ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 10, 1996 TAG: 9603110027
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
Virginia's population grew by 7 percent during the past five years, with the fastest growth in the outlying suburbs of Washington, D.C. Many of the state's older cities, however, lost residents, including Roanoke, which experienced an 0.2 percent decline.
Virginia had an estimated 6,618,358 residents as of July, up from 1990's count of 6,189,197, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Friday.
The fastest-growing locality was Loudoun County, where the number of residents jumped from 86,129 to 115,870, a 34.5 percent increase. Stafford County grew second-fastest at 33.5 percent, growing to 80,107.
Loudoun County Administrator Kirby Bowers said the construction of highways, including the Dulles Greenway private toll road, is drawing more people to the once-rural county.
``Access to major employment centers is a lot better. Plus, Loudoun is becoming its own employment center'' with the growth of high-technology companies, Bowers said.
Following patterns evident over the last few decades, the state's newer cities and urbanizing counties gained the most residents, while Virginia's older cities continued to lose residents.
Norfolk lost 23,680 residents for a 9.1 percent decline. The port city had 237,570 residents last year compared with 261,250 in 1990.
John Dugan, the city's director of planning, blamed military cutbacks and reassignments for the drop. Norfolk is home to the world's largest naval base.
``It's sort of a fluctuation and had to do with the military consolidation,'' Dugan said.
LENGTH: Short : 39 linesby CNB