State
Land Area
14.9 sq mi
Density
10,723.5/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
0.22%
Growth Since 2010
14.42%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
6,345,780
Alexandria is a city located in Virginia. With a 2020 population of 160,146, it is the 6th largest city in Virginia and the 160th largest city in the United States. Alexandria is currently growing at a rate of 0.22% annually and its population has increased by 14.42% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 139,966 in 2010. Alexandria reached it's highest population of 160,146 in 2021. Spanning over 15 miles, Alexandria has a population density of 10,723 people per square mile.
The average household income in Alexandria is $135,100 with a poverty rate of 10.31%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $1,747 per month, and the median house value is $572,900. The median age in Alexandria is 36.8 years, 36.5 years for males, and 37.1 years for females. For every 100 females there are 93.0 males.
Alexandria is an independent city that has been heavily influenced by Washington D.C., which is located just seven miles away. The city of Alexandria was originally founded in 1749 and wasn't incorporated as a city until 1852. It was designated later as an independent city in 1870.
Alexandria’s residents are more educated than others in the state, with about 58% of the city’s residents holding at least a bachelor’s degree, exceeding the 33% average of Virginia.
The city has exhibited steady population growth, and recent estimates show that the figures are up over 11% since the city’s last recorded population in 2010. This growth is driven primarily by the number of jobs in the area, including roles in the U.S. military, the Department of Defense and other government and private entities.
The town founders called the new town "Belhaven," but this was never officially approved and fell out of favor quickly, replaced with the name Alexandria upon official incorporation in 1779.
Alexandria was included in the area chosen by George Washington in 1791 to become the District of Columbia. George Washington was also the land surveyor that sketched the shoreline where the city would eventually be.
In 1814 - during the War of 1812, Alexandria suffered an attack by the British which was successful. The surrender of the city allowed the British to loot from the town stores - including flour, sugar, and wine. After three days, the British troops withdrew to rally forces for another attack.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Alexandria was:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
Year | Total Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 6,345,780 | 32,650 | 0.51% |
2020 | 6,313,130 | 32,640 | 0.52% |
2019 | 6,280,490 | 32,650 | 0.52% |
2018 | 6,247,840 | 36,500 | 0.58% |
2017 | 6,211,340 | 62,040 | 1.00% |
2016 | 6,149,300 | 55,350 | 0.90% |
2015 | 6,093,950 | 62,010 | 1.02% |
2014 | 6,031,940 | 68,630 | 1.14% |
2013 | 5,963,310 | 84,370 | 1.41% |
2012 | 5,878,940 | 96,620 | 1.64% |
2011 | 5,782,320 | 103,830 | 1.80% |
2010 | 5,678,490 | 0.00% |
Race | Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White | 98,017 | 62.19% |
Black or African American | 34,287 | 21.75% |
Asian | 9,280 | 5.89% |
Two or More Races | 8,397 | 5.33% |
Some Other Race | 7,233 | 4.59% |
American Indian and Alaska Native | 353 | 0.22% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 46 | 0.03% |
Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
---|---|---|---|
All | 70,598 | 2.21 | 43.3 |
Non Family | 36,096 | 1.33 | 37.5 |
Married | 25,736 | 2.99 | 57.4 |
Female | 6,148 | 3.63 | 26.4 |
Male | 2,618 | 3.38 | 24.3 |
3.02
Average Family Size
2.21
Average Household Size
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 4,746 | 3.97% |
9th to 12th Grade | 3,605 | 3.01% |
High School Graduate | 13,882 | 11.60% |
Some College | 15,653 | 13.08% |
Associates Degree | 6,262 | 5.23% |
Bachelors Degree | 35,528 | 29.70% |
Graduate Degree | 39,955 | 33.40% |
Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 66,435 | 65,613 | 53,184 |
Black | 25,278 | 22,920 | 9,374 |
Hispanic | 16,487 | 12,029 | 5,376 |
Asian | 7,912 | 7,324 | 5,216 |
Multiple Races | 5,090 | 4,784 | 2,841 |
Other Race | 4,174 | 2,663 | 1,011 |
Native American | 163 | 163 | 81 |
Islander | 12 | 12 | 6 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among native american people with a rate of 100.00%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 80.05%.
$64,490
Average Earnings
$71,061
Average Male
$61,036
Average Female
66.49% of Alexandria residents speak only English, while 33.51% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 14.42% of the population.
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Black | 33,733 | 5,824 | 17.26% |
Hispanic | 26,091 | 5,004 | 19.18% |
White | 81,286 | 3,536 | 4.35% |
Other | 7,110 | 1,580 | 22.22% |
Multiple | 8,366 | 1,343 | 16.05% |
Asian | 9,223 | 591 | 6.41% |
Native | 353 | 183 | 51.84% |
10.31%
Overall Poverty Rate
9.61%
Male Poverty Rate
10.95%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Alexandria is Native, with 51.84% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Alexandria is White, with 4.35% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.85%. Among those working part-time, it was 15.44%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 21.89%.
43.7%
Overall Marriage Rate
46.6%
Male Marriage Rate
41.0%
Female Marriage Rate
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 8,429 | 10.59% |
Black | 2,002 | 7.24% |
Hispanic | 754 | 4.04% |
2 or More | 354 | 6.46% |
Asian | 297 | 3.57% |
Other | 73 | 1.49% |
Indian | 59 | 21.22% |
Hawaiian | 6 | 18.18% |
3.34%
Veteran Poverty Rate
15.75%
Veteran Disability Rate
78.2%
Labor Force Participation
73.8%
Employment Rate
3%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
72.76%
Native Born
27.24%
Foreign Born
16.22%
Non Citizen
11.03%
Naturalized
72.76% of Alexandria residents were born in the United States, with 21.31% having been born in Virginia. 16.22% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 160,146 | 359 | 0.22% |
2020 | 159,787 | 359 | 0.23% |
2019 | 159,428 | 359 | 0.23% |
2018 | 159,069 | -146 | -0.09% |
2017 | 159,215 | 2,517 | 1.61% |
2016 | 156,698 | 3,044 | 1.98% |
2015 | 153,654 | 2,279 | 1.51% |
2014 | 151,375 | 1,738 | 1.16% |
2013 | 149,637 | 2,346 | 1.59% |
2012 | 147,291 | 3,072 | 2.13% |
2011 | 144,219 | 3,490 | 2.48% |
2010 | 140,729 | 12,446 | 0.93% |
2000 | 128,283 | 17,100 | 1.44% |
1990 | 111,183 | 7,966 | 0.75% |
1980 | 103,217 | -7,710 | -0.72% |
1970 | 110,927 | 19,904 | 2.00% |
1960 | 91,023 | 29,236 | 3.95% |
1950 | 61,787 | 28,264 | 6.31% |
1940 | 33,523 | 9,374 | 3.33% |
1930 | 24,149 | 6,089 | 2.95% |
1920 | 18,060 | 2,731 | 1.65% |
1910 | 15,329 | 801 | 0.54% |
1900 | 14,528 | 189 | 0.13% |
1890 | 14,339 | 680 | 0.49% |
1880 | 13,659 | 89 | 0.07% |
1870 | 13,570 | 918 | 0.70% |
1860 | 12,652 | 3,918 | 3.78% |
1850 | 8,734 | 234 | 0.27% |
1840 | 8,500 | 300 | 0.36% |
1830 | 8,200 | 0.00% | |
1820 | 8,200 | 1,000 | 1.31% |
1810 | 7,200 | 2,200 | 3.71% |
1800 | 5,000 | 2,252 | 6.17% |
1790 | 2,748 | 0.00% |