Culpeper growth slows down

Culpeper County grew faster than the nation but slightly slower than the state since the 2010 census.

As of July 1, 2011, Virginia’s population grew by 1.2 percent – to 8.096 million – compared to less than 1 percent for the country, according to new data from the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center.

Meanwhile, from April 1, 2010 through last July, Culpeper County saw a 1 percent increase in its citizenry, gaining 455 new residents to achieve a total population of 47,144, according to the Weldon Cooper Center.

Culpeper County Planning Director John Egertson said Tuesday the new figures sound about right.

“We try to track them from each estimate we receive – look at the number of houses we get built and add 2.6 people per household,” he said. “It is pretty much what I would have expected,” Egertson added of the county’s 1 percent increase in population. “We knew we were pretty slow.”

At the peak, Culpeper County grew at a rate of more than 5 percent per year. A normal growth rate is in the 2 percent rate, Egertson said.

Per the Weldon Cooper data, the state’s largest population gains occurred in urban centers in northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads.

The city of Fredericksburg was the fastest growing locality since the 2010 Census, experiencing a 4.9 percent growth rate and adding 1,198 people for a population of 25,484.

The Weldon Cooper Center reported 3.5 percent growth in Greene County achieving a population of 19,042.

Loudoun County grew its population by 3.9 percent, Prince William County 3.1 percent and Manassas City 3.3 percent.

The Rappahannock-Rapidan Planning District – including Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock counties – grew by .9 percent, adding 1,419 residents since April 2010.

Fauquier saw .9 percent growth (65,780). Orange County grew its population by .7 percent (33,715); Madison by .9 percent (13,424) and Rappahannock County by .5 percent (7,410).

According to the Weldon Cooper data, 35 localities in Virginia lost population. Most of the losses were in southwest and southside parts of the state.

At-A-Glance

Growth rate

County populations since 2010 Census

Culpeper: 47,144 - 1 percent growth

Fauquier: 65,780 - .9 percent growth

Orange: 33,715 - .7 percent growth

Madison: 13,424 - .9 percent

Rappahannock: 7,410 - .5 percent