Take a drive anywhere on the Peninsula, and the exposed red dirt, splintered tree shards and bounty of construction equipment indicate what so many here already know: We’re growing.
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released its population estimates from April 2010 to July 2015 for much of the state and region, including a number of cities and counties in the Peninsula area.
Census counts are an important bellwether to an area’s economic health, according to area demographers and economists. In most cases, an area where the population is growing gets a favorable nod for overall economic health and vitality; areas where population is in decline typically do not.
The next national and regional Census will occur in 2020.
Williamsburg is the fastest-growing community in Hampton Roads, according to Census estimates, growing an estimated 10.1 percent to 15,052 residents in 2015 — all but besting the state’s average growth rate of 4.8 percent.
James City County added the most residents to the Peninsula. The suburban county grew by 5,746 people between 2010 and 2015, according to Census data — up 8.5 percent from James City County’s official 2010 census of 67,401 residents.
York and Isle of Wight counties grew 4.1 percent and 3 percent, respectively, between 2010 and 2015.
Hampton, which recorded 137,510 residents in 2010, posted the most significant population decline on the Peninsula and throughout Hampton Roads — losing 1,056 residents between 2010 and 2015. Poquoson, with 12,157 residents at the time of the 2010 Census, lost 98 people to its overall population between 2010 and 2015.
Newport News, the largest city on the Peninsula, continues to grow — albeit slowly. The 26-mile long city grew an estimated 0.8 percent between 2010 and 2015 to 182,385 residents. That’s a net gain of 1,474 residents.
Despite posting impressive population gains locally, South Hampton Roads continues to add more people than the Peninsula.
Virginia Beach, the largest city in the region and state, added 14,779 residents between 2010 and 2015, bringing its population estimate to 452,745 people — rivaling that of another major Southern city: Atlanta.
Chesapeake was second to Virginia Beach in overall net population volume. The city added 13,220 residents to its population between 2010 and 2015, becoming home to 235,429 people.
Overall, the Hampton Roads metro is now home to 1,724,876 residents — a 48,054-person increase over the 2010 census of 1,676,822 people. Virginia has added more than 381,000 people to the state between 2010 and 2015 — bringing its overall population estimate to 8.3 million to remain the 12th largest state in the union.
Hamilton Lombard, a research specialist at the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service that tracks statewide population estimates, said the Peninsula’s geography makes it conducive for continued suburban expansion.
“It’s a natural progression for the Hampton Roads region to keep growing north along the Interstate 64 corridor and outward toward the west,” Lombard said, hinting at continued growth in Suffolk and Isle of Wight County. “Hampton Roads is, at least in Virginia standards, very unique.”
While the area’s suburbs appear to be blossoming faster than the cities, Lombard expects growth to slow slightly in those areas — especially if gas prices start to increase. He said older cities, such as Alexandria and Richmond, have had time to focus on their downtowns, thus making them major residential growth centers unlike Newport News and Hampton.
Meanwhile, are communities, such as Isle of Wight, are preparing for future growth.
“I’m not surprised at all,” said Isle of Wight Board of Supervisors Chairman Rex Alphin. “I think it continues to show that Isle of Wight is an attractive destination for people to live, to raise their children, to work and just to experience life.”
Isle of Wight reporter Reema Amin contributed to this report. O’Neal can be reached by phone at 757-247-4744.
2015 Census estimates by the numbers
8,382,993: Number of residents now living in Virginia since July 2015
1,724,876: Number of residents now living in Hampton Roads since July 2015
182,385: People that now call Newport News home since July 2015
1,054: Number of residents that have fled Hampton between 2010 and 2015
5,746: Amount of new residents added to James City County since 2015
