Visitor economy
Radford
Independent city · Southwest Virginia - Blue Ridge Highlands. Visitors spent $26M here in 2025, up 3.0% on 2024 and up 23.1% on 2019.
$26M
Visitor spending, 2025
94 of 133 localities
296
Jobs supported
84 of 133
$1.4M
Local taxes from visitors
87 of 133
$9.7M
Wages paid
$1.0M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Food and drink is the largest single category here at $9.6M, 36.3% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $4.5M17.2%
- Food and drink
- $9.6M36.3%
- Retail
- $6.6M25.1%
- Recreation
- $2.4M8.9%
- Transport
- $3.3M12.4%
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 | $26M | +3.0% | $4.5M | $9.6M | $6.6M | $2.4M | $3.3M | 296 | $1.4M |
| 2024 | $26M | +11.3% | $4.4M | $9.3M | $6.4M | $2.2M | $3.4M | 296 | $1.4M |
| 2023 | $23M | -71.8% | $3.8M | $8.4M | $5.8M | $2.0M | $3.0M | 286 | $1.3M |
| 2022 | $20M | +5.6% | $3.1M | $7.3M | $5.3M | $1.8M | $2.7M | 275 | $1.1M |
| 2021 | $19M | +44.2% | $3.0M | $6.8M | $5.0M | $1.7M | $2.5M | 241 | $1.0M |
| 2020 | $13M | -38.2% | $1.9M | $4.5M | $3.7M | $1.2M | $1.9M | 207 | $0.7M |
| 2019 | $21M | +2.5% | $3.4M | $8.6M | $4.9M | $1.7M | $2.9M | 295 | $1.1M |
| 2018 | $21M | +3.0% | $3.2M | $8.2M | $5.0M | $1.7M | $2.8M | 325 | $1.0M |
| 2017 | $20M | +1.8% | $3.0M | $8.0M | $4.8M | $1.6M | $2.9M | 332 | $1.0M |
| 2016 | $20M | — | $3.0M | $7.8M | $4.8M | $1.6M | $2.8M | 338 | $1.1M |
How that compares
- 0.07% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 2.2% of the Southwest Virginia - Blue Ridge Highlands region, which took $1.17B.
- Ranks 94 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 87 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Radford is +3.0%.