PLANNING DISTRICT 16 IS GROWING FASTER BY PERCENTAGE THAN ANY OTHER VIRGINIA REGION

January 30, 2025

FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA

The University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center released its official population estimates for Virginia counties and independent cities this January. The Weldon Cooper Center’s estimates provide an accurate approximation of a locality’s population count on July 1st, 2024.  State and local government agencies use this data for funding allocations, planning, and budgeting purposes.

The George Washington Regional Commission (Planning District 16) including the City of Fredericksburg and Counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford has a 2024 population estimate is 407,412. From the April 1, 2020, Census, the region’s population grew by 24,861 people or 6.5%. Since the 2020 Census, Caroline County has experienced the 4th fastest percentage growth rate of cities and counties in Virginia. From 2020 to 2024, Caroline County added 2,871 people to their population count, a 9.3% population increase, only behind New Kent, Goochland and Louisa Counties. In contrast, the City of Fredericksburg experienced only a slight population increase of 47 people or .2% since the 2020 Census.

PD16 ranks 4th in actual population growth with 24,861 new residents since the 2020 Census. Only Richmond, Northern Virginia, and Crater regions exceed our population change with population changes of 51,373 and 43,707 and 25,023 respectively.

  April 1, 2010 April 1, 2020 July 1, 2024 Since 2020 Since 2020
  Census Census Estimate Numeric Change % Change
Caroline 28,545 30,887 33,758 2,871 9.3%
King George 23,584 26,723 28,250 1,527 5.7%
Spotsylvania 122,397 140,032 149,920 9,888 7.1%
Stafford 128,961 156,927 167,455 10,528 6.7%
Fredericksburg 24,286 27,982 28,029 47 .2%
PD16 Region 327,773 382,551 407,412 24,861 6.5%

Executive Director, Chip Boyles, relayed that “the GWRC region once again has the fastest growth rate of any of the 21 planning districts in Virginia. Our region continues to monitor and plan for fast changing commuting and housing patterns occurring from the migration of families from DC, from Northern Virginia and now from the Richmond areas”.

The full 2024 population estimates are available on the Weldon Cooper Center website at https://www.coopercenter.org/virginia-population-estimates.

Tracing its origins to 1961, the George Washington Regional Commission is the “planning district commission” established by the General Assembly for the region comprising the City of Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford, known collectively as “Planning District 16”.

The Commission is responsible for encouraging and facilitating local government cooperation in addressing, on a regional basis, problems of greater than local significance, and provides a broad array of services for the benefit of the residents of Planning District 16. Current areas of focus of the GWRC include economic development, environmental services, housing and community health, affordable housing, transportation demand management, and rural and urban transportation planning.

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