Visitor economy
Charlottesville
Independent city · Central Virginia. Visitors spent $428M here in 2025, up 6.3% on 2024 and up 22.5% on 2019.
$428M
Visitor spending, 2025
16 of 133 localities
3,366
Jobs supported
15 of 133
$22M
Local taxes from visitors
16 of 133
$131M
Wages paid
$13M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Food and drink is the largest single category here at $186M, 43.5% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $95M22.1%
- Food and drink
- $186M43.5%
- Retail
- $48M11.2%
- Recreation
- $63M14.6%
- Transport
- $37M8.6%
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 | $428M | +6.3% | $95M | $186M | $48M | $63M | $37M | 3,366 | $22M |
| 2024 | $403M | -0.8% | $89M | $169M | $49M | $62M | $34M | 3,337 | $21M |
| 2023 | $406M | +3.5% | $89M | $167M | $49M | $66M | $35M | 3,351 | $21M |
| 2022 | $392M | +13.1% | $87M | $160M | $47M | $63M | $35M | 3,177 | $20M |
| 2021 | $347M | +57.0% | $82M | $135M | $44M | $53M | $33M | 2,763 | $17M |
| 2020 | $221M | -36.8% | $46M | $84M | $31M | $33M | $26M | 2,441 | $13M |
| 2019 | $349M | +4.7% | $82M | $135M | $43M | $54M | $36M | 3,420 | $19M |
| 2018 | $333M | +7.1% | $79M | $128M | $43M | $50M | $34M | 3,356 | $19M |
| 2017 | $311M | +1.1% | $74M | $119M | $42M | $45M | $31M | 3,269 | $18M |
| 2016 | $308M | — | $71M | $119M | $42M | $45M | $30M | 3,316 | $18M |
How that compares
- 1.18% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 6.8% of the Central Virginia region, which took $6.33B.
- Ranks 16 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 16 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Charlottesville is +6.3%.