The regional profiles presented here incorporate the most recent available data necessary for this report, including information on population size and trends, age distribution, racial and ethnic composition, educational attainment, employment, income and poverty status, and health insurance coverage.

By large margins, Virginians don’t like the idea of politicians creating their own legislative districts. The once-a-decade exercise known as redistricting, which next rolls around in 2021, is a powerful tool for lawmakers to keep themselves and their party in office. When a district is obviously drawn just for that purpose, the process is known as gerrymandering.

Virginia’s population grows through both births and migration. Migration may involve people moving across states as well as people moving from other countries. Until 1970, only 1 in 100 Virginians was born outside of the United States; by 2012, 1 in every 9 Virginians is foreign-born.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides monthly subsidies specifically for the purchase of food. In this report, we summarize facts about this program, provide a quick look at 2012 SNAP participation in Virginia, and review ways in which the program is changing.