At a glance: Virginia Virginia is the 12th most populous state in the U.S., with 8,715,698 residents across its 39,500 square miles, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The state ranked No. 1 for business in 2024 by CNBC. Virginia is home to the third-busiest port on the East Coast, and its biggest economic industries are healthcare, professional services, retail, hospitality and food services, and manufacturing. Energy Virginia ranks No. 17 among states for most energy production, with its leading production sources being nuclear, coal and wood/waste, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Virginia ranks No. 27 for most energy consumption. The leading energy sources consumed by Virginians is natural gas, motor gasoline and nuclear power. Virginians’ residential electricity rate is $0.144/kWh, cheaper than the national average. Commercial electricity rate is also cheaper; Virginia commercial users pay a rate of $0.0895/kWh, compared to the national average commercial rate of $0.1259/kWh. Industrial users pay $0.0892/kWh, just above the national average industrial electricity rate of $0.0804/kWh. Virginians’ residential natural gas price is $16.10 per thousand cubic feet, above the national average of $14.75, according to the most recently available data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Environment Annual carbon emissions increased 11 percent since 1970, while the state’s population soared 85 percent during the same span. The population is projected to increase another 20 percent, to 10.5 million residents, by 2050. About 16 percent of Virginia’s total land is under permanent protection through federal, state, local and nonprofit management, and the federal government lists 77 species in Virginia as threatened or endangered.
