CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) — The southeastern Virginia city of Chesapeake has surpassed Norfolk to become the state’s second most populous city.
The Virginian-Pilot reported that Chesapeake has reached an estimated population of 245,745 people. That’s according to estimates from the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. Norfolk’s population is just over 245,000 residents.
Chesapeake’s population has grown by more than 10% in the past decade. Norfolk’s ticked up by less than 1%.
The center estimates that Richmond will also likely overtake Norfolk.
Hamilton Lombard, a demographer with the Cooper Center, said one reason behind Chesapeake’s growth is that the city has lots of space for new homes, while Norfolk does not.
Virginia Beach is still the state’s most populous city. It has an estimated 452,643 residents.
The populations of the seven Hampton Roads cities constitute nearly a fifth of the state’s population.
