Wise County, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wise County, VA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 87% of counties in Virginia
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 93% of counties in Virginia
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 85% of counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Wise County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 35,431 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 87.4 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.54% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.3 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 13,905 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wise County declined by 15.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 35,431 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wise County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.4% of residents. That is 1.0 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,345 20.7% -0.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,363 20.8% -1.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,584 21.4% +1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,026 19.8% +3.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Virginia, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 47.4% of the people living in Wise County and men 52.6%.
- Women 47.4% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 52.6% Virginia 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Wise County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Wise County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Wise County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,154 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.89% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.2% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wise County is about 43% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Wise County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $64,936 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $789 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.2% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wise County is about 6.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $789 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wise County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 154 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wise County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.4 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.9 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 154 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,761 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.7% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,322 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,005 | 1,531 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Virginia:
Lexington city (10.6 min), Covington city (12.2 min), Norton city (13.1 min).
Slowest:
Amelia County (43.7 min), Craig County (41.3 min), Buckingham County (41.3 min).
The average commute time in Wise County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in Virginia.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Wise County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Wise County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.9% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.33 | 2.52 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Virginia:
Falls Church city (0.6), Arlington County (0.6), Alexandria city (0.5).
Lowest:
Greensville County (0.2), Lunenburg County (0.2), Buchanan County (0.2).
Health
Wise County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Wise County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.0 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.9% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 25.8% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Virginia:
Falls Church city (0.8), Arlington County (0.8), Fairfax County (0.8).
Lowest:
Emporia city (0.7), Petersburg city (0.8), Galax city (0.8).
Wise County, VA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Wise County, VA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wise County, VA | 35,431 | $53,154 #1/3 | $64,936 #2/3 | 18.4 min #1/3 |
| Scott County, VA | 21,488 | $46,320 | $155,318 | 27.6 min |
| Letcher County, KY | 20,808 | $41,776 | $22,812 | 20.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wise County, Virginia.
What is the population of Wise County, Virginia?
About 35,431 people live in Wise County, Virginia, in 13,905 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 43.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Wise County, Virginia?
Averaged over its land area, Wise County, Virginia has 87 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Wise County, Virginia?
The median home costs 1.2 times the median household income ($64,936 against $53,154), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $789 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Wise County, Virginia?
Unemployment in Wise County, Virginia is 8.2%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Wise County, Virginia?
14.9% of adults in Wise County, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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