During the holiday shopping crush between Thanksgiving and Christmas, there are more cars parked at the Tysons Corner shopping center than there are residents in 20 Virginia jurisdictions.
You can see from this table and the map of counties that lost population between 1990-2000 that small counties are not necessarily shrinking or growing. Factors other than size are shaping the pattern of population growth in Virginia.
Note: Clifton Forge reverted from a city to a town within Alleghany County in 2001. Its population is now counted as part of Alleghany County, and Clifton Forge is no longer treated as an independent jurisdiction.
| County | 1990 | 2000 | change (people) |
change (%) |
| Highland County | 2,635 | 2,536 | -99 | -3.8 |
| Norton city | 4,247 | 3,904 | -343 | -8.1 |
| Clifton Forge city (until 2001) |
4,679 | 4,289 | -390 | -8.3 |
| Bath County | 4,799 | 5,048 | 249 | 5.2 |
| Craig County | 4,372 | 5,091 | 719 | 16.4 |
| Emporia city | 5,306 | 5,665 | 359 | 6.8 |
| Bedford city | 6,073 | 6,299 | 226 | 3.7 |
| Covington city | 6,991 | 6,303 | -688 | -9.8 |
| Buena Vista city | 6,406 | 6,349 | -57 | -0.9 |
| King and Queen County | 6,289 | 6,630 | 341 | 5.4 |
| Surry County | 6,145 | 6,829 | 684 | 11.1 |
| Galax city | 6,670 | 6,837 | 167 | 2.5 |
| Lexington city | 6,959 | 6,867 | -92 | -1.3 |
| Bland County | 6,514 | 6,871 | 357 | 5.5 |
| Charles City County | 6,282 | 6,926 | 644 | 10.3 |
| Rappahannock County | 6,622 | 6,983 | 361 | 5.5 |
| Franklin city | 7,864 | 8,346 | 482 | 6.1 |
| Richmond County | 7,273 | 8,809 | 1,536 | 21.1 |
| Cumberland County | 7,825 | 9,017 | 1,192 | 15.2 |
| Mathews County | 8,348 | 9,207 | 859 | 10.3 |
| Middlesex County | 8,653 | 9,932 | 1,279 | 14.8 |
| Essex County | 8,689 | 9,989 | 1,300 | 15.0 |
| Manassas Park city | 6,734 | 10,290 | 3,556 | 52.8 |
| Falls Church city | 9,578 | 10,377 | 799 | 8.3 |
| Amelia County | 8,787 | 11,400 | 2,613 | 29.7 |
| Greensville County | 8,853 | 11,560 | 2,707 | 30.6 |
| Poquoson city | 11,005 | 11,566 | 561 | 5.1 |
| Lancaster County | 10,896 | 11,567 | 671 | 6.2 |
| Williamsburg city | 11,530 | 11,998 | 468 | 4.1 |
| Northumberland County | 10,524 | 12,259 | 1,735 | 16.5 |
| Charlotte County | 11,688 | 12,472 | 784 | 6.7 |
| Sussex County | 10,248 | 12,504 | 2,256 | 22.0 |
| Madison County | 11,949 | 12,520 | 571 | 4.8 |
| Clarke County | 12,101 | 12,652 | 551 | 4.6 |
| Alleghany County | 13,176 | 12,926 | -250 | -1.9 |
| Northampton County | 13,061 | 13,093 | 32 | 0.2 |
| King William County | 10,913 | 13,146 | 2,233 | 20.5 |
| Lunenburg County | 11,419 | 13,146 | 1,727 | 15.1 |
| New Kent County | 10,445 | 13,462 | 3,017 | 28.9 |
| Appomattox County | 12,298 | 13,705 | 1,407 | 11.4 |
| Floyd County | 12,005 | 13,874 | 1,869 | 15.6 |
| Nelson County | 12,778 | 14,445 | 1,667 | 13.0 |
| Greene County | 10,297 | 15,244 | 4,947 | 48.0 |
| Martinsville city | 16,162 | 15,416 | -746 | -4.6 |
| Buckingham County | 12,873 | 15,623 | 2,750 | 21.4 |
| Nottoway County | 14,993 | 15,725 | 732 | 4.9 |
| Radford city | 15,940 | 15,859 | -81 | -0.5 |
| Dickenson County | 17,620 | 16,395 | -1,225 | -7.0 |
| Giles County | 16,366 | 16,657 | 291 | 1.8 |
| Westmoreland County | 15,480 | 16,718 | 1,238 | 8.0 |
| King George County | 13,527 | 16,803 | 3,276 | 24.2 |
| Goochland County | 14,163 | 16,863 | 2,700 | 19.1 |
| Colonial Heights city | 16,064 | 16,897 | 833 | 5.2 |
| Bristol city | 18,426 | 17,367 | -1,059 | -5.7 |
| Southampton County | 17,550 | 17,482 | -68 | -0.4 |
| Grayson County | 16,278 | 17,917 | 1,639 | 10.1 |
| Brunswick County | 15,987 | 18,419 | 2,432 | 15.2 |
| Fredericksburg city | 19,027 | 19,279 | 252 | 1.3 |
| Patrick County | 17,473 | 19,407 | 1,934 | 11.1 |
| Waynesboro city | 18,549 | 19,520 | 971 | 5.2 |
| Prince Edward County | 17,320 | 19,720 | 2,400 | 13.9 |
| Fluvanna County | 12,429 | 20,047 | 7,618 | 61.3 |
| Rockbridge County | 18,350 | 20,808 | 2,458 | 13.4 |
| Fairfax city | 19,622 | 21,498 | 1,876 | 9.6 |
| Caroline County | 19,217 | 22,121 | 2,904 | 15.1 |
| Hopewell city | 23,101 | 22,354 | -747 | -3.2 |
| Powhatan County | 15,328 | 22,377 | 7,049 | 46.0 |
| Page County | 21,690 | 23,177 | 1,487 | 6.9 |
| Scott County | 23,204 | 23,403 | 199 | 0.9 |
| Winchester city | 21,947 | 23,585 | 1,638 | 7.5 |
| Lee County | 24,496 | 23,589 | -907 | -3.7 |
| Staunton city | 24,461 | 23,853 | -608 | -2.5 |
| Dinwiddie County | 20,960 | 24,533 | 3,573 | 17.0 |
| Salem city | 23,756 | 24,747 | 991 | 4.2 |
| Louisa County | 20,325 | 25,627 | 5,302 | 26.1 |
| Orange County | 21,421 | 25,881 | 4,460 | 20.8 |
| Buchanan County | 31,333 | 26,978 | -4,355 | -13.9 |
| Wythe County | 25,466 | 27,599 | 2,133 | 8.4 |
| Carroll County | 26,594 | 29,245 | 2,651 | 10.0 |
| Isle of Wight County | 25,053 | 29,728 | 4,675 | 18.7 |
| Russell County | 28,667 | 30,308 | 1,641 | 5.7 |
| Botetourt County | 24,992 | 30,496 | 5,504 | 22.0 |
| Warren County | 26,142 | 31,584 | 5,442 | 20.8 |
| Amherst County | 28,578 | 31,894 | 3,316 | 11.6 |
| Mecklenburg County | 29,241 | 32,380 | 3,139 | 10.7 |
| Prince George County | 27,394 | 33,047 | 5,653 | 20.6 |
| Smyth County | 32,370 | 33,081 | 711 | 2.2 |
| Petersburg city | 38,386 | 33,740 | -4,646 | -12.1 |
| Culpeper County | 27,791 | 34,262 | 6,471 | 23.3 |
| Gloucester County | 30,131 | 34,780 | 4,649 | 15.4 |
| Shenandoah County | 31,636 | 35,075 | 3,439 | 10.9 |
| Pulaski County | 34,496 | 35,127 | 631 | 1.8 |
| Manassas city | 27,957 | 35,135 | 7,178 | 25.7 |
| Halifax County | 29,033 | 37,355 | 8,322 | 28.7 |
| Wise County | 39,573 | 40,123 | 550 | 1.4 |
| Harrisonburg city | 30,707 | 40,468 | 9,761 | 31.8 |
| Tazewell County | 45,960 | 44,598 | -1,362 | -3.0 |
| Charlottesville city | 40,341 | 45,049 | 4,708 | 11.7 |
| Franklin County | 39,549 | 47,286 | 7,737 | 19.6 |
| James City County | 34,859 | 48,102 | 13,243 | 38.0 |
| Danville city | 53,056 | 48,411 | -4,645 | -8.8 |
| Campbell County | 47,572 | 51,078 | 3,506 | 7.4 |
| Washington County | 45,887 | 51,103 | 5,216 | 11.4 |
| Fauquier County | 48,741 | 55,139 | 6,398 | 13.1 |
| York County | 42,422 | 56,297 | 13,875 | 32.7 |
| Henry County | 56,942 | 57,930 | 988 | 1.7 |
| Frederick County | 45,723 | 59,209 | 13,486 | 29.5 |
| Bedford County | 45,656 | 60,371 | 14,715 | 32.2 |
| Pittsylvania County | 55,655 | 61,745 | 6,090 | 10.9 |
| Suffolk city | 52,141 | 63,677 | 11,536 | 22.1 |
| Lynchburg city | 66,049 | 65,269 | -780 | -1.2 |
| Augusta County | 54,677 | 65,615 | 10,938 | 20.0 |
| Rockingham County | 57,482 | 67,725 | 10,243 | 17.8 |
| Albemarle County | 68,040 | 79,236 | 11,196 | 16.5 |
| Montgomery County | 73,913 | 83,629 | 9,716 | 13.1 |
| Roanoke County | 79,332 | 85,778 | 6,446 | 8.1 |
| Hanover County | 63,306 | 86,320 | 23,014 | 36.4 |
| Spotsylvania County | 57,403 | 90,395 | 32,992 | 57.5 |
| Stafford County | 61,236 | 92,446 | 31,210 | 51.0 |
| Roanoke city | 96,397 | 94,911 | -1,486 | -1.5 |
| Portsmouth city | 103,907 | 100,565 | -3,342 | -3.2 |
| Alexandria city | 111,183 | 128,283 | 17,100 | 15.4 |
| Hampton city | 133,793 | 146,437 | 12,644 | 9.5 |
| Loudoun County | 86,129 | 169,599 | 83,470 | 96.9 |
| Newport News city | 170,045 | 180,150 | 10,105 | 5.9 |
| Arlington County | 170,936 | 189,453 | 18,517 | 10.8 |
| Richmond city | 203,056 | 197,790 | -5,266 | -2.6 |
| Chesapeake city | 151,976 | 199,184 | 47,208 | 31.1 |
| Norfolk city | 261,229 | 234,403 | -26,826 | -10.3 |
| Chesterfield County | 209,274 | 259,903 | 50,629 | 24.2 |
| Henrico County | 217,881 | 262,300 | 44,419 | 20.4 |
| Prince William County | 215,686 | 280,813 | 65,127 | 30.2 |
| Virginia Beach city | 393,069 | 425,257 | 32,188 | 8.2 |
| Fairfax County | 818,584 | 969,749 | 151,165 | 18.5 |