Visitor economy
Albemarle County
County · Central Virginia. Visitors spent $604M here in 2025, up 2.8% on 2024 and up 40.6% on 2019.
$604M
Visitor spending, 2025
11 of 133 localities
3,861
Jobs supported
14 of 133
$29M
Local taxes from visitors
11 of 133
$262M
Wages paid
$19M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Food and drink is the largest single category here at $190M, 31.5% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $129M21.3%
- Food and drink
- $190M31.5%
- Retail
- $60M9.9%
- Recreation
- $98M16.2%
- Transport
- $127M21.1%
Lodging includes short-term rentals and second-home spending. Transport covers both ground and air.
Year by year
| Year | Total | Change | Lodging | Food | Retail | Recreation | Transport | Jobs | Local tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $604M | +2.8% | $129M | $190M | $60M | $98M | $127M | 3,861 | $29M |
| 2024 | $587M | +6.5% | $126M | $180M | $58M | $97M | $126M | 3,835 | $28M |
| 2023 | $551M | +7.8% | $120M | $168M | $56M | $93M | $114M | 3,715 | $26M |
| 2022 | $511M | +21.3% | $112M | $157M | $52M | $86M | $103M | 3,508 | $24M |
| 2021 | $422M | +60.0% | $92M | $126M | $45M | $71M | $87M | 3,087 | $20M |
| 2020 | $263M | -38.6% | $50M | $81M | $33M | $41M | $58M | 2,735 | $16M |
| 2019 | $429M | +7.4% | $81M | $121M | $44M | $70M | $114M | 3,865 | $22M |
| 2018 | $400M | +1.2% | $77M | $110M | $45M | $66M | $102M | 3,677 | $21M |
| 2017 | $395M | +4.3% | $81M | $105M | $44M | $65M | $99M | 3,886 | $21M |
| 2016 | $379M | — | $80M | $103M | $43M | $65M | $88M | 3,848 | $21M |
How that compares
- 1.67% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 9.5% of the Central Virginia region, which took $6.33B.
- Ranks 11 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 11 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Albemarle County is +2.8%.