Visitor economy
Grayson County
County · Southwest Virginia - Blue Ridge Highlands. Visitors spent $15M here in 2025, up 4.8% on 2024 and up 40.8% on 2019.
$15M
Visitor spending, 2025
112 of 133 localities
74
Jobs supported
120 of 133
$0.5M
Local taxes from visitors
117 of 133
$2.1M
Wages paid
$0.2M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Lodging is the largest single category here at $6.9M, 47.4% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $6.9M47.4%
- Food and drink
- $2.1M14.4%
- Retail
- $2.9M19.8%
- Recreation
- $0.6M3.9%
- Transport
- $2.1M14.4%
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 | $15M | +4.8% | $6.9M | $2.1M | $2.9M | $0.6M | $2.1M | 74 | $0.5M |
| 2024 | $14M | -4.6% | $6.6M | $2.0M | $2.8M | $0.6M | $2.0M | 74 | $0.4M |
| 2023 | $15M | -88.4% | $6.8M | $2.2M | $2.8M | $0.6M | $2.1M | 75 | $0.4M |
| 2022 | $13M | +2.0% | $6.3M | $2.0M | $2.4M | $0.5M | $2.0M | 70 | $0.4M |
| 2021 | $13M | +31.2% | $6.2M | $1.8M | $2.5M | $0.5M | $1.9M | 68 | $0.4M |
| 2020 | $9.8M | -5.1% | $5.2M | $1.1M | $1.8M | $0.3M | $1.4M | 63 | $0.3M |
| 2019 | $10M | +7.8% | $5.2M | $1.4M | $1.9M | $0.3M | $1.6M | 66 | $0.3M |
| 2018 | $9.6M | +0.5% | $4.6M | $1.3M | $1.8M | $0.3M | $1.5M | 66 | $0.3M |
| 2017 | $9.5M | +5.6% | $4.5M | $1.3M | $1.8M | $0.3M | $1.6M | 70 | $0.3M |
| 2016 | $9.0M | — | $4.2M | $1.2M | $1.7M | $0.3M | $1.5M | 67 | $0.3M |
How that compares
- 0.04% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 1.2% of the Southwest Virginia - Blue Ridge Highlands region, which took $1.17B.
- Ranks 112 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 117 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Grayson County is +4.8%.