Visitor economy
Mathews County
County · Chesapeake Bay. Visitors spent $19M here in 2025, down 1.5% on 2024 and up 31.7% on 2019.
$19M
Visitor spending, 2025
106 of 133 localities
70
Jobs supported
121 of 133
$1.1M
Local taxes from visitors
95 of 133
$1.9M
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 $14M, 73.2% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $14M73.2%
- Food and drink
- $2.0M10.7%
- Retail
- $0.3M1.5%
- Recreation
- $1.1M6.0%
- Transport
- $1.6M8.5%
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 | $19M | -1.5% | $14M | $2.0M | $0.3M | $1.1M | $1.6M | 70 | $1.1M |
| 2024 | $19M | +5.9% | $14M | $2.1M | $0.3M | $1.2M | $1.8M | 70 | $1.1M |
| 2023 | $18M | +3.2% | $13M | $1.9M | $0.3M | $1.1M | $1.6M | 68 | $1.1M |
| 2022 | $18M | +5.1% | $13M | $1.8M | $0.3M | $1.1M | $1.7M | 65 | $1.0M |
| 2021 | $17M | +23.3% | $12M | $1.7M | $0.3M | $1.0M | $1.6M | 63 | $1.0M |
| 2020 | $14M | -5.7% | $11M | $1.0M | $0.2M | $0.6M | $1.1M | 62 | $0.9M |
| 2019 | $14M | +3.4% | $11M | $1.4M | $0.2M | $0.8M | $1.3M | 66 | $1.0M |
| 2018 | $14M | +1.1% | $10M | $1.4M | $0.2M | $0.8M | $1.2M | 66 | $0.9M |
| 2017 | $14M | +3.6% | $10M | $1.4M | $0.2M | $0.7M | $1.3M | 66 | $0.9M |
| 2016 | $13M | — | $9.8M | $1.3M | $0.2M | $0.7M | $1.2M | 66 | $0.9M |
How that compares
- 0.05% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 5.1% of the Chesapeake Bay region, which took $371M.
- Ranks 106 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 95 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Mathews County is -1.5%.