Note: Since a constitutional change in 1871, all cities in the state are independent cities. The OMB considers these independent cities to be county-equivalents for the purpose of defining MSAs in Virginia.
There are five counties and one independent city that contribute to the Charlottesville Metropolitan Statistical Area.[1]
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 174,021 people, 67,575 households, and 42,840 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 80.77% White, 14.07% African American, 0.16% Native American, 2.68% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.80% from other races, and 1.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.23% of the population.
The median income for a household in the MSA was $42,166, and the median income for a family was $50,225. Males had a median income of $32,974 versus $26,579 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $21,574.
As of the 2020 census, there were 238,348 people residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71% White, 14.2% African American, 1.6% Native American, 6.8% Asian, and 0.2% Pacific Islander. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.4% of the population.
The Charlottesville metropolitan area leans Democratic. Similar to other college towns, Charlottesville City is a Democratic stronghold. Albemarle County leans Democratic, paralleling the entire region, since it houses urban, suburban, exurban, and rural pockets. Fluvanna and Greene counties are Republican strongholds as they are composed of suburban, exurban, and rural areas, which vote more conservative than their urban counterparts. Although Buckingham and Nelson counties are almost entirely rural, they are the most moderate jurisdictions in the region, voting for the Democratic nominee Barack Obama in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections and the Republican nominee Donald Trump in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, respectively.
