Visitor economy
Pulaski County
County · Southwest Virginia - Blue Ridge Highlands. Visitors spent $89M here in 2025, down 1.5% on 2024 and up 20.1% on 2019.
$89M
Visitor spending, 2025
54 of 133 localities
779
Jobs supported
52 of 133
$3.4M
Local taxes from visitors
57 of 133
$21M
Wages paid
$2.6M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Food and drink is the largest single category here at $27M, 29.9% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $17M18.6%
- Food and drink
- $27M29.9%
- Retail
- $24M27.0%
- Recreation
- $8.9M10.0%
- Transport
- $13M14.5%
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 | $89M | -1.5% | $17M | $27M | $24M | $8.9M | $13M | 779 | $3.4M |
| 2024 | $90M | +7.1% | $17M | $26M | $24M | $9.6M | $13M | 789 | $3.4M |
| 2023 | $85M | +420.6% | $16M | $24M | $22M | $9.3M | $13M | 767 | $3.2M |
| 2022 | $82M | +5.2% | $15M | $23M | $22M | $9.0M | $13M | 766 | $3.1M |
| 2021 | $78M | +37.7% | $15M | $20M | $21M | $8.7M | $12M | 751 | $3.0M |
| 2020 | $56M | -24.0% | $11M | $15M | $16M | $6.1M | $8.5M | 650 | $2.4M |
| 2019 | $74M | +5.5% | $15M | $20M | $21M | $7.0M | $11M | 766 | $3.0M |
| 2018 | $70M | +6.2% | $14M | $19M | $21M | $6.5M | $10M | 743 | $2.8M |
| 2017 | $66M | +1.7% | $14M | $17M | $19M | $6.2M | $9.8M | 727 | $2.7M |
| 2016 | $65M | — | $14M | $17M | $19M | $6.3M | $9.3M | 736 | $2.8M |
How that compares
- 0.25% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 7.6% of the Southwest Virginia - Blue Ridge Highlands region, which took $1.17B.
- Ranks 54 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 57 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Pulaski County is -1.5%.