Report shows Dinwiddie, Colonial Heights with highest population growth rates in Tri-City area

Bill Atkinson, Petersburg Progress-Index
·2 min read

Colonial Heights and Dinwiddie County grew while the rest of the Tri-City area shrank in population, according to a trend released Monday by the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project.

Growth-rate changes across all five Tri-City localities between 2022 and 2023 were below 1%, VPAP’s data found. Dinwiddie had the highest growth rate at 0.9% while Colonial Heights grew by more than a half-percent.

Declines in the other three localities were not drastic, either. They ranged from –0.2% in Hopewell to –0.5% in Petersburg, with Prince George County hovering at –0.3%.

VPAP’s study of the trends was based on U.S. Census Bureau numbers between July 1, 2022, and July 1, 2023.

According to the data, here are the estimated populations for each locality:

  • Dinwiddie County – 28,343, up 0.9%

  • Colonial Heights – 18,393, up 0.6%

  • Hopewell – 22,752, down 0.2%

  • Prince George – 42,871, down 0.3%

  • Petersburg – 33,309, down 0.5%

Localities on the fringe of the Tri-City area experienced growth rates of more than 1%, led by Chesterfield County with 1.5%. Sussex and Surry counties were at 1.1% and 1%, respectively.

Nearby locations Goochland County grew by 4%, Powhatan County by 1.7%, Hanover County by 1.2%, Amelia County by 0.8%, Richmond by 0.4% and Henrico and Nottoway counties by 0.1%.

Further south, Greensville County saw a dip in population growth of 0.6%. Emporia fell by 1.3% and Brunswick County by a half-percent. Southampton County’s numbers increased by a half-percent.

Statewide, Virginia experienced a growth rate of 0.4%, according to VPAP. New Kent County, east of Richmond, had the largest growth rate at 4.7%. The city of Norton, in southwest Virginia, had the biggest drop at –2.7%.

The U.S. Census Bureau releases annual population estimates on July 1 of each year. Rates are driven by the numbers of births and deaths, and migration into and out of the locality.

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Census data shows CH, Dinwiddie on population uptick