Visitor economy
Alleghany County
County · Virginia Mountains. Visitors spent $27M here in 2025, up 1.4% on 2024 and up 6.2% on 2019.
$27M
Visitor spending, 2025
93 of 133 localities
247
Jobs supported
90 of 133
$1.2M
Local taxes from visitors
93 of 133
$7.6M
Wages paid
$0.8M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Food and drink is the largest single category here at $7.5M, 28.1% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $6.8M25.4%
- Food and drink
- $7.5M28.1%
- Retail
- $6.1M22.8%
- Recreation
- $3.3M12.3%
- Transport
- $3.1M11.4%
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 | $27M | +1.4% | $6.8M | $7.5M | $6.1M | $3.3M | $3.1M | 247 | $1.2M |
| 2024 | $26M | -7.4% | $6.7M | $7.4M | $6.1M | $3.3M | $2.9M | 248 | $1.2M |
| 2023 | $29M | +6.8% | $7.1M | $8.0M | $6.8M | $3.4M | $3.2M | 257 | $1.2M |
| 2022 | $27M | +6.9% | $6.6M | $7.4M | $6.4M | $3.2M | $3.1M | 244 | $1.2M |
| 2021 | $25M | +33.8% | $6.5M | $6.8M | $5.9M | $2.8M | $2.9M | 235 | $1.1M |
| 2020 | $19M | -25.9% | $5.2M | $5.2M | $4.2M | $1.7M | $2.4M | 226 | $0.9M |
| 2019 | $25M | +1.0% | $6.8M | $6.6M | $5.8M | $2.7M | $3.2M | 280 | $1.2M |
| 2018 | $25M | +9.0% | $6.8M | $6.3M | $5.8M | $2.7M | $3.2M | 283 | $1.2M |
| 2017 | $23M | +2.0% | $6.3M | $5.8M | $5.5M | $2.4M | $2.9M | 268 | $1.1M |
| 2016 | $22M | — | $6.2M | $5.7M | $5.4M | $2.4M | $2.7M | 269 | $1.1M |
How that compares
- 0.07% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 2.2% of the Virginia Mountains region, which took $1.24B.
- Ranks 93 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 93 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Alleghany County is +1.4%.