Visitor economy
James City
County · Coastal Virginia - Hampton Roads. Visitors spent $592M here in 2025, down 0.7% on 2024 and up 14.0% on 2019.
$592M
Visitor spending, 2025
12 of 133 localities
5,135
Jobs supported
11 of 133
$28M
Local taxes from visitors
13 of 133
$206M
Wages paid
$18M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Lodging is the largest single category here at $171M, 28.8% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $171M28.8%
- Food and drink
- $108M18.2%
- Retail
- $112M18.9%
- Recreation
- $148M25.0%
- Transport
- $53M9.0%
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 | $592M | -0.7% | $171M | $108M | $112M | $148M | $53M | 5,135 | $28M |
| 2024 | $596M | -1.0% | $174M | $104M | $113M | $151M | $53M | 5,219 | $28M |
| 2023 | $602M | +7.0% | $176M | $104M | $114M | $154M | $53M | 5,188 | $28M |
| 2022 | $562M | +7.7% | $164M | $96M | $108M | $145M | $51M | 4,947 | $26M |
| 2021 | $522M | +55.6% | $157M | $88M | $102M | $127M | $48M | 4,619 | $24M |
| 2020 | $335M | -35.4% | $97M | $56M | $72M | $72M | $38M | 3,936 | $18M |
| 2019 | $519M | +1.8% | $160M | $82M | $97M | $128M | $51M | 6,073 | $25M |
| 2018 | $510M | +5.2% | $159M | $77M | $99M | $123M | $52M | 6,372 | $24M |
| 2017 | $485M | +5.4% | $156M | $74M | $94M | $115M | $47M | 6,179 | $24M |
| 2016 | $460M | — | $146M | $68M | $90M | $112M | $44M | 6,081 | $23M |
How that compares
- 1.63% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 8.3% of the Coastal Virginia - Hampton Roads region, which took $7.17B.
- Ranks 12 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 13 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; James City is -0.7%.