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Population growth slows to decades’ low

Virginia’s population has increased by less than 1 percent each year since 2010—the commonwealth’s lowest growth rate in decades, according to estimates from the Weldon Cooper Center at the University of Virginia.

With more than 8.3 million residents as of July 1, 2014, Virginia remains the nation’s 12th-largest state and ranks 10th in numerical gain between 2013 and 2014.

The rate of growth between counties and cities in Virginia has reached relative parity since 2010. In contrast to the last decade, when growth was most prominent in counties, cities make up more than half of Virginia’s 25 fastest-growing localities in this decade.

Locally, the estimates show that population increased about 1 percent in Gloucester and decreased by roughly the same percentage in Mathews, compared to 2010 census figures.

The July 1, 2014 population estimate for Gloucester County was 37,725, which is up 367 from the census count of 36,858. Mathews, meanwhile, lost an est...

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