Visitor economy
Highland County
County · Virginia Mountains. Visitors spent $2.4M here in 2025, up 7.6% on 2024 and up 22.8% on 2019.
$2.4M
Visitor spending, 2025
133 of 133 localities
26
Jobs supported
130 of 133
$0.1M
Local taxes from visitors
133 of 133
$0.8M
Wages paid
$0.1M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Transport is the largest single category here at $0.8M, 32.8% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $0.4M16.6%
- Food and drink
- $0.5M19.5%
- Retail
- $0.5M23.2%
- Recreation
- $0.2M7.9%
- Transport
- $0.8M32.8%
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 | $2.4M | +7.6% | $0.4M | $0.5M | $0.5M | $0.2M | $0.8M | 26 | $0.1M |
| 2024 | $2.2M | +16.5% | $0.4M | $0.4M | $0.5M | $0.2M | $0.7M | 25 | $0.1M |
| 2023 | $1.9M | -0.2% | $0.3M | $0.3M | $0.5M | $0.2M | $0.6M | 24 | $0.1M |
| 2022 | $1.9M | +7.7% | $0.3M | $0.3M | $0.5M | $0.1M | $0.7M | 23 | $0.1M |
| 2021 | $1.7M | +42.7% | $0.3M | $0.3M | $0.4M | $0.1M | $0.6M | 21 | $0.1M |
| 2020 | $1.2M | -36.1% | $0.2M | $0.2M | $0.3M | $0.1M | $0.5M | 20 | $0.1M |
| 2019 | $1.9M | +1.5% | $0.3M | $0.3M | $0.5M | $0.1M | $0.6M | 29 | $0.1M |
| 2018 | $1.9M | +6.7% | $0.3M | $0.3M | $0.6M | $0.1M | $0.6M | 29 | $0.1M |
| 2017 | $1.8M | +2.8% | $0.3M | $0.3M | $0.5M | $0.1M | $0.6M | 29 | $0.1M |
| 2016 | $1.7M | — | $0.3M | $0.3M | $0.5M | $0.1M | $0.5M | 29 | $0.1M |
How that compares
- 0.01% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 0.2% of the Virginia Mountains region, which took $1.24B.
- Ranks 133 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 133 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Highland County is +7.6%.