Richmond area adds 12,000 residents as growth accelerates
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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.