Visitor economy
Scott County
County · Southwest Virginia - Heart of Appalachia. Visitors spent $24M here in 2025, up 3.3% on 2024 and down 14.1% on 2019.
$24M
Visitor spending, 2025
98 of 133 localities
209
Jobs supported
96 of 133
$0.9M
Local taxes from visitors
103 of 133
$5.3M
Wages paid
$0.6M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Lodging is the largest single category here at $6.6M, 27.7% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $6.6M27.7%
- Food and drink
- $4.6M19.2%
- Retail
- $6.5M27.3%
- Recreation
- $1.9M8.0%
- Transport
- $4.2M17.7%
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 | $24M | +3.3% | $6.6M | $4.6M | $6.5M | $1.9M | $4.2M | 209 | $0.9M |
| 2024 | $23M | -0.8% | $6.5M | $4.3M | $6.4M | $1.9M | $4.1M | 208 | $0.8M |
| 2023 | $23M | +1.1% | $6.6M | $4.2M | $6.4M | $1.9M | $4.2M | 208 | $0.8M |
| 2022 | $23M | +2.3% | $6.6M | $3.8M | $6.4M | $1.8M | $4.4M | 202 | $0.8M |
| 2021 | $23M | +17.8% | $6.8M | $3.4M | $6.5M | $1.7M | $4.1M | 196 | $0.7M |
| 2020 | $19M | -31.2% | $6.3M | $2.8M | $5.1M | $1.2M | $3.7M | 193 | $0.7M |
| 2019 | $28M | +1.4% | $7.6M | $5.1M | $7.8M | $2.1M | $5.2M | 242 | $0.9M |
| 2018 | $27M | +2.8% | $7.8M | $4.9M | $7.8M | $2.0M | $5.0M | 243 | $0.9M |
| 2017 | $27M | +2.1% | $7.8M | $4.7M | $7.4M | $1.9M | $4.7M | 245 | $0.9M |
| 2016 | $26M | — | $7.8M | $4.5M | $7.3M | $1.9M | $4.5M | 243 | $0.9M |
How that compares
- 0.07% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 10.4% of the Southwest Virginia - Heart of Appalachia region, which took $230M.
- Ranks 98 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 103 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Scott County is +3.3%.