Chesapeake County Demographics

A map of Chesapeake County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	135,855	135,679	53.8%	54.4%
Black	71,944	70,885	28.5%	28.4%
Hispanic	19,408	17,824	7.7%	7.1%
Multiracial	13,519	13,900	5.4%	5.6%
Asian	9,654	8,868	3.8%	3.6%
Native American/Other	2,203	2,266	0.9%	0.9%

Chesapeake County, Virginia has an estimated population of 252,583, a slight increase from the 249,422 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 53.8% White, 28.5% Black, 7.7% Hispanic, 5.4% Multiracial, 3.8% Asian, and 0.9% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Chesapeake County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Chesapeake has become slightly more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is more diverse than Virginia overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Chesapeake County, that probability was 61.4% in 2020 and 61.9% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Chesapeake County is ranked the 7th most populous county in Virginia, out of 133 counties. Chesapeake County was ranked the 7th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Chesapeake County's White Population

135,855 residents of Chesapeake County, or 53.8% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Chesapeake County is slightly lower than in Virginia overall, where 58.4% of the population is White. Chesapeake County ranks 103rd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chesapeake County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Chesapeake County's population has decreased from 54.4% to 53.8%.

Chesapeake County is more White than neighboring Portsmouth County (35.4% White), Norfolk County (41.2% White), and Suffolk County (45.8% White). Chesapeake County is less White than neighboring Virginia Beach County (58.8% White), and Camden County (78.1% White).

Chesapeake County's Black Population

71,944 residents of Chesapeake County, or 28.5% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Chesapeake County is considerably higher than in Virginia overall, where 18.3% of the population is Black. Chesapeake County ranks 32nd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chesapeake County's Black population has grown by an estimated 1.5%. Black residents' share of Chesapeake County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 28.5%.

Chesapeake County is more Black than neighboring Virginia Beach County (18.2% Black), and Camden County (9.4% Black). Chesapeake County is less Black than neighboring Portsmouth County (50.2% Black), Norfolk County (38.9% Black), and Suffolk County (41.6% Black).

Chesapeake County's Asian Population

9,654 residents of Chesapeake County, or 3.8% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Chesapeake County is slightly lower than in Virginia overall, where 6.9% of the population is Asian. Chesapeake County ranks 22nd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chesapeake County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 8.9%. Asian residents' share of Chesapeake County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.8%.

Chesapeake County is more Asian than neighboring Portsmouth County (1.6% Asian), Norfolk County (3.6% Asian), Suffolk County (1.8% Asian), and Camden County (1.2% Asian). Chesapeake County is less Asian than neighboring Virginia Beach County (7.1% Asian).

Chesapeake County's Hispanic Population

19,408 residents of Chesapeake County, or 7.7% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Chesapeake County is slightly lower than in Virginia overall, where 11% of the population is Hispanic. Chesapeake County ranks 36th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chesapeake County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 8.9%. Hispanic residents' share of Chesapeake County's population has increased from 7.1% to 7.7%.

Chesapeake County is more Hispanic than neighboring Portsmouth County (5.4% Hispanic), Suffolk County (5.2% Hispanic), and Camden County (4.2% Hispanic). Chesapeake County is less Hispanic than neighboring Norfolk County (10.1% Hispanic), and Virginia Beach County (9.1% Hispanic).

Chesapeake County's Native American/Other Population

2,203 residents of Chesapeake County, or 0.9% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Chesapeake County is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Chesapeake County ranks 33rd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chesapeake County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 2.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Chesapeake County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.9%.

Chesapeake County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Virginia Beach County (0.8% Native American/Other). Chesapeake County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Suffolk County (1% Native American/Other), and Camden County (1.5% Native American/Other).

Chesapeake County's Multiracial Population

13,519 residents of Chesapeake County, or 5.4% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Chesapeake County is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 4.7% of the population is Multiracial. Chesapeake County ranks 10th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Chesapeake County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 2.7%. Multiracial residents' share of Chesapeake County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 5.4%.

Chesapeake County is more Multiracial than neighboring Norfolk County (5.3% Multiracial), and Suffolk County (4.6% Multiracial). Chesapeake County is less Multiracial than neighboring Portsmouth County (6.5% Multiracial), Virginia Beach County (6% Multiracial), and Camden County (5.6% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.