Visitor economy
Dickenson County
County · Southwest Virginia - Heart of Appalachia. Visitors spent $13M here in 2025, down 2.2% on 2024 and down 2.8% on 2019.
$13M
Visitor spending, 2025
116 of 133 localities
134
Jobs supported
109 of 133
$0.5M
Local taxes from visitors
115 of 133
$3.3M
Wages paid
$0.3M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Retail is the largest single category here at $4.1M, 32.9% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $2.2M17.7%
- Food and drink
- $2.6M20.5%
- Retail
- $4.1M32.9%
- Recreation
- $1.0M8.1%
- Transport
- $2.6M20.9%
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 | $13M | -2.2% | $2.2M | $2.6M | $4.1M | $1.0M | $2.6M | 134 | $0.5M |
| 2024 | $13M | -5.0% | $2.3M | $2.5M | $4.3M | $1.1M | $2.8M | 137 | $0.5M |
| 2023 | $14M | +5.4% | $2.4M | $2.6M | $4.5M | $1.1M | $3.0M | 139 | $0.5M |
| 2022 | $13M | +12.7% | $2.3M | $2.5M | $4.3M | $1.0M | $2.8M | 133 | $0.5M |
| 2021 | $11M | +25.1% | $2.1M | $2.1M | $4.1M | $0.9M | $2.3M | 120 | $0.4M |
| 2020 | $9.1M | -29.6% | $1.7M | $1.8M | $3.2M | $0.6M | $1.8M | 118 | $0.4M |
| 2019 | $13M | +2.9% | $2.4M | $2.4M | $4.4M | $1.0M | $2.8M | 152 | $0.5M |
| 2018 | $13M | +0.5% | $2.3M | $2.2M | $4.4M | $0.9M | $2.7M | 149 | $0.5M |
| 2017 | $13M | +3.7% | $2.3M | $2.2M | $4.5M | $0.9M | $2.6M | 150 | $0.5M |
| 2016 | $12M | — | $2.1M | $2.1M | $4.4M | $0.9M | $2.4M | 149 | $0.5M |
How that compares
- 0.03% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 5.5% of the Southwest Virginia - Heart of Appalachia region, which took $230M.
- Ranks 116 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 115 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Dickenson County is -2.2%.