Population of Virginia - 1850

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.

Graphics

Sorted by Total Population

County TOTAL
AGGREGATE
POPULATION
HENRICO 43,572
NORFOLK 33,036
PITTSYLVANIA 28,796
HALIFAX 25,962
ALBEMARLE 25,800
DINWIDDIE 25,118
AUGUSTA 24,610
BEDFORD 24,080
CAMPBELL 23,245
LOUDOUN 22,079
FAUQUIER 20,868
MECKLENBURG 20,630
ROCKINGHAM 20,294
CAROLINE 18,456
OHIO 18,006
ACCOMACK 17,890
CHESTERFIELD 17,489
FRANKLIN 17,430
LOUISA 16,691
ROCKBRIDGE 16,045
FREDERICK 15,975
JEFFERSON 15,357
KANAWHA 15,353
HANOVER 15,153
SPOTSYLVANIA 14,911
BOTETOURT 14,908
WASHINGTON 14,612
HAMPSHIRE 14,036
CHARLOTTE 13,955
BRUNSWICK 13,894
BUCKINGHAM 13,837
SHENANDOAH 13,768
SOUTHAMPTON 13,521
NELSON 12,758
AMHERST 12,699
MONONGALIA 12,387
NANSEMOND 12,283
CULPEPER 12,282
WYTHE 12,024
RUSSELL 11,919
PRINCE EDWARD 11,857
BERKELEY 11,771
HARRISON 11,728
PRESTON 11,708
LUNENBURG 11,692
FAIRFAX 10,682
MARION 10,552
GLOUCESTER 10,527
GOOCHLAND 10,352
KING AND QUEEN 10,319
LEE 10,267
ESSEX 10,206
MONROE 10,204
MARSHALL 10,138
ORANGE 10,067
LEWIS 10,031
GREENBRIER 10,022
ARLINGTON/ALEXAND 10,008
TAZEWELL 9,942
SCOTT 9,829
SUSSEX 9,820
RAPPAHANNOCK 9,782
AMELIA 9,770
CUMBERLAND 9,751
PATRICK 9,609
HARDY 9,543
FLUVANNA 9,487
WOOD 9,450
ISLE OF WIGHT 9,353
MADISON 9,331
APPOMATTOX 9,193
BARBOUR 9,005
HENRY 8,872
KING WILLIAM 8,779
ROANOKE 8,477
NOTTOWAY 8,437
MONTGOMERY 8,359
POWHATAN 8,178
SMYTH 8,162
PRINCE WILLIAM 8,129
WESTMORELAND 8,080
STAFFORD 8,044
PRINCESS ANNE 7,669
PAGE 7,600
PRINCE GEORGE 7,596
MASON 7,539
NORTHAMPTON 7,498
CLARKE 7,352
NORTHUMBERLAND 7,346
MATHEWS 6,714
GRAYSON 6,677
WARREN 6,607
GILES 6,570
JACKSON 6,544
FLOYD 6,458
RICHMOND 6,448
CABELL 6,299
NEW KENT 6,064
KING GEORGE 5,971
CARROLL 5,909
PENDLETON 5,795
SURRY 5,679
GREENSVILLE 5,639
TYLER 5,498
TAYLOR 5,367
PUTNAM 5,335
RANDOLPH 5,243
CHARLES CITY 5,200
PULASKI 5,118
BROOKE 5,054
WAYNE 4,760
LANCASTER 4,708
ELIZABETH CITY 4,586
YORK 4,460
GREENE 4,400
MIDDLESEX 4,394
WETZEL 4,284
HIGHLAND 4,227
MERCER 4,222
BRAXTON 4,212
HANCOCK 4,050
JAMES CITY 4,020
NICHOLAS 3,963
FAYETTE 3,955
RITCHIE 3,902
LOGAN 3,620
POCAHONTAS 3,598
MORGAN 3,557
ALLEGHANY 3,515
GILMER 3,475
BATH 3,426
WIRT 3,353
BOONE 3,237
DODDRIDGE 2,750
RALEIGH 1,765
WYOMING 1,645
WARWICK 1,546
  1,421,661

Sorted by Percentage of Slaves in Total Population

County TOTAL AGGR.
POPULATION		 TOTAL NO.
OF SLAVES		 total number of slaves/
total aggregate pop.
NOTTOWAY 8,437 6,050 71.7
AMELIA 9,770 6,819 69.8
GREENSVILLE 5,639 3,785 67.1
ESSEX 10,206 6,762 66.3
KING WILLIAM 8,779 5,731 65.3
CUMBERLAND 9,751 6,329 64.9
POWHATAN 8,178 5,282 64.6
CHARLOTTE 13,955 8,988 64.4
LUNENBURG 11,692 7,187 61.5
SUSSEX 9,820 5,992 61.0
BRUNSWICK 13,894 8,456 60.9
PRINCE EDWARD 11,857 7,192 60.7
MECKLENBURG 20,630 12,462 60.4
LOUISA 16,691 9,864 59.1
BUCKINGHAM 13,837 8,161 59.0
ORANGE 10,067 5,921 58.8
WARWICK 1,546 905 58.5
PRINCE GEORGE 7,596 4,408 58.0
CAROLINE 18,456 10,661 57.8
KING GEORGE 5,971 3,403 57.0
GOOCHLAND 10,352 5,845 56.5
NEW KENT 6,064 3,410 56.2
LANCASTER 4,708 2,640 56.1
KING AND QUEEN 10,319 5,764 55.9
HALIFAX 25,962 14,452 55.7
HANOVER 8,393 15,153 55.4
CULPEPER 12,282 6,683 54.4
MIDDLESEX 4,394 2,342 53.3
CHARLES CITY 5,200 2,764 53.2
GLOUCESTER 10,527 5,557 52.8
APPOMATTOX 9,193 4,799 52.2
ALBEMARLE 25,800 13,338 51.7
NORTHUMBERLAND 7,346 3,755 51.1
MADISON 9,331 4,724 50.6
SPOTSYLVANIA 14,911 7,481 50.2
FLUVANNA 9,487 4,737 49.9
FAUQUIER 20,868 10,350 49.6
CHESTERFIELD 17,489 8,616 49.3
CLARKE 7,352 3,614 49.2
YORK 4,460 2,181 48.9
NORTHAMPTON 7,498 3,648 48.7
NELSON 12,758 6,142 48.1
AMHERST 12,699 5,953 46.9
ELIZABETH CITY 4,586 2,148 46.8
CAMPBELL 23,245 10,866 46.7
JAMES CITY 4,020 1,868 46.5
PITTSYLVANIA 28,796 12,798 44.4
WESTMORELAND 8,080 3,557 44.0
SURRY 5,679 2,479 43.7
MATHEWS 6,714 2,923 43.5
DINWIDDIE 25,118 10,880 43.3
SOUTHAMPTON 13,521 5,755 42.6
BEDFORD 24,080 10,061 41.8
STAFFORD 8,044 3,311 41.2
PRINCESS ANNE 7,669 3,130 40.8
RAPPAHANNOCK 9,782 3,844 39.3
GREENE 4,400 1,699 38.6
NANSEMOND 12,283 4,715 38.4
HENRY 8,872 3,340 37.6
HENRICO 43,572 16,109 37.0
ISLE OF WIGHT 9,353 3,395 36.3
RICHMOND 6,448 2,277 35.3
FRANKLIN 17,430 5,726 32.9
NORFOLK 33,036 10,400 31.5
PRINCE WILLIAM 8,129 2,498 30.7
FAIRFAX 10,682 3,250 30.4
ROANOKE 8,477 2,510 29.6
PULASKI 5,118 1,471 28.7
JEFFERSON 15,357 4,341 28.3
ACCOMACK 17,890 4,987 27.9
BATH 3,426 947 27.6
WARREN 6,607 1,748 26.5
ROCKBRIDGE 16,045 4,197 26.2
LOUDOUN 22,079 5,641 25.5
BOTETOURT 14,908 3,736 25.1
PATRICK 9,609 2,324 24.2
AUGUSTA 24,610 5,053 20.5
KANAWHA 15,353 3,140 20.5
ALLEGHANY 3,515 694 19.7
WYTHE 12,024 2,185 18.2
MONTGOMERY 8,359 1,471 17.6
BERKELEY 11,771 1,956 16.6
WASHINGTON 14,612 2,131 14.6
FREDERICK 15,975 2,294 14.4
ARLINGTON/ALEXAND 10,008 1,382 13.8
HARDY 9,543 1,260 13.2
GREENBRIER 10,022 1,317 13.1
SMYTH 8,162 1,064 13.0
PAGE 7,600 957 12.6
PUTNAM 5,335 632 11.8
ROCKINGHAM 20,294 2,331 11.5
TAZEWELL 9,942 1,060 10.7
MONROE 10,204 1,061 10.4
HAMPSHIRE 14,036 1,433 10.2
GILES 6,570 657 10.0
HIGHLAND 4,227 364 8.6
MASON 7,539 647 8.6
RUSSELL 11,919 982 8.2
LEE 10,267 787 7.7
GRAYSON 6,677 499 7.5
POCAHONTAS 3,598 267 7.4
FLOYD 6,458 443 6.9
SHENANDOAH 13,768 911 6.6
CABELL 6,299 389 6.2
BOONE 3,237 183 5.7
PENDLETON 5,795 322 5.6
SCOTT 9,829 473 4.8
MERCER 4,222 177 4.2
HARRISON 11,728 488 4.2
WAYNE 4,760 189 4.0
WOOD 9,450 373 3.9
FAYETTE 3,955 156 3.9
RANDOLPH 5,243 201 3.8
WYOMING 1,645 61 3.7
LEWIS 10,031 368 3.7
MORGAN 3,557 123 3.5
TAYLOR 5,367 168 3.1
CARROLL 5,909 154 2.6
LOGAN 3,620 87 2.4
BRAXTON 4,212 89 2.1
GILMER 3,475 72 2.1
NICHOLAS 3,963 73 1.8
MONONGALIA 12,387 176 1.4
RALEIGH 1,765 23 1.3
BARBOUR 9,005 113 1.3
DODDRIDGE 2,750 31 1.1
WIRT 3,353 32 1.0
OHIO 18,006 164 0.9
MARION 10,552 94 0.9
JACKSON 6,544 53 0.8
PRESTON 11,708 87 0.7
TYLER 5,498 38 0.7
BROOKE 5,054 31 0.6
MARSHALL 10,138 49 0.5
RITCHIE 3,902 16 0.4
WETZEL 4,284 17 0.4
HANCOCK 4,050 3 0.1
  472,528 1,421,661  

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
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