Visitor economy
Carroll County
County · Southwest Virginia - Blue Ridge Highlands. Visitors spent $56M here in 2025, up 2.4% on 2024 and up 33.7% on 2019.
$56M
Visitor spending, 2025
71 of 133 localities
471
Jobs supported
70 of 133
$2.2M
Local taxes from visitors
75 of 133
$12M
Wages paid
$1.4M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Lodging is the largest single category here at $18M, 32.1% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $18M32.1%
- Food and drink
- $16M29.2%
- Retail
- $4.7M8.3%
- Recreation
- $5.4M9.6%
- Transport
- $12M20.8%
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 | $56M | +2.4% | $18M | $16M | $4.7M | $5.4M | $12M | 471 | $2.2M |
| 2024 | $55M | +3.8% | $18M | $15M | $4.6M | $5.7M | $11M | 472 | $2.2M |
| 2023 | $53M | +58.6% | $17M | $15M | $4.5M | $5.4M | $11M | 464 | $2.2M |
| 2022 | $50M | +6.6% | $16M | $14M | $4.3M | $5.2M | $11M | 442 | $2.0M |
| 2021 | $47M | +39.6% | $16M | $12M | $4.0M | $4.6M | $10M | 410 | $1.8M |
| 2020 | $34M | -20.2% | $12M | $8.2M | $3.1M | $3.1M | $7.2M | 390 | $1.4M |
| 2019 | $42M | -3.3% | $14M | $11M | $4.0M | $3.9M | $9.4M | 454 | $1.8M |
| 2018 | $43M | +5.0% | $14M | $11M | $4.1M | $4.1M | $10M | 488 | $1.8M |
| 2017 | $41M | +9.3% | $13M | $10M | $3.9M | $4.0M | $9.9M | 491 | $1.8M |
| 2016 | $38M | — | $12M | $9.6M | $3.6M | $3.5M | $9.3M | 465 | $1.7M |
How that compares
- 0.16% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 4.8% of the Southwest Virginia - Blue Ridge Highlands region, which took $1.17B.
- Ranks 71 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 75 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Carroll County is +2.4%.