Population of Virginia - 1840

This table shows population by county, from largest to smallest ("in descending order") totals and percentages, based on the historical census records. Census data is accessible through the Historical Census Browser at the Geospatial and Statistical Data Center of the University of Virginia library, by arrangement with the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research.
CAUTION: County boundaries have changed over time; if you are creating statistics on population density, don't mix apples and oranges. New counties were carved out of the acreage of existing counties until Dickenson County was finally created in 1880. Since then, annexations and mergers of cities and counties have also changed the political boundaries.

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Sorted by Total Population

County TOTAL
POPULATION
HENRICO 33,076
NORFOLK 27,569
PITTSYLVANIA 26,398
HALIFAX 25,936
ALBEMARLE 22,924
DINWIDDIE 22,558
FAUQUIER 21,897
CAMPBELL 21,030
MECKLENBURG 20,724
LOUDOUN 20,431
BEDFORD 20,203
AUGUSTA 19,628
BUCKINGHAM 18,786
CAROLINE 17,813
HARRISON 17,669
MONONGALIA 17,368
ROCKINGHAM 17,344
CHESTERFIELD 17,148
ACCOMACK 17,096
FRANKLIN 15,832
LOUISA 15,433
SPOTSYLVANIA 15,161
HANOVER 14,968
CHARLOTTE 14,595
SOUTHAMPTON 14,525
BRUNSWICK 14,346
ROCKBRIDGE 14,284
FREDERICK 14,242
JEFFERSON 14,082
PRINCE EDWARD 14,069
KANAWHA 13,567
OHIO 13,357
WASHINGTON 13,001
AMHERST 12,576
HAMPSHIRE 12,295
NELSON 12,287
BOTETOURT 11,679
SHENANDOAH 11,618
CULPEPER 11,393
ESSEX 11,309
SUSSEX 11,229
LUNENBURG 11,055
BERKELEY 10,972
KING AND QUEEN 10,862
NANSEMOND 10,795
GLOUCESTER 10,715
CUMBERLAND 10,399
AMELIA 10,320
ISLE OF WIGHT 9,972
GOOCHLAND 9,760
NOTTOWAY 9,719
WYTHE 9,375
FAIRFAX 9,370
KING WILLIAM 9,258
RAPPAHANNOCK 9,257
ORANGE 9,125
GRAYSON 9,087
FLUVANNA 8,812
GREENBRIER 8,695
STAFFORD 8,454
LEE 8,441
MONROE 8,422
CABELL 8,163
LEWIS 8,151
PRINCE WILLIAM 8,144
MADISON 8,107
PATRICK 8,032
WESTMORELAND 8,019
BROOKE 7,948
NORTHUMBERLAND 7,924
POWHATAN 7,924
WOOD 7,923
RUSSELL 7,878
NORTHAMPTON 7,715
HARDY 7,622
MATHEWS 7,442
MONTGOMERY 7,405
HENRY 7,335
SCOTT 7,303
PRINCESS ANNE 7,285
PRINCE GEORGE 7,175
TYLER 6,954
PENDLETON 6,940
MARSHALL 6,937
PRESTON 6,866
MASON 6,777
SMYTH 6,522
SURRY 6,480
GREENSVILLE 6,366
CLARKE 6,353
TAZEWELL 6,290
NEW KENT 6,230
RANDOLPH 6,208
PAGE 6,194
RICHMOND 5,965
KING GEORGE 5,927
WARREN 5,627
ROANOKE 5,499
GILES 5,307
JACKSON 4,890
CHARLES CITY 4,774
YORK 4,720
LANCASTER 4,628
FLOYD 4,453
MIDDLESEX 4,392
LOGAN 4,309
BATH 4,300
MORGAN 4,253
GREENE 4,232
FAYETTE 3,924
JAMES CITY 3,779
PULASKI 3,739
ELIZABETH CITY 3,706
POCAHONTAS 2,922
ALLEGHANY 2,749
BRAXTON 2,575
NICHOLAS 2,515
MERCER 2,233
WARWICK 1,456
  1,239,797

Sorted by Percentage of Slaves in Total Population

County TOTAL
POPULATION
TOTAL NO. SLAVES total no. slaves/
total population
NOTTOWAY 9,719 7,071 72.8
AMELIA 10,320 7,023 68.1
GREENSVILLE 6,366 4,302 67.6
CUMBERLAND 10,399 6,781 65.2
POWHATAN 7,924 5,129 64.7
CHARLOTTE 14,595 9,260 63.4
KING WILLIAM 9,258 5,780 62.4
BRUNSWICK 14,346 8,805 61.4
PRINCE EDWARD 14,069 8,576 61.0
SUSSEX 11,229 6,834 60.9
LUNENBURG 11,055 6,707 60.7
ESSEX 11,309 6,756 59.7
ORANGE 9,125 5,364 58.8
BUCKINGHAM 18,786 11,014 58.6
LOUISA 15,433 9,010 58.4
CAROLINE 17,813 10,314 57.9
MECKLENBURG 20,724 11,915 57.5
WARWICK 1,456 831 57.1
KING GEORGE 5,927 3,382 57.1
GOOCHLAND 9,760 5,500 56.4
HANOVER 14,968 8,394 56.1
PRINCE GEORGE 7,175 4,014 55.9
HALIFAX 25,936 14,216 54.8
KING AND QUEEN 10,862 5,937 54.7
NEW KENT 6,230 3,385 54.3
LANCASTER 4,628 2,478 53.5
CULPEPER 11,393 6,069 53.3
MADISON 8,107 4,308 53.1
GLOUCESTER 10,715 5,691 53.1
CLARKE 6,353 3,325 52.3
JAMES CITY 3,779 1,947 51.5
ALBEMARLE 22,924 11,809 51.5
CHARLES CITY 4,774 2,433 51.0
CHESTERFIELD 17,148 8,702 50.7
MIDDLESEX 4,392 2,209 50.3
SPOTSYLVANIA 15,161 7,590 50.1
FAUQUIER 21,897 10,708 48.9
NELSON 12,287 5,967 48.6
CAMPBELL 21,030 10,045 47.8
FLUVANNA 8,812 4,146 47.0
NORTHAMPTON 7,715 3,620 46.9
ELIZABETH CITY 3,706 1,708 46.1
AMHERST 12,576 5,777 45.9
SOUTHAMPTON 14,525 6,555 45.1
WESTMORELAND 8,019 3,590 44.8
YORK 4,720 2,112 44.7
MATHEWS 7,442 3,309 44.5
DINWIDDIE 22,558 9,947 44.1
SURRY 6,480 2,853 44.0
BEDFORD 20,203 8,864 43.9
PITTSYLVANIA 26,398 11,558 43.8
STAFFORD 8,454 3,596 42.5
PRINCESS ANNE 7,285 3,087 42.4
NANSEMOND 10,795 4,530 42.0
GREENE 4,232 1,740 41.1
NORTHUMBERLAND 7,924 3,243 40.9
HENRICO 33,076 13,237 40.0
RICHMOND 5,965 2,363 39.6
RAPPAHANNOCK 9,257 3,663 39.6
HENRY 7,335 2,852 38.9
ISLE OF WIGHT 9,972 3,786 38.0
FAIRFAX 9,370 3,453 36.9
NORFOLK 27,569 9,735 35.3
PRINCE WILLIAM 8,144 2,767 34.0
FRANKLIN 15,832 5,158 32.6
JEFFERSON 14,082 4,157 29.5
ROANOKE 5,499 1,553 28.2
ACCOMACK 17,096 4,630 27.1
LOUDOUN 20,431 5,273 25.8
PULASKI 3,739 954 25.5
WARREN 5,627 1,434 25.5
BOTETOURT 11,679 2,925 25.0
ROCKBRIDGE 14,284 3,510 24.6
BATH 4,300 1,047 24.3
PATRICK 8,032 1,842 22.9
AUGUSTA 19,628 4,135 21.1
MONTGOMERY 7,405 1,493 20.2
ALLEGHANY 2,749 547 19.9
KANAWHA 13,567 2,560 18.9
BERKELEY 10,972 1,919 17.5
WYTHE 9,375 1,618 17.3
FREDERICK 14,242 2,302 16.2
WASHINGTON 13,001 2,058 15.8
HARDY 7,622 1,131 14.8
GREENBRIER 8,695 1,214 14.0
SMYTH 6,522 838 12.8
PAGE 6,194 781 12.6
TAZEWELL 6,290 786 12.5
MASON 6,777 808 11.9
HAMPSHIRE 12,295 1,403 11.4
ROCKINGHAM 17,344 1,899 10.9
GILES 5,307 574 10.8
MONROE 8,422 868 10.3
SHENANDOAH 11,618 1,033 8.9
RUSSELL 7,878 700 8.9
WOOD 7,923 624 7.9
POCAHONTAS 2,922 219 7.5
FLOYD 4,453 321 7.2
CABELL 8,163 567 6.9
LEE 8,441 580 6.9
PENDLETON 6,940 462 6.7
GRAYSON 9,087 492 5.4
SCOTT 7,303 344 4.7
MERCER 2,233 98 4.4
HARRISON 17,669 693 3.9
LOGAN 4,309 150 3.5
RANDOLPH 6,208 216 3.5
FAYETTE 3,924 133 3.4
MORGAN 4,253 134 3.2
NICHOLAS 2,515 72 2.9
BRAXTON 2,575 64 2.5
JACKSON 4,890 87 1.8
OHIO 13,357 212 1.6
LEWIS 8,151 124 1.5
MONONGALIA 17,368 260 1.5
PRESTON 6,866 91 1.3
TYLER 6,954 85 1.2
BROOKE 7,948 91 1.1
MARSHALL 6,937 46 0.7
  1,239,797 448,987  

Citation: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research. HISTORICAL, DEMOGRAPHIC, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL DATA: THE UNITED STATES, 1790-1970 [Computer file]. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [producer and distributor], 197?.;


Patterns of People and Places of Virginia
Virginia Places