Alexandria is a bigger, more diverse place than it was 10 years ago, according to initial data from the 2020 U.S. Census.
Alexandria grew by 19,501 residents since the 2010 U.S. Census, putting the City of Alexandria's population at 159,467. That's a 13.3% increase in population and a faster rate of growth than the area saw between 2000 and 2010, when the population grew by less than 8%.
Alexandria's increasing density was a central issue of this summer's Democratic mayoral primary, and more frequent flooding in multiple areas has many residents upset that Alexandria's infrastructure hasn't kept up with its population growth.
For the first time, the Census shows that Alexandria is "majority minority" — those who identify solely as caucasian grew in number, but decreased as a proportion of the total population. The population of those who identify as Black also grew in number but decreased as a percentage of total population.
The Hispanic or Latino community’s population grew from 22,524 to 29,372 residents between 2010 and 2020 — an increase of about 30%.
The following charts came from the City of Alexandria's analysis of 2020 data, available in full here.
City of Alexandria - U.S. Census, 2020
City of Alexandria - U.S. Census, 2020
City of Alexandria - U.S. Census, 2020
"The Bureau’s Crystal City Area Census Office, which includes all of Alexandria, was the only such office in the Washington, D.C. metro region to count 100% of households by the time data collection ended on Oct. 15, 2020. Because almost 74% of Alexandria households completed the census questionnaire by mail or online, census workers had to visit fewer households in person," according to information released by city officials.
The city’s housing unit count increased by 8,103, with an average household size of 2.11 residents, an increase from the 2010 average household size of 2.06. (See where current developments are under construction here.)
The U.S. Census did certify earlier this year that Alexandria achieved a "complete count" during the pandemic, meaning
Visit alexandriava.gov/Census2020 for more information about the 2020 U.S. Census.
