Newport News, VA Demographics

A map of Newport News's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
Black	74,745	76,870	40.6%	41.3%
White	72,296	71,250	39.2%	38.3%
Hispanic	19,873	19,288	10.8%	10.4%
Multiracial	9,250	10,510	5.0%	5.6%
Asian	5,995	6,230	3.3%	3.3%
Native American/Other	2,057	2,099	1.1%	1.1%

Newport News, Virginia has an estimated population of 184,216, a slight decrease from the 186,247 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 40.6% Black, 39.2% White, 10.8% Hispanic, 5.0% Multiracial, 3.3% Asian, and 1.1% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Newport News, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Newport News is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably 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 Newport News, that probability was 66.8% in 2020 and 66.6% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Newport News is ranked the 6th most populous place in Virginia, out of 688 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Newport News was ranked the 6th most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Newport News's White Population

72,296 residents of Newport News, or 39.2% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Newport News is significantly lower than in Virginia overall, where 58.4% of the population is White. Newport News ranks 586th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 688 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Newport News's White population has grown by an estimated 1.5%. White residents' share of Newport News's population has increased from 38.3% to 39.2%.

Newport News is more White than neighboring Benns Church (33.4% White). Newport News is less White than neighboring Bethel Manor (45.4% White), Carrollton (61.7% White), Smithfield (74.4% White), and Yorktown (100% White).

Newport News's Black Population

74,745 residents of Newport News, or 40.6% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Newport News is significantly higher than in Virginia overall, where 18.3% of the population is Black. Newport News ranks 60th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 688 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Newport News's Black population has declined by an estimated 2.8%. Black residents' share of Newport News's population has decreased from 41.3% to 40.6%.

Newport News is more Black than neighboring Bethel Manor (25.8% Black), Carrollton (18.9% Black), Smithfield (17.6% Black), and Yorktown (0% Black). Newport News is less Black than neighboring Benns Church (55.3% Black).

Newport News's Asian Population

5,995 residents of Newport News, or 3.3% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Newport News is slightly lower than in Virginia overall, where 6.9% of the population is Asian. Newport News ranks 164th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 688 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Newport News's Asian population has declined by an estimated 3.8%. Asian residents' share of Newport News's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.3%.

Newport News is more Asian than neighboring Bethel Manor (0.8% Asian), Smithfield (0.3% Asian), Benns Church (0.2% Asian), and Yorktown (0% Asian).

Newport News's Hispanic Population

19,873 residents of Newport News, or 10.8% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Newport News is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 11% of the population is Hispanic. Newport News ranks 159th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 688 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Newport News's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 3.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Newport News's population has remained roughly unchanged at 10.8%.

Newport News is more Hispanic than neighboring Smithfield (2.1% Hispanic), Benns Church (2.3% Hispanic), and Yorktown (0% Hispanic). Newport News is less Hispanic than neighboring Bethel Manor (20.3% Hispanic), and Carrollton (12% Hispanic).

Newport News's Native American/Other Population

2,057 residents of Newport News, or 1.1% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Newport News is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Newport News ranks 101st statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 688 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Newport News's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 2.0%. Native American/Other residents' share of Newport News's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.1%.

Newport News is more Native American/Other than neighboring Bethel Manor (0.6% Native American/Other), Carrollton (0.1% Native American/Other), Benns Church (0.1% Native American/Other), and Yorktown (0% Native American/Other). Newport News is less Native American/Other than neighboring Smithfield (2.3% Native American/Other).

Newport News's Multiracial Population

9,250 residents of Newport News, or 5.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Newport News is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 4.7% of the population is Multiracial. Newport News ranks 127th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 688 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Newport News's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 12.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Newport News's population has decreased from 5.6% to 5.0%.

Newport News is more Multiracial than neighboring Carrollton (4% Multiracial), Smithfield (3.3% Multiracial), and Yorktown (0% Multiracial). Newport News is less Multiracial than neighboring Bethel Manor (7.2% Multiracial), and Benns Church (8.8% 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.