Population of Virginia - 1860

This table shows population by county, from largest to smallest ("in descending order") totals and percentages, based on the historical census records.1

CAUTION: County boundaries have changed over time; if you are creating statistics on population density, don not mix apples and oranges. West Virginia was created in 1863. 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.

Sorted by Total Population

County TOTAL
POPULATION
HENRICO 61,616
NORFOLK 36,227
PITTSYLVANIA 32,104
DINWIDDIE 30,198
AUGUSTA 27,749
ALBEMARLE 26,625
HALIFAX 26,520
CAMPBELL 26,197
BEDFORD 25,068
ROCKINGHAM 23,408
OHIO 22,422
LOUDOUN 21,774
FAUQUIER 21,706
FRANKLIN 20,098
MECKLENBURG 20,096
CHESTERFIELD 19,016
ACCOMACK 18,586
CAROLINE 18,464
ROCKBRIDGE 17,248
HANOVER 17,222
WASHINGTON 16,892
LOUISA 16,701
FREDERICK 16,546
KANAWHA 16,150
SPOTSYLVANIA 16,076
BUCKINGHAM 15,212
BRUNSWICK 14,809
JEFFERSON 14,535
CHARLOTTE 14,471
HAMPSHIRE 13,913
SHENANDOAH 13,896
HARRISON 13,790
AMHERST 13,742
NANSEMOND 13,693
PRESTON 13,312
MONONGALIA 13,048
NELSON 13,015
MARSHALL 12,997
SOUTHAMPTON 12,915
MARION 12,722
ARLINGTON/ALEXAND 12,652
BERKELEY 12,525
WYTHE 12,305
GREENBRIER 12,211
HENRY 12,105
SCOTT 12,072
CULPEPER 12,063
LUNENBURG 11,983
PRINCE EDWARD 11,844
FAIRFAX 11,834
BOTETOURT 11,516
WOOD 11,046
LEE 11,032
GLOUCESTER 10,956
ORANGE 10,851
MONROE 10,757
AMELIA 10,741
GOOCHLAND 10,656
MONTGOMERY 10,617
ESSEX 10,469
FLUVANNA 10,353
KING AND QUEEN 10,328
RUSSELL 10,280
SUSSEX 10,175
ISLE OF WIGHT 9,977
CUMBERLAND 9,961
TAZEWELL 9,920
HARDY 9,864
PATRICK 9,359
MASON 9,173
BARBOUR 8,958
SMYTH 8,952
APPOMATTOX 8,889
MADISON 8,854
RAPPAHANNOCK 8,850
NOTTOWAY 8,836
PRINCE WILLIAM 8,565
STAFFORD 8,555
KING WILLIAM 8,530
PRINCE GEORGE 8,411
POWHATAN 8,392
JACKSON 8,306
WESTMORELAND 8,282
GRAYSON 8,252
FLOYD 8,236
PAGE 8,109
ROANOKE 8,048
CABELL 8,020
CARROLL 8,012
LEWIS 7,999
NORTHAMPTON 7,832
PRINCESS ANNE 7,714
NORTHUMBERLAND 7,531
TAYLOR 7,463
UPSHUR 7,292
CLARKE 7,146
MATHEWS 7,091
GILES 6,883
RICHMOND 6,856
RITCHIE 6,847
MERCER 6,819
ALLEGHANY 6,765
WAYNE 6,747
WETZEL 6,703
KING GEORGE 6,571
TYLER 6,517
WARREN 6,442
GREENSVILLE 6,374
PUTNAM 6,301
PENDLETON 6,164
SURRY 6,133
FAYETTE 5,997
NEW KENT 5,884
ELIZABETH CITY 5,798
JAMES CITY 5,798
CHARLES CITY 5,609
BROOKE 5,494
PULASKI 5,416
ROANE 5,381
DODDRIDGE 5,203
LANCASTER 5,151
GREENE 5,022
BRAXTON 4,992
RANDOLPH 4,990
YORK 4,949
LOGAN 4,938
BOONE 4,840
NICHOLAS 4,627
WISE 4,508
HANCOCK 4,445
MIDDLESEX 4,364
HIGHLAND 4,319
POCAHONTAS 3,958
GILMER 3,759
WIRT 3,751
MORGAN 3,732
BATH 3,676
CRAIG 3,553
RALEIGH 3,367
PLEASANTS 2,945
WYOMING 2,861
BUCHANAN 2,793
CALHOUN 2,502
CLAY 1,787
WARWICK 1,740
WEBSTER 1,555
MCDOWELL 1,535
TUCKER 1,428
Total 1,596,318

Sorted by Percentage of Enslaved People in Total Population

County TOTAL
POPULATION		 TOTAL NO.
OF ENSLAVED PEOPLE		 total no. of enslaved/
total population
NOTTOWAY 8,836 6,468 73.2
AMELIA 10,741 7,655 71.3
CUMBERLAND 9,961 6,705 67.3
GREENSVILLE 6,374 4,167 65.4
KING WILLIAM 8,530 5,525 64.8
POWHATAN 8,392 5,403 64.4
ESSEX 10,469 6,696 64.0
CHARLOTTE 14,471 9,238 63.8
SUSSEX 10,175 6,384 62.7
PRINCE EDWARD 11,844 7,341 62.0
MECKLENBURG 20,096 12,420 61.8
BRUNSWICK 14,809 9,146 61.8
LOUISA 16,701 10,194 61.0
LUNENBURG 11,983 7,305 61.0
KING AND QUEEN 10,328 6,139 59.4
PRINCE GEORGE 8,411 4,997 59.4
WARWICK 1,740 1,019 58.6
BUCKINGHAM 15,212 8,811 57.9
CAROLINE 18,464 10,672 57.8
GOOCHLAND 10,656 6,139 57.6
NEW KENT 5,884 3,374 57.3
ORANGE 10,851 6,111 56.3
HALIFAX 26,520 14,897 56.2
KING GEORGE 6,571 3,673 55.9
LANCASTER 5,151 2,869 55.7
CULPEPER 12,063 6,675 55.3
HANOVER 17,222 9,483 55.1
MIDDLESEX 4,364 2,375 54.4
CHARLES CITY 5,609 2,947 52.5
GLOUCESTER 10,956 5,736 52.4
ALBEMARLE 26,625 13,916 52.3
APPOMATTOX 8,889 4,600 51.7
MADISON 8,854 4,397 49.7
NORTHAMPTON 7,832 3,872 49.4
SPOTSYLVANIA 16,076 7,786 48.4
FLUVANNA 10,353 4,994 48.2
FAUQUIER 21,706 10,455 48.2
NELSON 13,015 6,238 47.9
CLARKE 7,146 3,375 47.2
AMHERST 13,742 6,278 45.7
NORTHUMBERLAND 7,531 3,439 45.7
WESTMORELAND 8,282 3,704 44.7
PITTSYLVANIA 32,104 14,340 44.7
JAMES CITY 5,798 2,586 44.6
CAMPBELL 26,197 11,580 44.2
CHESTERFIELD 19,016 8,354 43.9
MATHEWS 7,091 3,008 42.4
DINWIDDIE 30,198 12,774 42.3
SOUTHAMPTON 12,915 5,408 41.9
ELIZABETH CITY 5,798 2,417 41.7
HENRY 12,105 5,018 41.5
PRINCESS ANNE 7,714 3,186 41.3
SURRY 6,133 2,515 41.0
BEDFORD 25,068 10,176 40.6
NANSEMOND 13,693 5,481 40.0
RAPPAHANNOCK 8,850 3,520 39.8
GREENE 5,022 1,984 39.5
YORK 4,949 1,925 38.9
STAFFORD 8,555 3,314 38.7
RICHMOND 6,856 2,466 36.0
ISLE OF WIGHT 9,977 3,570 35.8
ROANOKE 8,048 2,643 32.8
HENRICO 61,616 20,041 32.5
FRANKLIN 20,098 6,351 31.6
PULASKI 5,416 1,589 29.3
PRINCE WILLIAM 8,565 2,356 27.5
JEFFERSON 14,535 3,960 27.2
FAIRFAX 11,834 3,116 26.3
BATH 3,676 946 25.7
LOUDOUN 21,774 5,501 25.3
NORFOLK 36,227 9,004 24.9
WARREN 6,442 1,575 24.4
ACCOMACK 18,586 4,507 24.2
BOTETOURT 11,516 2,769 24.0
ROCKBRIDGE 17,248 3,985 23.1
PATRICK 9,359 2,070 22.1
MONTGOMERY 10,617 2,219 20.9
AUGUSTA 27,749 5,616 20.2
WYTHE 12,305 2,162 17.6
WASHINGTON 16,892 2,547 15.1
ALLEGHANY 6,765 990 14.6
FREDERICK 16,546 2,259 13.7
KANAWHA 16,150 2,184 13.5
BERKELEY 12,525 1,650 13.2
GREENBRIER 12,211 1,525 12.5
TAZEWELL 9,920 1,202 12.1
CRAIG 3,553 420 11.8
SMYTH 8,952 1,037 11.6
GILES 6,883 778 11.3
ARLINGTON/ALEXAND 12,652 1,386 11.0
HARDY 9,864 1,073 10.9
RUSSELL 10,280 1,099 10.7
PAGE 8,109 850 10.5
MONROE 10,757 1,114 10.4
ROCKINGHAM 23,408 2,387 10.2
HIGHLAND 4,319 402 9.3
PUTNAM 6,301 580 9.2
HAMPSHIRE 13,913 1,213 8.7
LEE 11,032 824 7.5
GRAYSON 8,252 547 6.6
POCAHONTAS 3,958 252 6.4
FLOYD 8,236 475 5.8
SHENANDOAH 13,896 753 5.4
MERCER 6,819 362 5.3
FAYETTE 5,997 271 4.5
HARRISON 13,790 582 4.2
MASON 9,173 376 4.1
SCOTT 12,072 490 4.1
PENDLETON 6,164 244 4.0
CABELL 8,020 305 3.8
RANDOLPH 4,990 183 3.7
NICHOLAS 4,627 154 3.3
CARROLL 8,012 262 3.3
BOONE 4,840 158 3.3
LOGAN 4,938 148 3.0
UPSHUR 7,292 212 2.9
LEWIS 7,999 230 2.9
MORGAN 3,732 94 2.5
WYOMING 2,861 64 2.2
WAYNE 6,747 143 2.1
BRAXTON 4,992 104 2.1
RALEIGH 3,367 57 1.7
WOOD 11,046 176 1.6
TAYLOR 7,463 112 1.5
WISE 4,508 66 1.5
TUCKER 1,428 20 1.4
GILMER 3,759 52 1.4
ROANE 5,381 72 1.3
CLAY 1,787 21 1.2
BUCHANAN 2,793 30 1.1
BARBOUR 8,958 95 1.1
MONONGALIA 13,048 101 0.8
JACKSON 8,306 55 0.7
DODDRIDGE 5,203 34 0.7
WIRT 3,751 23 0.6
RITCHIE 6,847 38 0.6
PLEASANTS 2,945 15 0.5
PRESTON 13,312 67 0.5
MARION 12,722 63 0.5
OHIO 22,422 100 0.4
CALHOUN 2,502 9 0.4
BROOKE 5,494 18 0.3
TYLER 6,517 18 0.3
MARSHALL 12,997 29 0.2
WEBSTER 1,555 3 0.2
WETZEL 6,703 10 0.1
HANCOCK 4,445 2 0.0
MCDOWELL 1,535 0 0.0
Total 1,596,318 490,865 31

enslaved people made up the majority of 32 counties in 1860
enslaved people made up the majority of 32 counties in 1860
Source: Bureau of Census, Distribution of Slaves in 1860

References

1. 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?, http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/

Patterns of People and Places of Virginia
Virginia Places