Wise County, VA

County

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2022 Population

36,105

1.17% 1-year decline

US Senator

Mark Warner

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tim Kaine

Democratic Party

2022 Median Age

1.2% 1-year increase

2022 Poverty Rate

19.9%

0.95% 1-year increase

2022 Median Household Income

$47,541

5.92% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$108,000

13.9% 1-year growth

2022 Employed Population

12,651

1.03% 1-year decline

About

In 2022, Wise County, VA had a population of 36.1k people with a median age of 42 and a median household income of $47,541. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Wise County, VA declined from 36,531 to 36,105, a −1.17% decrease and its median household income grew from $44,884 to $47,541, a 5.92% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Wise County, VA are White (Non-Hispanic) (90.8%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (4.6%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (1.86%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (1.08%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (0.648%).

None of the households in Wise County, VA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.3% of the residents in Wise County, VA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Wise County, VA are Mountain Empire Community College (975 degrees awarded in 2022) and University of Virginia's College at Wise (233897) (233 degrees).

In 2022, the median property value in Wise County, VA was $108,000, and the homeownership rate was 70.3%.

Most people in Wise County, VA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Wise County, VA was 2 cars per household.

Wise County, VA borders Harlan County, KY, Letcher County, KY, Pike County, KY, Dickenson County, VA, Lee County, VA, Russell County, VA, Scott County, VA, and Norton city, VA.

United States Virginia Big Stone Gap, VA

Population & Diversity

Wise County, VA is home to a population of 36.1k people, from which 99.3% are citizens. As of 2022, 1.78% of Wise County, VA residents were born outside of the country (644 people).

In 2022, there were 19.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (32.8k people) in Wise County, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.66k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 671 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.3%

2022 Citizenship

99.3%

2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 99.3% of Wise County, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Wise County, VA was 99.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Wise County, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Wise County, VA

White (Non-Hispanic)
32.8k ± 133
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.66k ± 223
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
671 ± 220

1.33%

Hispanic Population

482 people

1.33% of the people in Wise County, VA are hispanic (482 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Wise County, VA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Virginia.

Most Common Origin

El Salvador
107,605 ± 8,003 people
India
98,735 ± 7,670 people
Mexico
59,855 ± 5,986 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Virginia was El Salvador, the natal country of 107,605 Virginia residents, followed by India with 98,735 and Mexico with 59,855.

Foreign-Born Population

1.78%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

644 people

1.37%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

501 people

As of 2022, 1.78% of Wise County, VA residents (644 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Wise County, VA was 1.37%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Wise County, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
819 ± 203
Gulf War (1990s)
452 ± 191
Gulf War (2001-)
333 ± 136

Wise County, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.81 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Wise County, VA employs 12.7k people. The largest industries in Wise County, VA are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,975 people), Retail Trade (1,878 people), and Educational Services (1,495 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($73,864), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($66,299), and Utilities ($60,521).

Males in Virginia have an average income that is 1.33 times higher than the average income of females, which is $69,674. The income inequality in Virginia (measured using the Gini index) is 0.475, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

12.7k

2022 Value

± 924

−1.03%

1 Year decline

± 10.6%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Wise County, VA declined at a rate of −1.03%, from 12.8k employees to 12.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Wise County, VA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,656 people), Sales & Related Occupations (1,367 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (1,279 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Wise County, VA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Virginia (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

12.7k

2022 Value

± 924

−1.03%

1 Year decline

± 10.6%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Wise County, VA declined at a rate of −1.03%, from 12.8k employees to 12.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Wise County, VA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,975 people), Retail Trade (1,878 people), and Educational Services (1,495 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Wise County, VA, though some of these residents may live in Wise County, VA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$43,043

Median earning men ± $1,993

$28,802

Median earning women ± $3,480

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($66,299), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($55,551), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($54,792).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($52,222), Manufacturing ($46,000), and Public Administration ($45,536).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Y-Axis

2.48%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.1M people employed in Virginia. This represents a 2.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.8%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Virginia.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

50
Other Services (except Public Administration)
47
Retail Trade
35
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$65.9k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$48.1k
Retail Trade
$24.7k
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Wise County, VA went to Donald J. Trump with 80.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (18.7%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.65%).

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing the state of Virginia. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (80.4%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (18.7%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (0.65%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Wise County, VA went to Donald J. Trump with 80.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (18.7%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.65%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Wise County, VA for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Virginia

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Mark Warner

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2009

Tim Kaine

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing Virginia.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Virginia over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Virginia

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Virginia have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Wise County, VA awarded 1,208 degrees. The student population of Wise County, VA in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 1,404 male students and 2,228 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Wise County, VA are White (1,104 and 91.4%), followed by Black or African American (42 and 3.48%), Two or More Races (27 and 2.24%), and Unknown (24 and 1.99%).

The largest universities in Wise County, VA by number of degrees awarded are Mountain Empire Community College (975 and 80.7%) and University of Virginia's College at Wise (233897) (233 and 19.3%).

The most popular majors in Wise County, VA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (181 and 15%), Other Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, & Treatment Professions (162 and 13.4%), and Other Liberal Arts & Sciences, General Studies, & Humanities (145 and 12%).

The median tuition cost in Wise County, VA for a public four year colleges is $6,040 for in-state students and $25,419 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Wise County, VA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 75.6%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 39.8%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 3,632 (38.7% men and 61.3% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 3,632 students enrolled in Wise County, VA, 38.7% men and 61.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,981 records, of which 62.5% were women and 37.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
119 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
55 degrees awarded
Other Environmental Control Technology
19 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Wise County, VA was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 119 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Wise County, VA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Mountain Empire Community College
975 degrees awarded
University of Virginia's College at Wise (233897)
233 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Mountain Empire Community College with 975 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 465 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Wise County, VA, which is 0.626 times less than the 743 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,104 degrees mean that there were 26.3 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 42 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($6,040) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($5,458) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,600) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Measure

In 2022, 0.884% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.904% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.71M), Bachelors Degree (1.47M), and Some college (1.4M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Wise County, VA was $108,000 in 2022, which is 0.383 times smaller than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $94,800 to $108,000, a 13.9% increase. The homeownership rate in Wise County, VA is 70.3%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Wise County, VA have an average commute time of 23.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Wise County, VA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Wise County, VA is $47,541. In 2022, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Wise County, VA was Census Tract 9313 with a value of $58,295, followed by Census Tract 9309 and Census Tract 9316, with respective values of $55,181 and $53,125.

In 2023, 14.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Wise County, VA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 2.54%.

Housing

Property

$108,000

Median Property Value 2022

±$7,332

$9,882

Median Property Taxes

±$748

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Wise County, VA the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Wise County, VA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

70.3%

Homeownership

2022

62.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 70.3% of the housing units in Wise County, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 70.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Wise County, VA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9313
Census Tract 9309
Census Tract 9316

In 2022, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Wise County, VA was Census Tract 9313 with a value of $58,295, followed by Census Tract 9309 and Census Tract 9316, with respective values of $55,181 and $53,125.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Wise County, VA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$47,541

Median Household Income

± $3,057

14.1k

Number of Households

± 946

In 2022, the median household income of the 14.1k households in Wise County, VA grew to $47,541 from the previous year's value of $44,884.

The following chart displays the households in Wise County, VA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Wise County, VA is from Virginia.

0.475

2022 Wage GINI in Virginia

0.476

2021 Wage GINI in Virginia

In 2022, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.475 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.164% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Virginia in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Virginia across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2022

Drove Alone (80.7%)
Carpooled (8.74%)
Worked At Home (6.13%)

In 2022, 80.7% of workers in Wise County, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.74%) and those who worked at home (6.13%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

23.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Wise County, VA have a shorter commute time (23.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 3.06% of the workforce in Wise County, VA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Wise County, VA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Wise County, VA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Wise County, VA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 14.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Wise County, VA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 2.54%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

19.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Wise County, VA (6.61k out of 33.2k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Wise County, VA is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 25.7% of the children was living in poverty in Wise County, VA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 3.6%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

92.2% of the population of Wise County, VA has health coverage, with 34.8% on employee plans, 25.1% on Medicaid, 18.8% on Medicare, 10.6% on non-group plans, and 2.81% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Wise County, VA see 2325 patients per year on average, which represents a 11.9% increase from the previous year (2077 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4456 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 810 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.4% were men and 51.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,325 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Wise County, VA

Primary care physicians in Wise County, VA see an average of 2,325 patients per year. This represents a 11.9% increase from the previous year (2,077 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Wise County, VA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.3% under 18 years, 19.6% between 18 and 34 years, 39.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.4% were men and 51.6% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

7.79%

Uninsured

34.8%

Employer Coverage

25.1%

Medicaid

18.8%

Medicare

10.6%

Non-Group

2.81%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Wise County, VA declined by 15.3% from 9.19% to 7.79%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Wise County, VA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 44.4 in Wise County, VA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Wise County, VA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 37.6% in Wise County, VA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Wise County, VA.