categorized by the Census Bureau as international migration, drove much of the region's population growth between 2024 and 2025.
- It accounted for most of Henrico's population growth (2,255 people), more than half of the city's (1,348 people), a portion of Chesterfield's (1,360) and literally 96 people in Hanover.
Yes, but: Immigration fell everywhere last year, including in Virginia.
- The state added just over 40,000 people from immigration between 2024 and 2025, down from the 69,854 it added the previous period, Cardinal News reports.
Caveat: The Census' international migration data include both foreigners and Americans coming home from abroad, including military service members.
Zoom out: RVA's population growth is even more striking when viewed since the pandemic.
Between April 2020 and July 2025, metro Richmond added nearly 60,000 people, per Census data.
- Chesterfield gained 33,064 people.
- Richmond: 10,735
- Henrico: 7,814
- Hanover: 6,441
What we're watching: How much the Trump administration's immigration policies affect Richmond's future growth.
