Visitor economy
Richmond County
County · Chesapeake Bay. Visitors spent $14M here in 2025, up 5.7% on 2024 and up 17.5% on 2019.
$14M
Visitor spending, 2025
113 of 133 localities
92
Jobs supported
116 of 133
$0.4M
Local taxes from visitors
118 of 133
$3.0M
Wages paid
$0.3M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Lodging is the largest single category here at $4.4M, 31.6% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $4.4M31.6%
- Food and drink
- $2.7M19.8%
- Retail
- $3.4M24.8%
- Recreation
- $1.3M9.4%
- Transport
- $2.0M14.5%
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 | $14M | +5.7% | $4.4M | $2.7M | $3.4M | $1.3M | $2.0M | 92 | $0.4M |
| 2024 | $13M | +3.5% | $4.2M | $2.4M | $3.2M | $1.3M | $2.0M | 90 | $0.4M |
| 2023 | $13M | +5.5% | $4.1M | $2.2M | $3.2M | $1.2M | $1.9M | 89 | $0.4M |
| 2022 | $12M | +9.1% | $3.7M | $2.1M | $3.1M | $1.2M | $1.9M | 82 | $0.4M |
| 2021 | $11M | +26.2% | $3.5M | $1.9M | $2.8M | $1.0M | $1.7M | 77 | $0.4M |
| 2020 | $8.7M | -26.1% | $2.8M | $1.5M | $2.1M | $0.9M | $1.3M | 75 | $0.3M |
| 2019 | $12M | +3.1% | $3.5M | $2.4M | $2.9M | $1.3M | $1.8M | 93 | $0.4M |
| 2018 | $11M | +6.9% | $3.2M | $2.3M | $2.9M | $1.2M | $1.7M | 93 | $0.4M |
| 2017 | $11M | +0.3% | $3.0M | $2.2M | $2.7M | $1.1M | $1.6M | 90 | $0.4M |
| 2016 | $11M | — | $3.2M | $2.2M | $2.7M | $1.1M | $1.5M | 90 | $0.4M |
How that compares
- 0.04% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 3.7% of the Chesapeake Bay region, which took $371M.
- Ranks 113 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 118 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Richmond County is +5.7%.