Visitor economy
Amherst County
County · Central Virginia. Visitors spent $47M here in 2025, down 0.9% on 2024 and up 27.2% on 2019.
$47M
Visitor spending, 2025
78 of 133 localities
416
Jobs supported
75 of 133
$1.7M
Local taxes from visitors
82 of 133
$13M
Wages paid
$1.3M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Retail is the largest single category here at $18M, 38.3% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $6.9M14.8%
- Food and drink
- $10M21.8%
- Retail
- $18M38.3%
- Recreation
- $3.1M6.6%
- Transport
- $8.6M18.5%
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 | $47M | -0.9% | $6.9M | $10M | $18M | $3.1M | $8.6M | 416 | $1.7M |
| 2024 | $47M | +9.3% | $6.9M | $10M | $18M | $3.3M | $8.8M | 423 | $1.7M |
| 2023 | $43M | -3.9% | $6.3M | $9.1M | $17M | $3.0M | $7.9M | 408 | $1.6M |
| 2022 | $45M | +3.3% | $6.7M | $9.5M | $17M | $3.1M | $8.6M | 406 | $1.6M |
| 2021 | $43M | +39.8% | $7.6M | $8.9M | $16M | $2.9M | $8.3M | 390 | $1.5M |
| 2020 | $31M | -15.4% | $5.8M | $6.6M | $11M | $1.6M | $6.4M | 330 | $1.2M |
| 2019 | $37M | +1.5% | $5.7M | $7.5M | $13M | $2.2M | $7.8M | 339 | $1.4M |
| 2018 | $36M | +5.9% | $5.4M | $7.3M | $13M | $2.2M | $7.7M | 371 | $1.4M |
| 2017 | $34M | +3.2% | $5.1M | $6.8M | $13M | $2.1M | $7.2M | 362 | $1.3M |
| 2016 | $33M | — | $4.7M | $6.7M | $13M | $2.0M | $7.0M | 361 | $1.4M |
How that compares
- 0.13% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 0.7% of the Central Virginia region, which took $6.33B.
- Ranks 78 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 82 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Amherst County is -0.9%.