All but one of the communities on the Appalachian Plateau lost population between 1990-2000. One reason: coal mining requires fewer workers as operations are mechanized. See the communities highlighted on the map (above, in yellow) and the spreadsheet (below, in white). You can also compare the jurisdictions with a shrinking population to the counties and cities with a small population (under 10,000 people, according to the 2000 Census).
| County | 1990 | 2000 | change (people) |
change (%) |
| Buchanan County | 31,333 | 26,978 | -4,355 | -13.9 |
| Petersburg city | 38,386 | 33,740 | -4,646 | -12.1 |
| Norfolk city | 261,229 | 234,403 | -26,826 | -10.3 |
| Covington city | 6,991 | 6,303 | -688 | -9.8 |
| Danville city | 53,056 | 48,411 | -4,645 | -8.8 |
| Clifton Forge city | 4,679 | 4,289 | -390 | -8.3 |
| Norton city | 4,247 | 3,904 | -343 | -8.1 |
| Dickenson County | 17,620 | 16,395 | -1,225 | -7.0 |
| Bristol city | 18,426 | 17,367 | -1,059 | -5.7 |
| Martinsville city | 16,162 | 15,416 | -746 | -4.6 |
| Highland County | 2,635 | 2,536 | -99 | -3.8 |
| Lee County | 24,496 | 23,589 | -907 | -3.7 |
| Hopewell city | 23,101 | 22,354 | -747 | -3.2 |
| Portsmouth city | 103,907 | 100,565 | -3,342 | -3.2 |
| Tazewell County | 45,960 | 44,598 | -1,362 | -3.0 |
| Richmond city | 203,056 | 197,790 | -5,266 | -2.6 |
| Staunton city | 24,461 | 23,853 | -608 | -2.5 |
| Alleghany County | 13,176 | 12,926 | -250 | -1.9 |
| Roanoke city | 96,397 | 94,911 | -1,486 | -1.5 |
| Lexington city | 6,959 | 6,867 | -92 | -1.3 |
| Lynchburg city | 66,049 | 65,269 | -780 | -1.2 |
| Buena Vista city | 6,406 | 6,349 | -57 | -0.9 |
| Radford city | 15,940 | 15,859 | -81 | -0.5 |
| Southampton County | 17,550 | 17,482 | -68 | -0.4 |
| Northampton County | 13,061 | 13,093 | 32 | 0.2 |
| Scott County | 23,204 | 23,403 | 199 | 0.9 |
| Fredericksburg city | 19,027 | 19,279 | 252 | 1.3 |
| Wise County | 39,573 | 40,123 | 550 | 1.4 |
| Henry County | 56,942 | 57,930 | 988 | 1.7 |
| Giles County | 16,366 | 16,657 | 291 | 1.8 |
| Pulaski County | 34,496 | 35,127 | 631 | 1.8 |
| Smyth County | 32,370 | 33,081 | 711 | 2.2 |
| Galax city | 6,670 | 6,837 | 167 | 2.5 |
| Bedford city | 6,073 | 6,299 | 226 | 3.7 |
| Williamsburg city | 11,530 | 11,998 | 468 | 4.1 |
| Salem city | 23,756 | 24,747 | 991 | 4.2 |
| Clarke County | 12,101 | 12,652 | 551 | 4.6 |
| Madison County | 11,949 | 12,520 | 571 | 4.8 |
| Nottoway County | 14,993 | 15,725 | 732 | 4.9 |
| Poquoson city | 11,005 | 11,566 | 561 | 5.1 |
| Colonial Heights city | 16,064 | 16,897 | 833 | 5.2 |
| Bath County | 4,799 | 5,048 | 249 | 5.2 |
| Waynesboro city | 18,549 | 19,520 | 971 | 5.2 |
| King and Queen County | 6,289 | 6,630 | 341 | 5.4 |
| Rappahannock County | 6,622 | 6,983 | 361 | 5.5 |
| Bland County | 6,514 | 6,871 | 357 | 5.5 |
| Russell County | 28,667 | 30,308 | 1,641 | 5.7 |
| Newport News city | 170,045 | 180,150 | 10,105 | 5.9 |
| Franklin city | 7,864 | 8,346 | 482 | 6.1 |
| Lancaster County | 10,896 | 11,567 | 671 | 6.2 |
| Charlotte County | 11,688 | 12,472 | 784 | 6.7 |
| Emporia city | 5,306 | 5,665 | 359 | 6.8 |
| Page County | 21,690 | 23,177 | 1,487 | 6.9 |
| Campbell County | 47,572 | 51,078 | 3,506 | 7.4 |
| Winchester city | 21,947 | 23,585 | 1,638 | 7.5 |
| Westmoreland County | 15,480 | 16,718 | 1,238 | 8.0 |
| Roanoke County | 79,332 | 85,778 | 6,446 | 8.1 |
| Virginia Beach city | 393,069 | 425,257 | 32,188 | 8.2 |
| Falls Church city | 9,578 | 10,377 | 799 | 8.3 |
| Wythe County | 25,466 | 27,599 | 2,133 | 8.4 |
| Hampton city | 133,793 | 146,437 | 12,644 | 9.5 |
| Fairfax city | 19,622 | 21,498 | 1,876 | 9.6 |
| Carroll County | 26,594 | 29,245 | 2,651 | 10.0 |
| Grayson County | 16,278 | 17,917 | 1,639 | 10.1 |
| Charles City County | 6,282 | 6,926 | 644 | 10.3 |
| Mathews County | 8,348 | 9,207 | 859 | 10.3 |
| Mecklenburg County | 29,241 | 32,380 | 3,139 | 10.7 |
| Arlington County | 170,936 | 189,453 | 18,517 | 10.8 |
| Shenandoah County | 31,636 | 35,075 | 3,439 | 10.9 |
| Pittsylvania County | 55,655 | 61,745 | 6,090 | 10.9 |
| Patrick County | 17,473 | 19,407 | 1,934 | 11.1 |
| Surry County | 6,145 | 6,829 | 684 | 11.1 |
| Washington County | 45,887 | 51,103 | 5,216 | 11.4 |
| Appomattox County | 12,298 | 13,705 | 1,407 | 11.4 |
| Amherst County | 28,578 | 31,894 | 3,316 | 11.6 |
| Charlottesville city | 40,341 | 45,049 | 4,708 | 11.7 |
| Nelson County | 12,778 | 14,445 | 1,667 | 13.0 |
| Fauquier County | 48,741 | 55,139 | 6,398 | 13.1 |
| Montgomery County | 73,913 | 83,629 | 9,716 | 13.1 |
| Rockbridge County | 18,350 | 20,808 | 2,458 | 13.4 |
| Prince Edward County | 17,320 | 19,720 | 2,400 | 13.9 |
| Middlesex County | 8,653 | 9,932 | 1,279 | 14.8 |
| Essex County | 8,689 | 9,989 | 1,300 | 15.0 |
| Caroline County | 19,217 | 22,121 | 2,904 | 15.1 |
| Lunenburg County | 11,419 | 13,146 | 1,727 | 15.1 |
| Brunswick County | 15,987 | 18,419 | 2,432 | 15.2 |
| Cumberland County | 7,825 | 9,017 | 1,192 | 15.2 |
| Alexandria city | 111,183 | 128,283 | 17,100 | 15.4 |
| Gloucester County | 30,131 | 34,780 | 4,649 | 15.4 |
| Floyd County | 12,005 | 13,874 | 1,869 | 15.6 |
| Craig County | 4,372 | 5,091 | 719 | 16.4 |
| Albemarle County | 68,040 | 79,236 | 11,196 | 16.5 |
| Northumberland County | 10,524 | 12,259 | 1,735 | 16.5 |
| Dinwiddie County | 20,960 | 24,533 | 3,573 | 17.0 |
| Rockingham County | 57,482 | 67,725 | 10,243 | 17.8 |
| Fairfax County | 818,584 | 969,749 | 151,165 | 18.5 |
| Isle of Wight County | 25,053 | 29,728 | 4,675 | 18.7 |
| Goochland County | 14,163 | 16,863 | 2,700 | 19.1 |
| Franklin County | 39,549 | 47,286 | 7,737 | 19.6 |
| Augusta County | 54,677 | 65,615 | 10,938 | 20.0 |
| Henrico County | 217,881 | 262,300 | 44,419 | 20.4 |
| King William County | 10,913 | 13,146 | 2,233 | 20.5 |
| Prince George County | 27,394 | 33,047 | 5,653 | 20.6 |
| Warren County | 26,142 | 31,584 | 5,442 | 20.8 |
| Orange County | 21,421 | 25,881 | 4,460 | 20.8 |
| Richmond County | 7,273 | 8,809 | 1,536 | 21.1 |
| Buckingham County | 12,873 | 15,623 | 2,750 | 21.4 |
| Sussex County | 10,248 | 12,504 | 2,256 | 22.0 |
| Botetourt County | 24,992 | 30,496 | 5,504 | 22.0 |
| Suffolk city | 52,141 | 63,677 | 11,536 | 22.1 |
| Culpeper County | 27,791 | 34,262 | 6,471 | 23.3 |
| Chesterfield County | 209,274 | 259,903 | 50,629 | 24.2 |
| King George County | 13,527 | 16,803 | 3,276 | 24.2 |
| Manassas city | 27,957 | 35,135 | 7,178 | 25.7 |
| Louisa County | 20,325 | 25,627 | 5,302 | 26.1 |
| Halifax County | 29,033 | 37,355 | 8,322 | 28.7 |
| New Kent County | 10,445 | 13,462 | 3,017 | 28.9 |
| Frederick County | 45,723 | 59,209 | 13,486 | 29.5 |
| Amelia County | 8,787 | 11,400 | 2,613 | 29.7 |
| Prince William County | 215,686 | 280,813 | 65,127 | 30.2 |
| Greensville County | 8,853 | 11,560 | 2,707 | 30.6 |
| Chesapeake city | 151,976 | 199,184 | 47,208 | 31.1 |
| Harrisonburg city | 30,707 | 40,468 | 9,761 | 31.8 |
| Bedford County | 45,656 | 60,371 | 14,715 | 32.2 |
| York County | 42,422 | 56,297 | 13,875 | 32.7 |
| Hanover County | 63,306 | 86,320 | 23,014 | 36.4 |
| James City County | 34,859 | 48,102 | 13,243 | 38.0 |
| Powhatan County | 15,328 | 22,377 | 7,049 | 46.0 |
| Greene County | 10,297 | 15,244 | 4,947 | 48.0 |
| Stafford County | 61,236 | 92,446 | 31,210 | 51.0 |
| Manassas Park city | 6,734 | 10,290 | 3,556 | 52.8 |
| Spotsylvania County | 57,403 | 90,395 | 32,992 | 57.5 |
| Fluvanna County | 12,429 | 20,047 | 7,618 | 61.3 |
| Loudoun County | 86,129 | 169,599 | 83,470 | 96.9 |
