University of Virginia Library

State's Population
Grows By 17.6%

Between 1960 and 1970, Virginia's
population increased by 17.6 per cent,
following the national trend of a lower
rate of natural increase and increased net
immigration.

The trend will probably continue in
the 1970's, with continued surging
growth in the Washington suburbs and in
such urban areas as Roanoke,
Charlottesville, Lynchburg,
Petersburg-Colonial Heights-Hopewell,
says a University researcher.

"Population Change in Virginia,
1960-1970" is discussed by William J.
Serow in the May 15 issue of the University
News Letter published by the Institute of
Government. Mr. Serow is a lecturer in the
University's Graduate School of Business
Administration and assistant director of the
Bureau of Population and Economic Research.

The last decade was the first in many that
the South gained population through net
immigration, says Mr. Serow, noting that Texas,
Virginia and Georgia gained next after Florida
which had a very large net immigration.

In Virginia, the resident population went
from 3,954,429 in 1960 to 4,648,494 in 1970.
Natural increase (the excess of births over
deaths) accounted for an increase of 531,998
with net immigration accounting for 162,067.

The growth rate from net immigration grew
from 2.6 per cent in the 1950's to 23,4 per cent
between 1960 and 1970.