Visitor economy
Norton
Independent city · Southwest Virginia - Heart of Appalachia. Visitors spent $15M here in 2025, up 3.5% on 2024 and down 3.8% on 2019.
$15M
Visitor spending, 2025
111 of 133 localities
192
Jobs supported
101 of 133
$0.8M
Local taxes from visitors
108 of 133
$5.0M
Wages paid
$0.5M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Food and drink is the largest single category here at $5.5M, 37.5% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $2.9M19.6%
- Food and drink
- $5.5M37.5%
- Retail
- $2.0M13.4%
- Recreation
- $1.9M12.6%
- Transport
- $2.5M16.9%
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 | +3.5% | $2.9M | $5.5M | $2.0M | $1.9M | $2.5M | 192 | $0.8M |
| 2024 | $14M | +9.5% | $2.8M | $5.1M | $1.9M | $1.8M | $2.5M | 191 | $0.7M |
| 2023 | $13M | -16.1% | $2.5M | $4.7M | $1.8M | $1.7M | $2.3M | 183 | $0.7M |
| 2022 | $15M | +6.3% | $3.1M | $5.5M | $2.1M | $2.0M | $2.8M | 203 | $0.8M |
| 2021 | $15M | +30.7% | $3.1M | $5.1M | $2.0M | $1.8M | $2.5M | 186 | $0.7M |
| 2020 | $11M | -27.2% | $2.0M | $4.1M | $1.6M | $1.5M | $1.9M | 181 | $0.6M |
| 2019 | $15M | +3.7% | $3.1M | $5.6M | $2.0M | $2.0M | $2.6M | 241 | $0.8M |
| 2018 | $15M | +5.8% | $3.0M | $5.3M | $2.1M | $1.9M | $2.4M | 234 | $0.7M |
| 2017 | $14M | +0.2% | $2.7M | $5.1M | $2.0M | $1.9M | $2.2M | 229 | $0.7M |
| 2016 | $14M | — | $2.7M | $5.1M | $2.0M | $1.9M | $2.2M | 236 | $0.7M |
How that compares
- 0.04% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 6.4% of the Southwest Virginia - Heart of Appalachia region, which took $230M.
- Ranks 111 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 108 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Norton is +3.5%.