Wise County, Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Wise County, Virginia had an estimated 34,973 residents on July 1, 2024, down 3.2 percent since the 2020 census base of 36,118, across 403 square miles. 607 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $4.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Wise County
How many people live in Wise County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202435,448
- Households13,905
- Average household size2.55
- Median household income$52,943
- Median age41.8
- Median gross rent$790 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$118,600
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher15.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over25,719
- Population under 186,766
- Share under 1819.1 percent
- Population 65 and over7,046
- Share 65 and over19.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6421,636
- Civilian labor force13,719
- Unemployment rate8.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over47.8 percent
- Rank by population among Virginia counties49th of 133
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1329th of 3,222
Wise County is the 49th largest of 133 Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 2.2 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 19.9 percent against 19.1 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Wise County
Is Wise County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202434,973
- Census 2020 base population36,118
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.17 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-218
- Births, 2024336
- Deaths, 2024607
- Natural change, 2024-271
- Net domestic migration, 202432
- Net international migration, 202421
- Total net migration, 202453
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202416
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2768th of 3,144
The county has lost 3.17 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Wise County
Where are people moving to Wise County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving687
- People arriving, from those returns1,263
- Tax returns filed by households leaving664
- Net household movement23
- Adjusted gross income arriving$23.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-4.8 m
- Average income of an arriving household$34,626
- Average income of a leaving household$43,071
- Largest single originNorton city (83 households)
- Largest single destinationNorton city (81 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norton city | 83 | 155 | $2.7 m |
| Dickenson County | 64 | 117 | $2.1 m |
| Lee County | 58 | 107 | $1.6 m |
| Russell County | 33 | 65 | $1.2 m |
| Scott County | 25 | 52 | $619,000 |
| Letcher County | 21 | 39 | $720,000 |
| Sullivan County | 21 | 35 | $834,000 |
Households arriving report $8,445 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Norton city, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Wise County
Employment by industry in Wise County
- Covered employment, annual average10,969
- Establishments reporting794
- Average annual pay$46,985
- Average weekly wage$904
- Retail trade, employment1,730
- Retail trade, average annual pay$30,855
- Health care and social assistance, employment1,459
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$50,999
- Accommodation and food services, employment984
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$19,533
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment639
- Administrative and support and waste management services, average annual pay$32,504
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment340
- Manufacturing, employment320
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,730 | 138 | $30,855 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,459 | 180 | $50,999 |
| Accommodation and food services | 984 | 64 | $19,533 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 639 | 25 | $32,504 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 340 | 52 | $64,176 |
| Manufacturing | 320 | 16 | $50,879 |
| Construction | 242 | 40 | $56,125 |
| Wholesale trade | 227 | 28 | $75,956 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,730 jobs, 15.8 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Wise County
How many businesses are in Wise County?
- Establishments, all industries607
- Employment at those establishments7,407
- Annual payroll$275.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Wise County
Building permits in Wise County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202416
- Declared construction value permitted$4.3 m
- Single family units authorized16
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$268,875
- Units authorized per 1,000 households1.2
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Wise County
SBA loans in Wise County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$4.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,143,550
- Median 7(a) approval$42,750
- Largest single approval$4,480,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)17
- Jobs per approval4.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term132 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer25.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals25.0 percent
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Wise County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Wise County
Do SBA loans in Wise County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
Only 0 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Wise County
SBA lending by place in Wise County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Coeburn, approvals2
- Big Stone Gap, approvals1
- Wise, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Coeburn | 2 | $85,500 |
| Big Stone Gap | 1 | $4,480,000 |
| Wise | 1 | $8,700 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Wise County
How large is Wise County?
- Land area403 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Virginia counties44th of 133
- Width, east to west32.4 mi
- Height, north to south27.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary8
- Residents per square mile of land88
- Establishments per square mile1.51
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Wise County
Flood risk in Wise County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Wise County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 510174
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP7
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Wise County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Wise County (community 510174), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Wise County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Wise County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Wise County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202435,448
- Households13,905
- Average household size2.55
- Median household income$52,943
- Median age41.8
Common questions
Wise County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Wise County, Virginia?
The Census Bureau estimates 34,973 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 35,448, in 13,905 households, ranking 49th of 133 Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Wise County's population growing?
The population has fallen 3.17 percent since the 2020 census base of 36,118, to 34,973 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 336 births against 607 deaths, with net migration of 53. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Wise County?
$52,943. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $118,600, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $790 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Wise County?
607 establishments, employing 7,407 people with an annual payroll of $275.5 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Wise County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,730 jobs, 15.8 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 10,969 jobs at an average annual pay of $46,985, or $904 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Wise County?
4 7(a) approvals totaling $4.6 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $42,750. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Wise County?
16 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $4.3 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Wise County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Wise County come from?
The largest single origin is Norton city, with 83 households. Arriving households report an average income of $34,626 against $43,071 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Wise County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Wise County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Wise County
Cities and places in Wise.
14 Census places lie wholly or partly in Wise County. All 14 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Stone Gap | town | 5,162 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Wise | town | 2,916 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Coeburn | town | 1,639 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Appalachia | town | 1,391 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| St. Paul | town | 963 | None recorded | 76.6 percent here, 23.4 percent Russell County |
| Pound | town | 913 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| East Stone Gap | CDP | 683 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Riverview | CDP | 607 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Big Stone Gap East | CDP | 567 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| The University of Virginia's College at Wise | CDP | 489 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Stonega | CDP | 151 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Tacoma | CDP | 131 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dunbar | CDP | 115 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Osaka | CDP | 74 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |