United States › Virginia › Wise County COUNTY
Wise County Virginia · 34,824 residents (2025 est.) · 403 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Wise County is home to 35,448 people in Virginia. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 16% of adults. Households here earn about 43% less than in Virginia as a whole. The typical home is worth $118,600, having more than doubled since 2000. The foreign-born share is 2%. 74% of homes are owner-occupied.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.8
US median: 38.9
Less educated
16% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 40,123 in 2000
34,824 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 103 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 37.8 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
35K 37K 39K 40K 42K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Wise County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $52,943
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $26,149 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $14,271 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 16.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 20.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.437 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 6.6%
Public administration 4.2%
Professional, scientific, technical 3.3%
Education & health services 2.4%
Transportation & warehousing 1.5%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.3%
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$118,600
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $53,700 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$790
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $353 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 75.3% in 2000
25.8% rent
from 12.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.42 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 16.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 37.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.3 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 96.4%(38,681)
Hispanic / Latino 0.7%(292)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 90%(31,893)
Hispanic / Latino 1.4%(509)
from 18 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 39 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 24 more ancestry groups with data from 10.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 62.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 4.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 16.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 84.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 1.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 10.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 8.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 48.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 55.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 15.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 26.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 10.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 23.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 14.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 65.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 83.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 87.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 97.6% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 1.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Women 15+
Never married 23.8%(3,364)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 14.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 47.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 12.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 27.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 24.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 3.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 59.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 48.0% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 22.2%(445)
Gulf War (1990s) 26.1%(524)
Share of the 2,007 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to Wise County Head to head
Compare Wise County to nearby counties WISE COUNTY VS
Norton
Income $41,495 −22%
Home value $110,000 −7%
Population 3,477 −90%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WISE COUNTY VS
Letcher County
Income $41,793 −21%
Home value $67,400 −43%
Population 19,952 −43%
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WISE COUNTY VS
Scott County
Income $46,349 −12%
Home value $143,000 +21%
Population 21,200 −39%
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WISE COUNTY VS
Dickenson County
Income $47,254 −11%
Home value $102,700 −13%
Population 13,236 −62%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Wise County, Virginia? Wise County, Virginia has about 35,448 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Wise County, Virginia? The typical household in Wise County, Virginia earns about $52,943 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Wise County, Virginia expensive? In Wise County, Virginia, the median home is worth about $118,600, and the typical rent is about $790 a month.
How educated are people in Wise County, Virginia? About 15.8% of adults age 25 and over in Wise County, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Wise County, Virginia? About 17.2% of people in Wise County, Virginia live below the federal poverty line.
Has Wise County, Virginia grown since 1990? Yes, Wise County, Virginia has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 4,125 residents, a change of about -10 percent over that period.
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