Visitor economy
Colonial Heights
Independent city · Central Virginia. Visitors spent $110M here in 2025, up 1.6% on 2024 and up 31.3% on 2019.
$110M
Visitor spending, 2025
48 of 133 localities
1,100
Jobs supported
44 of 133
$5.4M
Local taxes from visitors
47 of 133
$30M
Wages paid
$3.5M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Food and drink is the largest single category here at $42M, 38.4% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $23M21.1%
- Food and drink
- $42M38.4%
- Retail
- $22M20.3%
- Recreation
- $9.6M8.8%
- Transport
- $13M11.4%
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 | $110M | +1.6% | $23M | $42M | $22M | $9.6M | $13M | 1,100 | $5.4M |
| 2024 | $108M | +2.8% | $23M | $40M | $23M | $9.9M | $12M | 1,085 | $5.3M |
| 2023 | $105M | +2.3% | $22M | $39M | $22M | $9.8M | $12M | 1,080 | $5.2M |
| 2022 | $103M | +6.5% | $22M | $37M | $22M | $9.5M | $12M | 1,050 | $5.0M |
| 2021 | $96M | +47.2% | $22M | $33M | $21M | $8.7M | $11M | 1,003 | $4.7M |
| 2020 | $66M | -21.6% | $12M | $24M | $16M | $5.5M | $8.2M | 919 | $3.6M |
| 2019 | $84M | -3.7% | $15M | $29M | $21M | $8.7M | $10.0M | 1,130 | $4.5M |
| 2018 | $87M | +6.2% | $16M | $31M | $21M | $8.6M | $10M | 1,176 | $4.5M |
| 2017 | $82M | +3.3% | $15M | $29M | $20M | $8.1M | $9.5M | 1,137 | $4.4M |
| 2016 | $79M | — | $14M | $28M | $20M | $8.0M | $8.9M | 1,134 | $4.4M |
How that compares
- 0.30% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 1.7% of the Central Virginia region, which took $6.33B.
- Ranks 48 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 47 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Colonial Heights is +1.6%.