CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) - Chesapeake will soon overtake Norfolk as Virginia's second-most populous city.
The Virginian-Pilot reports that new projections from the University of Virginia put Chesapeake's population at 253,000 by 2020. Norfolk will have 250,700 people.
Norfolk currently leads Chesapeake by 7,000 residents.
The projections were made by the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service's Demographics Research Group. The numbers are shared with policymakers for planning purposes.
Virginia Beach will remain the state's most populous city, reaching 491,000 residents by 2040. The same year, Virginia is expected to be the country's 10th most populous state with 10 million people. That would raise it above Michigan and New Jersey.
The state will also become more racially diverse. By 2040, less than half of Virginians would identify as "non-Hispanic white."
