As with many southern states, African-American is Virginia's largest background, cited by 16% of Commonwealth residents in 2010.
The largest European ethnicity is German, at 12 % of residents. Mexican is the largest Hispanic nationality, making up 2% of Virginians. Indians are Virginia's largest Asian group.
Rank
|
Ethnicity
|
2010
Virginia Population |
As a
Percent of
Total Virginia Population |
Total
Population
|
8,024,617
|
100.00%
|
|
1
|
African-American*
|
1,334,450
|
16.63%
|
2
|
German
|
980,727
|
12.22%
|
3
|
English
|
897,871
|
11.19%
|
4
|
American
|
884,916
|
11.03%
|
5
|
Irish
|
804,331
|
10.02%
|
6
|
Italian
|
307,135
|
3.83%
|
7
|
Scottish
|
170,360
|
2.12%
|
8
|
Mexican
|
163,627
|
2.04%
|
9
|
French,
except Basque
|
153,907
|
1.92%
|
10
|
Polish
|
151,136
|
1.88%
|
11
|
Scotch-Irish
|
140,769
|
1.75%
|
12
|
Salvadoran
|
132,799
|
1.65%
|
13
|
European
|
122,327
|
1.52%
|
14
|
African
|
111,663
|
1.39%
|
15
|
Asian
Indian
|
100,459
|
1.25%
|
16
|
Dutch
|
84,465
|
1.05%
|
17
|
Korean
|
73,427
|
0.92%
|
18
|
Puerto
Rican
|
72,035
|
0.90%
|
19
|
Filipino
|
63,951
|
0.80%
|
20
|
Swedish
|
62,330
|
0.78%
|
21
|
Welsh
|
57,312
|
0.71%
|
22
|
Chinese,
except Taiwanese
|
56,683
|
0.71%
|
23
|
Vietnamese
|
55,690
|
0.69%
|
24
|
Russian
|
53,624
|
0.67%
|
25
|
British
|
53,465
|
0.67%
|
26
|
Norwegian
|
50,128
|
0.62%
|
27
|
Bolivian
|
41,821
|
0.52%
|
28
|
Guatemalan
|
37,134
|
0.46%
|
29
|
Honduran
|
35,527
|
0.44%
|
30
|
Greek
|
34,097
|
0.42%
|
31
|
Peruvian
|
33,899
|
0.42%
|
32
|
French
Canadian
|
33,553
|
0.42%
|
33
|
Hungarian
|
29,621
|
0.37%
|
34
|
Czech
|
27,311
|
0.34%
|
35
|
Pakistani
|
26,113
|
0.33%
|
36
|
Swiss
|
21,297
|
0.27%
|
37
|
Ethiopian
|
20,174
|
0.25%
|
38
|
Iranian
|
19,886
|
0.25%
|
39
|
Cuban
|
17,099
|
0.21%
|
40
|
Austrian
|
16,914
|
0.21%
|
41
|
Ukrainian
|
16,895
|
0.21%
|
42
|
Colombian
|
16,432
|
0.20%
|
43
|
Jamaican
|
16,352
|
0.20%
|
44
|
Lebanese
|
16,194
|
0.20%
|
45
|
Danish
|
15,471
|
0.19%
|
46
|
Slovak
|
14,237
|
0.18%
|
47
|
Portuguese
|
14,067
|
0.18%
|
48
|
Canadian
|
13,606
|
0.17%
|
49
|
Eastern
European
|
12,074
|
0.15%
|
50
|
Lithuanian
|
11,311
|
0.14%
|
Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey
1 year estimates, tables: B02001, C02005, B02006,
C02007, B03001, B03002, B04006
* African-American is derived as respondents selecting Black as racial group after removing African, West Indian, and Hispanic ethnicities.
