Petersburg County Demographics

A map of Petersburg County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
Black	24,890	24,530	74.2%	73.3%
White	4,818	5,178	14.4%	15.5%
Hispanic	2,183	1,970	6.5%	5.9%
Multiracial	1,102	1,125	3.3%	3.4%
Asian	433	330	1.3%	1.0%
Native American/Other	111	325	0.3%	1.0%

Petersburg County, Virginia has an estimated population of 33,537, a less than 1% change from the 33,458 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 74.2% Black, 14.4% White, 6.5% Hispanic, 3.3% Multiracial, 1.3% Asian, and 0.3% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Petersburg County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Petersburg has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less 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 Petersburg County, that probability was 43.4% in 2020 and 42.3% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Petersburg County is ranked the 53rd most populous county in Virginia, out of 133 counties. Petersburg County was ranked the 53rd most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Petersburg County's White Population

4,818 residents of Petersburg County, or 14.4% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Petersburg County is significantly lower than in Virginia overall, where 58.4% of the population is White. Petersburg County ranks 133rd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Petersburg County's White population has declined by an estimated 7.0%. White residents' share of Petersburg County's population has decreased from 15.5% to 14.4%.

Petersburg County is less White than neighboring Colonial Heights County (65.2% White), Hopewell County (40.7% White), Prince George County (51.4% White), Chesterfield County (56.4% White), and Dinwiddie County (62.2% White).

Petersburg County's Black Population

24,890 residents of Petersburg County, or 74.2% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Petersburg County is significantly higher than in Virginia overall, where 18.3% of the population is Black. Petersburg County ranks 1st statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Petersburg County's Black population has grown by an estimated 1.5%. Black residents' share of Petersburg County's population has increased from 73.3% to 74.2%.

Petersburg County is more Black than neighboring Colonial Heights County (18.7% Black), Hopewell County (41.6% Black), Prince George County (30.9% Black), Chesterfield County (22.8% Black), and Dinwiddie County (29.8% Black).

Petersburg County's Asian Population

433 residents of Petersburg County, or 1.3% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Petersburg County is lower than in Virginia overall, where 6.9% of the population is Asian. Petersburg County ranks 58th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Petersburg County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 31.2%. Asian residents' share of Petersburg County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.3%.

Petersburg County is more Asian than neighboring Hopewell County (1.1% Asian), and Dinwiddie County (0.6% Asian). Petersburg County is less Asian than neighboring Colonial Heights County (3.7% Asian), Prince George County (1.8% Asian), and Chesterfield County (3.6% Asian).

Petersburg County's Hispanic Population

2,183 residents of Petersburg County, or 6.5% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Petersburg County is slightly lower than in Virginia overall, where 11% of the population is Hispanic. Petersburg County ranks 51st statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Petersburg County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 10.8%. Hispanic residents' share of Petersburg County's population has increased from 5.9% to 6.5%.

Petersburg County is more Hispanic than neighboring Dinwiddie County (4.4% Hispanic). Petersburg County is less Hispanic than neighboring Colonial Heights County (8.3% Hispanic), Hopewell County (8.9% Hispanic), Prince George County (10.4% Hispanic), and Chesterfield County (11.9% Hispanic).

Petersburg County's Native American/Other Population

111 residents of Petersburg County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Petersburg County is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Petersburg County ranks 24th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Petersburg County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 65.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Petersburg County's population has decreased from 1.0% to 0.3%.

Petersburg County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Hopewell County (0.1% Native American/Other). Petersburg County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Colonial Heights County (0.5% Native American/Other), Prince George County (1.6% Native American/Other), Chesterfield County (0.9% Native American/Other), and Dinwiddie County (0.8% Native American/Other).

Petersburg County's Multiracial Population

1,102 residents of Petersburg County, or 3.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Petersburg County is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 4.7% of the population is Multiracial. Petersburg County ranks 91st statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Petersburg County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 2.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Petersburg County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.3%.

Petersburg County is more Multiracial than neighboring Dinwiddie County (2.2% Multiracial). Petersburg County is less Multiracial than neighboring Colonial Heights County (3.5% Multiracial), Hopewell County (7.6% Multiracial), Prince George County (3.9% Multiracial), and Chesterfield County (4.4% 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.