We’re growing even larger

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY

Prince William County is growing, and is expected to grow even more in the coming years.

The estimated population is 348,588, which is approximately 1,032 persons per square mile of land area, according to U.S. Census statistics. The county population has grown by 24.8 percent since 2000 when it was at 280,813.

The average annual increase since 2000 is approximately 14,023 persons and the average annual growth rate is 4.46 percent. This rate is calculated using a formula that accounts for the continuous compounding of the population as it grows. The county is projected to grow to 531,010 persons by 2030.

Results from the Census Bureau's 2004 American Community Survey, the latest date for which those statistics were available, indicated that 69 percent of the county's population was white, 18.5 percent was black, 0.5 percent was American Indian or Alaska Native, 6.1 percent was Asian or Pacific Islander, 2.7 percent were of other races and 2.7 percent were of two or more races. Approximately 16.5 percent of the population was of Hispanic origin that could be of any race.

In recent decades, the population of Prince William County has become increasingly racially and ethnically diverse. Between 1990 and 2000, the number of blacks more than doubled (from 25,078 to 52,691) and the population of people of Hispanic origin nearly tripled (from 9,662 persons to 27,338 persons).

According to the Census Bureau's 2004 American Community Survey, 30 percent of the total county population is under 18 years of age. Approximately 5.5 percent is aged 65 and over. The median age of the population is 32 years. Reflecting similar nationwide trends, Prince William County's population has aged slightly over the last decade. In 1990, the county's median age was 29.1 years.

The 2004 American Community Survey also indicated that 49.5 percent of the county's population is male and 50.5 percent is female.

As of March 15, 2005, there were an estimated 121,941 housing units in Prince William County, according to the survey. This represents an additional 23,889 units since April 2000.

Of the total number of housing units in the county, it is estimated that 69,472 (57.0 percent) are single-family detached; 32,015 (26.3 percent) are town houses; and 20,454 (16.8 percent) are units in multi-family structures, the survey said.

The median value of owner-occupied housing units in Prince William County was approximately $302,316 in 2004, the latest date for which information was available.

As of March 15, 2005, there are an estimated 117,561 households (occupied housing units) in Prince William County. According to the Census Bureau's 2003 American Community Survey, more than 76 percent of households are occupied by families. Approximately 41 percent are family households occupied by parents with their own children under 18 years, the survey reported.

According to the Census Bureau's 2004 American Community Survey, the 2003 median household income in Prince William County was $77,678.

The 2003 survey reported that Prince William's poverty rate was 6.3 percent in 2004.

MANASSAS CITY AND MANASSAS PARK

Manassas City's estimated population in 2005 was 37,569. This was an increase of 6.9 percent from the 2000 census.

The average household size in Manassas was 2.98 people per home, while Manassas Park leads the area with about 3 people per home.

The median family income in Manassas Park is $61,075. In Manassas, it is $70,141, according to 2000 census statistics.

For Manassas Park the estimated population in 2002 was 10,909, the latest date for which figures are available.

As of January 2004, there were 12,787 housing units in Manassas and the median value of a single family home was $284,300. The median value of a town house was $173,600.

In Manassas Park in 2000, there were 3,365 housing units and the median value of a home was $116,000.