136 cities
| City | Rank | Annual Change ↓ | 2026 Pop. | 2020 Pop. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisa | 1 | 2.31% | 2,305 | 1,993 |
| Cape Charles | 2 | 2.05% | 1,342 | 1,179 |
| Fairfax | 3 | 2.01% | 27,420 | 24,179 |
| Suffolk | 4 | 1.98% | 107,260 | 94,794 |
| Radford | 5 | 1.65% | 17,852 | 16,115 |
| Bowling Green | 6 | 1.65% | 1,294 | 1,168 |
| Fredericksburg | 7 | 1.64% | 30,990 | 27,995 |
| Gordonsville | 8 | 1.57% | 1,556 | 1,414 |
| Lexington | 9 | 1.54% | 8,045 | 7,315 |
| Middletown | 10 | 1.5% | 1,487 | 1,358 |
| Orange | 11 | 1.49% | 5,367 | 4,895 |
| Culpeper | 12 | 1.49% | 22,113 | 20,165 |
| Stephens City | 13 | 1.46% | 2,224 | 2,031 |
| Windsor | 14 | 1.42% | 3,004 | 2,751 |
| Smithfield | 15 | 1.3% | 9,269 | 8,558 |
| Waynesboro | 16 | 1.28% | 24,108 | 22,277 |
| Berryville | 17 | 1.19% | 4,934 | 4,589 |
| South Hill | 18 | 1.19% | 5,037 | 4,685 |
| Broadway | 19 | 1.15% | 4,486 | 4,179 |
| Grottoes | 20 | 1.11% | 3,103 | 2,901 |
| Timberville | 21 | 1.08% | 3,172 | 2,967 |
| Dumfries | 22 | 1.08% | 6,107 | 5,719 |
| Appomattox | 23 | 1.04% | 2,045 | 1,919 |
| Elkton | 24 | 1.03% | 3,137 | 2,944 |
| Dayton | 25 | 1.01% | 1,792 | 1,684 |
| Ashland | 26 | 0.96% | 8,063 | 7,603 |
| Front Royal | 27 | 0.93% | 15,922 | 15,040 |
| Williamsburg | 28 | 0.86% | 16,308 | 15,473 |
| Bridgewater | 29 | 0.84% | 6,942 | 6,594 |
| Colonial Beach | 30 | 0.84% | 4,105 | 3,904 |
| Haymarket | 31 | 0.75% | 1,617 | 1,547 |
| Poquoson | 32 | 0.73% | 13,044 | 12,473 |
| West Point | 33 | 0.73% | 3,581 | 3,424 |
| Richmond | 34 | 0.72% | 237,021 | 226,923 |
| Warsaw | 35 | 0.71% | 1,706 | 1,636 |
| Leesburg | 36 | 0.69% | 50,525 | 48,443 |
| Mount Jackson | 37 | 0.69% | 2,047 | 1,962 |
| Colonial Heights | 38 | 0.68% | 18,928 | 18,166 |
| Franklin | 39 | 0.66% | 8,485 | 8,148 |
| Occoquan | 40 | 0.65% | 1,077 | 1,035 |
| Woodstock | 41 | 0.65% | 6,032 | 5,797 |
| Martinsville | 42 | 0.65% | 14,013 | 13,476 |
| Strasburg | 43 | 0.64% | 7,383 | 7,104 |
| Bedford | 44 | 0.62% | 7,921 | 7,627 |
| Falls Church | 45 | 0.59% | 15,212 | 14,677 |
| New Market | 46 | 0.59% | 2,228 | 2,150 |
| Herndon | 47 | 0.58% | 25,476 | 24,588 |
| Edinburg | 48 | 0.57% | 1,227 | 1,184 |
| Manassas | 49 | 0.52% | 44,076 | 42,695 |
| Staunton | 50 | 0.52% | 26,637 | 25,809 |
| Chesapeake | 51 | 0.51% | 257,632 | 249,726 |
| Salem | 52 | 0.49% | 26,164 | 25,396 |
| Petersburg | 53 | 0.48% | 34,388 | 33,398 |
| Warrenton | 54 | 0.43% | 10,312 | 10,048 |
| Kilmarnock | 55 | 0.41% | 1,475 | 1,442 |
| Lynchburg | 56 | 0.41% | 80,955 | 78,993 |
| Blacksburg | 57 | 0.38% | 45,801 | 44,753 |
| Rocky Mount | 58 | 0.34% | 5,005 | 4,903 |
| Buchanan | 59 | 0.25% | 1,212 | 1,196 |
| Amherst | 60 | 0.23% | 2,137 | 2,109 |
| Vienna | 61 | 0.17% | 16,619 | 16,448 |
| Clarksville | 62 | 0.15% | 1,313 | 1,301 |
| Tappahannock | 63 | 0.14% | 2,204 | 2,189 |
| Victoria | 64 | 0.11% | 1,746 | 1,737 |
| Lovettsville | 65 | 0.11% | 2,724 | 2,709 |
| Chase City | 66 | 0.1% | 2,061 | 2,049 |
| Farmville | 67 | 0.09% | 7,591 | 7,551 |
| Kenbridge | 68 | 0.09% | 1,113 | 1,106 |
| Galax | 69 | 0.09% | 6,750 | 6,717 |
| Hampton | 70 | 0.06% | 137,753 | 137,282 |
| Purcellville | 71 | 0.06% | 8,974 | 8,946 |
| Vinton | 72 | 0.05% | 8,066 | 8,045 |
| Glade Spring | 73 | 0% | 1,368 | 1,368 |
| Alexandria | 74 | -0.01% | 159,081 | 159,144 |
| Hopewell | 75 | -0.04% | 22,949 | 23,012 |
| Stanley | 76 | -0.06% | 1,694 | 1,699 |
| Luray | 77 | -0.06% | 4,807 | 4,824 |
| Onancock | 78 | -0.09% | 1,157 | 1,165 |
| Blackstone | 79 | -0.09% | 3,338 | 3,355 |
| Shenandoah | 80 | -0.12% | 2,461 | 2,478 |
| Crewe | 81 | -0.13% | 2,241 | 2,261 |
| Buena Vista | 82 | -0.15% | 6,561 | 6,621 |
| Waverly | 83 | -0.16% | 1,927 | 1,947 |
| Courtland | 84 | -0.16% | 1,283 | 1,294 |
| Abingdon | 85 | -0.16% | 8,290 | 8,368 |
| Winchester | 86 | -0.18% | 27,698 | 28,003 |
| Rural Retreat | 87 | -0.2% | 1,523 | 1,543 |
| Dublin | 88 | -0.26% | 2,643 | 2,684 |
| Harrisonburg | 89 | -0.26% | 50,893 | 51,705 |
| Pembroke | 90 | -0.27% | 1,128 | 1,149 |
| Virginia Beach | 91 | -0.27% | 452,375 | 459,673 |
| Altavista | 92 | -0.3% | 3,311 | 3,373 |
| Hillsville | 93 | -0.32% | 2,824 | 2,881 |
| Weber City | 94 | -0.32% | 1,228 | 1,251 |
| Wytheville | 95 | -0.33% | 8,105 | 8,270 |
| Gate City | 96 | -0.35% | 2,005 | 2,046 |
| Danville | 97 | -0.35% | 41,700 | 42,578 |
| Covington | 98 | -0.35% | 5,622 | 5,745 |
| Brookneal | 99 | -0.37% | 1,068 | 1,091 |
| Glasgow | 100 | -0.39% | 1,029 | 1,053 |
| Portsmouth | 101 | -0.39% | 95,724 | 97,997 |
| Newport News | 102 | -0.41% | 181,558 | 186,052 |
| Honaker | 103 | -0.42% | 1,182 | 1,211 |
| Stuart | 104 | -0.43% | 1,394 | 1,432 |
| Lebanon | 105 | -0.45% | 3,065 | 3,148 |
| Chincoteague | 106 | -0.46% | 3,249 | 3,338 |
| Halifax | 107 | -0.46% | 1,079 | 1,112 |
| South Boston | 108 | -0.48% | 7,721 | 7,943 |
| Hurt | 109 | -0.49% | 1,226 | 1,265 |
| Pulaski | 110 | -0.49% | 8,719 | 8,977 |
| Pearisburg | 111 | -0.49% | 2,829 | 2,912 |
| Chatham | 112 | -0.51% | 1,182 | 1,221 |
| Roanoke | 113 | -0.51% | 96,919 | 99,898 |
| Pennington Gap | 114 | -0.51% | 1,558 | 1,608 |
| Gretna | 115 | -0.55% | 1,261 | 1,305 |
| Narrows | 116 | -0.59% | 2,015 | 2,090 |
| Saltville | 117 | -0.62% | 1,751 | 1,817 |
| Marion | 118 | -0.65% | 5,529 | 5,747 |
| Chilhowie | 119 | -0.69% | 1,587 | 1,655 |
| Norfolk | 120 | -0.73% | 227,751 | 237,813 |
| Christiansburg | 121 | -0.75% | 22,293 | 23,309 |
| Big Stone Gap | 122 | -0.77% | 5,009 | 5,243 |
| Exmore | 123 | -0.78% | 1,394 | 1,460 |
| Manassas Park | 124 | -0.84% | 16,334 | 17,164 |
| Coeburn | 125 | -0.84% | 1,530 | 1,607 |
| Wise | 126 | -0.91% | 2,817 | 2,972 |
| Charlottesville | 127 | -0.94% | 43,933 | 46,434 |
| Richlands | 128 | -1% | 4,974 | 5,274 |
| Tazewell | 129 | -1.08% | 4,209 | 4,488 |
| Appalachia | 130 | -1.1% | 1,346 | 1,436 |
| Clifton Forge | 131 | -1.14% | 3,308 | 3,538 |
| Bluefield | 132 | -1.16% | 4,758 | 5,096 |
| Clintwood | 133 | -1.23% | 1,280 | 1,378 |
| Emporia | 134 | -1.37% | 5,256 | 5,694 |
| Norton | 135 | -1.49% | 3,376 | 3,681 |
| Bristol | 136 | -1.54% | 15,822 | 17,303 |
Virginia's cities with over 1,000 residents show varied growth patterns from 2020 to 2025. Louisa leads with 2.31% annualized growth, followed by Cape Charles (2.05%) and Fairfax (2.01%). The largest population centers are Virginia Beach (452,375), Chesapeake (257,632), and Richmond (237,021). Of the 136 cities over 1,000 population, 73 are growing while 63 experienced population decline. Overall, cities averaged 0.19% annualized growth, with total urban population growing by 0.84% annually.