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COUNTY

Wise County

Virginia · 34,824 residents (2025 est.) · 403.44 sq mi
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The short version

Wise County has notably lower household income than the US average, with a median household income of $52,943. Population has declined 12% since 2000. 16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national rate of 36%. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $118,600. Households here earn about 43% less than the Virginia median.

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

Total population
35,448
−12%since 2000
from 40,123 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
88 / sq mi
−15%since 2009
from 103 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
41.8
+11%since 2000
from 37.8 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:34,824 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
35K37K39K40K42K1990201020202024Wise County
202435K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.7%(1,656)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95%(1,775)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.8%(2,067)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.9%(2,094)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246%(2,137)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.3%(4,716)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413%(4,610)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.1%(4,646)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.3%(4,701)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7412.5%(4,442)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.8%(2,046)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.6%(558)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$52,943
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $26,149 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$25,953
+82%since 2000
from $14,271 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
32.1%
+15.7 ptssince 2009
from 16.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
17.2%
−2.8 ptssince 2000
from 20.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.418
−4%since 2010
from 0.437 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information14.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing6.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Wholesale trade6.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance5.7%
US avg: 5.9%
Other services5.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Manufacturing5.2%
US avg: 0.4%
Public administration4.2%
US avg: 4.8%
Professional, scientific, technical3.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Retail trade2.8%
US avg: 9.9%
Education & health services2.4%
US avg: 0.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.5%
US avg: 2.2%
Construction1.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$118,600
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $53,700 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$790
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $353 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
74.2%
−1.1 ptssince 2000
from 75.3% in 2000
25.8% rent
Vacancy rate
16.4%
+4.2 ptssince 2009
from 12.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
19.1%
+2.2 ptssince 2009
from 16.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
28.5%
−9.1 ptssince 2009
from 37.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.2
−2%since 2009
from 2.3 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
41
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Wise County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic96.4%(38,681)
Black1.8%(708)
Hispanic / Latino0.7%(292)
Asian0.3%(118)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic90%(31,893)
Black4.7%(1,681)
Hispanic / Latino1.4%(509)
Asian0.3%(112)
Other3.5%(1,253)
Diversity Score
23
+29%since 2009
from 18 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
36
−8%since 2020
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

Hispanic origin
Mexican1%(337)
Puerto Rican0.2%(66)
Spaniard0.1%(23)
Nicaraguan0.1%(22)
Peruvian0%(10)
Cuban0%(9)
Asian origin
Chinese0.1%(25)
Asian Indian0.1%(24)
Thai0%(14)
Korean0%(3)
Ancestry
American20.9%(7,411)
English14.7%(5,216)
Irish13%(4,609)
German8.2%(2,918)
Scottish2%(704)
Scotch-Irish1.9%(683)
Italian1.1%(376)
Dutch0.7%(240)
French0.6%(228)
Norwegian0.5%(171)
Polish0.4%(145)
Welsh0.4%(130)
+ 24 more ancestry groups with data
British0.3%(106)
Hungarian0.2%(71)
Arab0.2%(66)
Lithuanian0.1%(51)
Austrian0.1%(47)
Portuguese0.1%(38)
West Indian0.1%(36)
Finnish0.1%(35)
Swedish0.1%(33)
Moroccan0.1%(24)
Iranian0.1%(24)
Russian0.1%(22)
Lebanese0.1%(20)
Swiss0.1%(20)
Ukrainian0.1%(20)
Nigerian0%(13)
Armenian0%(11)
Syrian0%(10)
Belgian0%(8)
Latvian0%(5)
RANKED:Largest American population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest German population · Largest Scottish population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
15.8%
+4.9 ptssince 2000
from 10.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
81.1%
+18.6 ptssince 2000
from 62.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
5.6%
+1.5 ptssince 2000
from 4.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.6 min
+47%since 2000
from 16.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
77.3%
−7.4 ptssince 2009
from 84.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.9%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.2%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
10.7%
+9.0 ptssince 2009
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.3%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 1.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
9.1%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 10.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
8.2%
−0.3 ptssince 2011
from 8.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
46.4%
−2.0 ptssince 2011
from 48.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
18.1%
+2.8 ptssince 2009
from 15.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
34.6%
−20.7 ptssince 2009
from 55.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
52.6%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
Female
47.4%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
Foreign born
1.5%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.0%
−44.3 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
27.5%
+3.6 ptssince 2012
from 23.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.5%
−78.9 ptssince 2013
from 85.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
84.4%
+19.3 ptssince 2017
from 65.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
98.1%
+0.5 ptssince 2016
from 97.6% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
1.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2016
from 1.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married34%(5,377)
Married50.9%(8,048)
Widowed3.8%(603)
Divorced11.3%(1,784)
Women 15+
Never married23.8%(3,364)
Married51.4%(7,263)
Widowed12.1%(1,708)
Divorced12.8%(1,803)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

Places similar to Wise County

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Pop 32,449
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Pop 32,481
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Pop 37,828
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Pop 37,947
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%
Population3,477−90%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WISE COUNTY VS
Letcher County
Income$41,793−21%
Home value$67,400−43%
Population19,952−43%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WISE COUNTY VS
Scott County
Income$46,349−12%
Home value$143,000+21%
Population21,200−39%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WISE COUNTY VS
Dickenson County
Income$47,254−11%
Home value$102,700−13%
Population13,236−62%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
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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Explore from here

11 census tracts
Census Tract 9312Census Tract 9314Census Tract 9309Census Tract 9315Census Tract 9313Census Tract 9307Census Tract 9316Census Tract 9311Census Tract 9308Census Tract 9310Census Tract 9317
8 ZIP codes
ZIP 24219ZIP 24293ZIP 24230ZIP 24273ZIP 24279ZIP 24216ZIP 24283ZIP 24246
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

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