Visitor economy
Buchanan County
County · Southwest Virginia - Heart of Appalachia. Visitors spent $12M here in 2025, down 1.6% on 2024 and down 1.0% on 2019.
$12M
Visitor spending, 2025
118 of 133 localities
145
Jobs supported
107 of 133
$0.5M
Local taxes from visitors
116 of 133
$3.8M
Wages paid
$0.3M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Food and drink is the largest single category here at $4.1M, 33.5% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $2.9M23.7%
- Food and drink
- $4.1M33.5%
- Retail
- $1.2M10.0%
- Recreation
- $1.3M10.7%
- Transport
- $2.7M22.1%
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 | $12M | -1.6% | $2.9M | $4.1M | $1.2M | $1.3M | $2.7M | 145 | $0.5M |
| 2024 | $12M | -0.1% | $2.9M | $4.1M | $1.2M | $1.3M | $2.8M | 148 | $0.5M |
| 2023 | $12M | +4.7% | $2.9M | $4.1M | $1.2M | $1.4M | $2.8M | 150 | $0.5M |
| 2022 | $12M | +5.7% | $2.8M | $3.9M | $1.1M | $1.3M | $2.8M | 149 | $0.5M |
| 2021 | $11M | +28.9% | $2.8M | $3.5M | $1.0M | $1.2M | $2.7M | 145 | $0.5M |
| 2020 | $8.7M | -29.5% | $2.0M | $2.8M | $0.8M | $0.9M | $2.2M | 141 | $0.4M |
| 2019 | $12M | +0.9% | $2.8M | $3.9M | $1.1M | $1.2M | $3.2M | 188 | $0.5M |
| 2018 | $12M | +3.3% | $2.8M | $3.8M | $1.2M | $1.2M | $3.3M | 189 | $0.5M |
| 2017 | $12M | +1.7% | $2.6M | $3.8M | $1.2M | $1.1M | $3.1M | 194 | $0.5M |
| 2016 | $12M | — | $2.5M | $3.7M | $1.2M | $1.2M | $3.0M | 196 | $0.5M |
How that compares
- 0.03% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 5.3% of the Southwest Virginia - Heart of Appalachia region, which took $230M.
- Ranks 118 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 116 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Buchanan County is -1.6%.