Visitor economy
Franklin
Independent city · Coastal Virginia - Hampton Roads. Visitors spent $17M here in 2025, up 2.7% on 2024 and up 7.4% on 2019.
$17M
Visitor spending, 2025
110 of 133 localities
213
Jobs supported
94 of 133
$0.9M
Local taxes from visitors
102 of 133
$5.6M
Wages paid
$0.6M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Food and drink is the largest single category here at $5.7M, 32.4% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $3.0M17.3%
- Food and drink
- $5.7M32.4%
- Retail
- $1.8M10.1%
- Recreation
- $2.1M12.0%
- Transport
- $4.9M28.3%
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 | $17M | +2.7% | $3.0M | $5.7M | $1.8M | $2.1M | $4.9M | 213 | $0.9M |
| 2024 | $17M | -8.0% | $2.9M | $5.5M | $1.7M | $2.0M | $4.8M | 215 | $0.9M |
| 2023 | $18M | +3.1% | $3.2M | $5.9M | $1.8M | $2.2M | $5.4M | 220 | $0.9M |
| 2022 | $18M | +8.5% | $3.1M | $5.6M | $1.8M | $2.1M | $5.4M | 212 | $0.9M |
| 2021 | $16M | +34.2% | $2.9M | $5.3M | $1.7M | $1.9M | $4.7M | 198 | $0.8M |
| 2020 | $12M | -24.3% | $1.8M | $4.3M | $1.3M | $1.5M | $3.5M | 193 | $0.6M |
| 2019 | $16M | +2.1% | $2.8M | $5.4M | $1.5M | $1.9M | $4.6M | 226 | $0.8M |
| 2018 | $16M | +4.6% | $2.7M | $5.2M | $1.5M | $1.9M | $4.6M | 230 | $0.8M |
| 2017 | $15M | +0.6% | $2.5M | $5.1M | $1.5M | $1.8M | $4.3M | 227 | $0.7M |
| 2016 | $15M | — | $2.5M | $5.1M | $1.5M | $1.9M | $4.2M | 232 | $0.8M |
How that compares
- 0.05% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 0.2% of the Coastal Virginia - Hampton Roads region, which took $7.17B.
- Ranks 110 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 102 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Franklin is +2.7%.