Chinese Population in Virginia by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The Chinese population in Virginia totals 96,863, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Leading cities include Virginia Beach (4,199), followed by Alexandria (1,742) and Blacksburg (1,674), each hosting visible segments of the community. While these urban centers anchor much of the population, the statewide total points to a broader presence in unincorporated areas and smaller towns beyond major city boundaries. The analysis below explores how Chinese residents are distributed across Virginia''s urban and rural landscape.

Top 5 cities with the largest Chinese population in Virginia

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  • 1
    Virginia Beach
    Chinese population in Virginia Beach is 4,199
    0.92% of Virginia Beach population is Chinese
  • 2
    Alexandria
    Chinese population in Alexandria is 1,742
    1.11% of Alexandria population is Chinese
  • 3
    Blacksburg
    Chinese population in Blacksburg is 1,674
    3.70% of Blacksburg population is Chinese
  • 4
    Richmond
    Chinese population in Richmond is 1,619
    0.71% of Richmond population is Chinese
  • 5
    Chesapeake
    Chinese population in Chesapeake is 1,585
    0.63% of Chesapeake population is Chinese

Overview of Chinese population in Virginia

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey documents Virginia with 96,863 Chinese residents (1.1% of 8.7 million total state population), ranking the state at the 79th percentile nationally among U.S. jurisdictions for Chinese demographic representation.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show Virginia's Chinese demographic representation of 1.1% remains below the national average of 1.6%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey document Virginia's 96,863 Chinese residents constitute 1.8% of the nation's total Chinese population of 5.4 million, providing the state with a measurable but modest share of the national demographic community.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data show Virginia maintains 2.5 Chinese Americans per square mile compared to the national average of 1.5, indicating higher demographic concentration relative to national averages.
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166 Cities in Virginia Ranked by Chinese Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Chinese population in Virginia present in Virginia Beach, Alexandria, and Blacksburg, along with several other incorporated cities reporting non-zero populations. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in Virginia ranked by Chinese population count
Rank by Chinese Population
City
Chinese Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Virginia Chinese Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Virginia Beach 4,199 0.92% 4.34%
2 Alexandria 1,742 1.11% 1.80%
3 Blacksburg 1,674 3.70% 1.73%
4 Richmond 1,619 0.71% 1.67%
5 Chesapeake 1,585 0.63% 1.64%
6 Norfolk 1,427 0.61% 1.47%
7 Newport News 1,377 0.75% 1.42%
8 1,254 2.73% 1.29%
9 970 1.99% 1.00%
10 793 3.24% 0.82%
11 661 4.04% 0.68%
12 475 0.60% 0.49%
13 451 2.90% 0.47%
14 441 1.80% 0.46%
15 439 0.45% 0.45%
16 419 0.43% 0.43%
17 364 0.27% 0.38%
18 303 0.59% 0.31%
19 250 3.37% 0.26%
20 240 1.64% 0.25%
21 221 1.21% 0.23%
22 184 0.19% 0.19%
23 179 0.42% 0.18%
24 170 0.61% 0.18%
25 168 0.59% 0.17%
26 152 0.60% 0.16%
27 137 0.60% 0.14%
28 132 0.65% 0.14%
29 73 0.95% 0.08%
30 72 0.57% 0.07%
31 62 0.69% 0.06%
32 61 0.37% 0.06%
33 49 0.29% 0.05%
34 47 0.46% 0.05%
35 39 0.69% 0.04%
36 38 0.11% 0.04%
37 28 0.07% 0.03%
38 26 0.29% 0.03%
39 22 0.29% 0.02%
40 21 0.25% 0.02%
41 20 1.30% 0.02%
42 18 0.97% 0.02%
43 15 0.07% 0.02%
44 14 0.17% 0.01%
45 11 0.39% 0.01%
46 10 0.25% 0.01%
46 10 0.92% 0.01%
47 9 0.17% 0.01%
47 9 0.59% 0.01%
48 8 0.19% 0.01%
49 7 0.11% 0.01%
50 6 0.61% 0.01%
50 6 0.09% 0.01%
50 6 0.30% 0.01%
50 6 0.38% 0.01%
51 5 0.22% 0.01%
51 5 0.19% 0.01%
51 5 0.09% 0.01%
52 4 0.20% 0.00%
53 3 0.21% 0.00%
53 3 0.06% 0.00%
53 3 0.48% 0.00%
54 2 0.33% 0.00%
54 2 0.06% 0.00%
54 2 0.19% 0.00%
55 1 0.16% 0.00%
55 1 0.08% 0.00%
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks city in Virginia by their Chinese population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Chinese population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having Chinese ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as Chinese alone, while others identify as Chinese along with another race (such as Chinese and German).
  • We’ve used the “Chinese alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Chinese population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Chinese alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Chinese .
  2. % of Total Virginia Chinese Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Chinese population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small Chinese populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • City that don’t have any reported Chinese population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where Chinese populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.