Visitor economy
Roanoke City
Independent city · Virginia Mountains. Visitors spent $566M here in 2025, up 5.9% on 2024 and up 29.0% on 2019.
$566M
Visitor spending, 2025
13 of 133 localities
3,870
Jobs supported
13 of 133
$27M
Local taxes from visitors
14 of 133
$203M
Wages paid
$15M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Transport is the largest single category here at $202M, 35.6% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $89M15.7%
- Food and drink
- $159M28.1%
- Retail
- $52M9.3%
- Recreation
- $64M11.4%
- Transport
- $202M35.6%
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 | $566M | +5.9% | $89M | $159M | $52M | $64M | $202M | 3,870 | $27M |
| 2024 | $535M | +5.2% | $86M | $147M | $53M | $62M | $186M | 3,804 | $26M |
| 2023 | $508M | +7.8% | $84M | $142M | $52M | $60M | $170M | 3,738 | $24M |
| 2022 | $472M | +29.8% | $79M | $134M | $51M | $56M | $153M | 3,638 | $23M |
| 2021 | $363M | +35.7% | $57M | $107M | $44M | $48M | $108M | 3,140 | $19M |
| 2020 | $268M | -39.0% | $42M | $85M | $36M | $32M | $73M | 3,000 | $16M |
| 2019 | $439M | +2.6% | $77M | $133M | $53M | $45M | $131M | 4,335 | $23M |
| 2018 | $428M | +8.6% | $77M | $130M | $54M | $44M | $123M | 4,302 | $22M |
| 2017 | $394M | +3.3% | $72M | $119M | $50M | $41M | $111M | 4,200 | $21M |
| 2016 | $381M | — | $70M | $117M | $49M | $40M | $106M | 4,190 | $21M |
How that compares
- 1.56% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 45.6% of the Virginia Mountains region, which took $1.24B.
- Ranks 13 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 14 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Roanoke City is +5.9%.