Visitor economy
Essex County
County · Chesapeake Bay. Visitors spent $42M here in 2025, up 3.6% on 2024 and up 42.5% on 2019.
$42M
Visitor spending, 2025
80 of 133 localities
282
Jobs supported
86 of 133
$1.3M
Local taxes from visitors
92 of 133
$8.8M
Wages paid
$1.0M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Retail is the largest single category here at $14M, 34.2% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $11M25.2%
- Food and drink
- $9.1M21.5%
- Retail
- $14M34.2%
- Recreation
- $2.4M5.6%
- Transport
- $5.7M13.4%
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 | $42M | +3.6% | $11M | $9.1M | $14M | $2.4M | $5.7M | 282 | $1.3M |
| 2024 | $41M | -2.5% | $11M | $8.5M | $14M | $2.4M | $5.5M | 278 | $1.2M |
| 2023 | $42M | +17.3% | $11M | $8.6M | $15M | $2.3M | $5.7M | 277 | $1.3M |
| 2022 | $36M | +4.9% | $9.2M | $7.2M | $12M | $2.0M | $5.0M | 256 | $1.1M |
| 2021 | $34M | +28.2% | $9.0M | $7.0M | $12M | $1.8M | $4.6M | 254 | $1.0M |
| 2020 | $27M | -10.5% | $7.4M | $5.5M | $8.6M | $1.6M | $3.5M | 238 | $0.9M |
| 2019 | $30M | -0.7% | $7.6M | $6.4M | $9.9M | $1.7M | $4.2M | 260 | $1.0M |
| 2018 | $30M | +8.1% | $7.4M | $6.1M | $10M | $1.6M | $4.6M | 257 | $1.0M |
| 2017 | $28M | +1.3% | $6.7M | $5.4M | $9.6M | $1.5M | $4.4M | 255 | $1.0M |
| 2016 | $27M | — | $6.5M | $5.5M | $9.6M | $1.5M | $4.2M | 260 | $1.0M |
How that compares
- 0.12% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 11.4% of the Chesapeake Bay region, which took $371M.
- Ranks 80 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 92 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Essex County is +3.6%.