Visitor economy
Sussex County
County · Central Virginia. Visitors spent $21M here in 2025, down 1.6% on 2024 and up 14.1% on 2019.
$21M
Visitor spending, 2025
103 of 133 localities
152
Jobs supported
106 of 133
$0.8M
Local taxes from visitors
104 of 133
$4.6M
Wages paid
$0.5M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Retail is the largest single category here at $5.5M, 26.7% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $4.6M22.1%
- Food and drink
- $3.1M14.9%
- Retail
- $5.5M26.7%
- Recreation
- $2.2M10.7%
- Transport
- $5.3M25.6%
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 | $21M | -1.6% | $4.6M | $3.1M | $5.5M | $2.2M | $5.3M | 152 | $0.8M |
| 2024 | $21M | +2.6% | $4.7M | $3.1M | $5.6M | $2.3M | $5.4M | 153 | $0.8M |
| 2023 | $21M | +14.1% | $4.6M | $3.0M | $5.6M | $2.2M | $5.2M | 151 | $0.8M |
| 2022 | $18M | +3.5% | $3.9M | $2.6M | $4.9M | $2.0M | $4.7M | 142 | $0.7M |
| 2021 | $17M | +40.4% | $3.8M | $2.5M | $4.7M | $1.8M | $4.5M | 127 | $0.6M |
| 2020 | $12M | -31.8% | $2.4M | $1.9M | $3.6M | $1.2M | $3.4M | 125 | $0.5M |
| 2019 | $18M | -3.7% | $3.5M | $3.0M | $5.1M | $2.3M | $4.3M | 164 | $0.7M |
| 2018 | $19M | -0.9% | $4.0M | $2.9M | $5.2M | $2.2M | $4.6M | 170 | $0.7M |
| 2017 | $19M | +1.0% | $4.2M | $2.9M | $5.3M | $2.2M | $4.5M | 181 | $0.7M |
| 2016 | $19M | — | $4.3M | $2.8M | $5.2M | $2.3M | $4.2M | 184 | $0.7M |
How that compares
- 0.06% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 0.3% of the Central Virginia region, which took $6.33B.
- Ranks 103 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 104 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Sussex County is -1.6%.