Wise County, Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Wise County, Virginia has a population of 35,448 across 403 square miles, down 3.2 percent since the 2020 census base. 607 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $4.6 m.
98 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Wise County
How many people live in Wise County
- Population35,448
- 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-equivalents1329th
Wise County is the 49th largest of 133 Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 2.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market 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 storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Wise County
Is Wise County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.17 percent
- Census 2020 base population36,118
- 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
The county has lost 3.17 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Wise County
Where people moving to Wise County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving687
- People arriving, from those returns1,263
- Adjusted gross income arriving$23.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$34,626
- Largest single originWise County Non-migrants (10,838 households)
- Largest single destination (10,838 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wise County Non-migrants | 10,838 | 22,858 | $576.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 266 | 506 | $10.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 177 | 334 | $7.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 116 | 187 | $3.3 m |
| Norton city | 83 | 155 | $2.7 m |
| Dickenson County | 64 | 117 | $2.1 m |
| Lee County | 58 | 107 | $1.6 m |
| Other flows - West | 37 | 80 | $1.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Wise County Non-migrants, 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
Who employs people in Wise County
- Covered employment, annual average10,969
- Establishments reporting794
- Average annual pay$46,985
- Average weekly wage$904
- Sector 44-45, employment1,730
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,855
- Sector 62, employment1,459
- Sector 62, average annual pay$50,999
- Sector 72, employment984
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,533
- Sector 56, employment639
- Sector 56, average annual pay$32,504
- Sector 54, employment340
- Sector 31-33, employment320
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 1,730 | 138 | $30,855 |
| Sector 62 | 1,459 | 180 | $50,999 |
| Sector 72 | 984 | 64 | $19,533 |
| Sector 56 | 639 | 25 | $32,504 |
| Sector 54 | 340 | 52 | $64,176 |
| Sector 31-33 | 320 | 16 | $50,879 |
| Sector 23 | 242 | 40 | $56,125 |
| Sector 42 | 227 | 28 | $75,956 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,730 jobs, 15.8 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Wise County
What businesses operate 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.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Wise County
What is being built in Wise County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202416
- Declared construction value permitted$4.3 m
- Single family units authorised16
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$268,875
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.2
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Wise County
How much SBA lending happens in Wise County
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$4.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,143,550
- Median 7(a) approval$57,600
- 10th percentile approval$8,700
- 90th percentile approval$4,480,000
- 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) term180 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
- Leading industry by approval countGeneral Automotive Repair (2)
- Most active lenderPowell Valley National Bank (2)
The average approval of $1,143,550 sits well above the median of $57,600, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 25.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
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
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Wise County
Which parts of Wise County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- COEBURN, approvals2
- Wise, approvals1
- Big Stone Gap, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| COEBURN | 2 | $85,500 |
| Wise | 1 | $8,700 |
| Big Stone Gap | 1 | $4,480,000 |
COEBURN accounts for 2 approvals against 1 in Wise. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Wise County
How big 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 boundary5
- 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.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
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.
- Population35,448
- 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?
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 growing?
The population has fallen 3.17 percent since the 2020 census base. 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 there 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 the average wage in Wise County?
Average annual pay is $46,985, or $904 a week, across 10,969 covered jobs. 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 totalling $4.6 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $57,600. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Wise County?
16 housing units were authorised 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 Wise County Non-migrants, with 10,838 households. Arriving households report an average income of $34,626 against null 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?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.