Suffolk's population has boomed over the past decade, outpacing most cities and counties in the state with a 32.8 percent increase in residents. The spike in population and new high tech companies relocating to the Harbour View area of Suffolk help make the Suffolk/Isle of Wight County area one of the hottest growth areas in Virginia.
The count, released Thursday, was among the first local figures to come from the 2010 census. Fueled mostly by new development in the northern part of Suffolk, the number of city residents jumped to 84,585 - a figure that shows that the once-rural county in the western part of Tidewater (now referred to as Hampton Roads) is closing in on the shrinking city of Portsmouth.
"I don't think it comes as a surprise," Suffolk Mayor Linda Johnson told the Virginian Pilot newspaper. "We knew we were growing, and that's what we've been working toward and hoping we were ready for - and I think we are. We were expecting to be close to 90,000."
Today's Suffolk News Herald reports that Suffolk's population skyrocketed between 2000 and 2010, The city's 2010 population was pegged at 84,585, up from 63,677. The astronomical growth rate of 32.8 percent outpaced most other localities in the state.
"I think that's a good thing," Mayor Linda T. Johnson told the Suffolk News Herald on Thursday. "I think we're doing well." She added the quality of life in Suffolk is what is drawing people to the city. "There's a lot to do," she said. "It's just a nice place to be."
The largest county in the state is Fairfax, with a population of 1.08 million. The top 12 counties are larger in population size than Suffolk, but the population trends are moving there faster than in other regions of the state. Suffolk is the largest city in Virginia (land-wise) and is located in the heart of the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, just 10 minuites to the Peninsula cities and 15 minutes to Norfolk. (see maps below)
New home communities like The Riverfront at Harbour View has certainly help boost the city's new census numbers. The Riverfront, a waterfront, golf course community, opened in the year 2000, and now has over 1,000 homes. With nearly two-thirds of the homes bordering the river, creek, marsh, or the golf course, the average home value is higher than in neighboring cities.
New homes at the Gables at The Riverfront single family condominiums start at $259,000 and the new custom homes range from the $500's to over $2 million on the river. The riverfront lots are highly elevated and located on the Nansemond River and have panoramic views across the James River, with glimpses of the Hampton Roads bay area.
Comments(0)