Each year, the Weldon Cooper Center develops and releases official population estimates for Virginia counties and independent cities to show population counts between decennial censuses. These estimates provide the best approximation of the population count on July 1 of the prior year. State and local governments use this data for funding allocations, planning and budgeting purposes.
The July 1, 2022 population estimate for the TJPDC region was 270,319, which is about 6,700 residents, or 2.5% higher, than the 2020 Census estimate. In the TJPDC region, Louisa County added 2,129 residents, and its 5.7% growth rate was one of the highest in the state. Albemarle grew by 3,100 residents, or 2.8%. Fluvanna and Greene counties had growth rates between 2% and 3%, while estimated populations in Charlottesville and Nelson County grew by less than 0.5% from the 2020 Census numbers.
Locality | April 1, 2020 Census | July 1, 2022 Estimate | Percent change |
|---|---|---|---|
TJPDC Region | 263,617 | 270,319 | 2.5% |
City of Charlottesville | 51,050 | 51,278 | 0.4% |
Albemarle County | 112,395 | 115,495 | 2.8% |
Fluvanna County | 27,249 | 27,873 | 2.2% |
Greene County | 20,552 | 21,165 | 3.0% |
Louisa County | 37,596 | 39,725 | 5.7% |
Nelson County | 14,775 | 14,813 | 0.3% |
The Weldon Cooper Center notes that large college and university populations often were undercounted in the 2020 Census. Accordingly, the Center benchmarked population estimates for localities with at least 20% college population (including Charlottesville) on their 2020 and 2021 estimates instead of the 2020 Census estimates. Once the remainder of 2020 Census data is released later this year, the Center plans to further examine discrepancies in college town populations and make any necessary adjustments.
Additional informational is available at Virginia Population Estimates.