• county
  • FIPS 51195
  • Largest town: Big Stone Gap

Wise County, Virginia

Wise County had 34,973 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 403.4 square miles of land. It ranks 49th of 133 in Virginia by population and 44th by land area.

Population
34,973
#49 of 133 in Virginia · #1,311 in US
Area
403.4 sq mi
#44 of 133 in Virginia · #2,508 in US
Density
87 / sq mi
#76 of 133 in Virginia · #1,016 in US
Median household income
$50,442
#117 of 133 in Virginia · #2,691 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Wise County within Virginia. Pin: Richmond.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Wise County

Wise County population, land area and income

Wise County had 34,973 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 403.4 square miles of land. It ranks 49th of 133 in Virginia by population and 44th by land area. That works out to 86.7 people per square mile, near the US average of 96.3, and above the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Virginia has 27,800 residents; Wise County is somewhat larger.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $50,442 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

34,973

3144th1st

1311th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

403 sq mi

3144th1st

2508th of 3,144 (US)

Density

86.7 / sq mi

3144th1st

1016th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$50,442

3143rd1st

2691st of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Virginia (133)

Population

34,973

133rd1st

49th of 133 (VA)

Land area

403 sq mi

133rd1st

44th of 133 (VA)

Density

86.7 / sq mi

133rd1st

76th of 133 (VA)

Median household income

$50,442

133rd1st

117th of 133 (VA)

How Wise County's population changed since 2020

Wise County lost 1,093 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 3.0%. That ranks 124th of 133 in Virginia for growth. The median Virginia county changed by +1.3%, and the state as a whole by +2.0%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Wise County recorded 1,395 births and 2,577 deaths, a natural change of -1,182. Net international migration added +47 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -4. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 1,182 people.

36.1k202035.7k202135.3k202235.2k202335.0k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
1,395
Deaths
2,577
Net international migration
+47
Net domestic migration
-4
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
-218

Where Wise County is

The Census internal point of Wise County is at 36.974600, -82.621600. It sits in UTM zone 17N. The map shades Virginia's 133 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Wise County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Martinsville city: +2.7%Norton city: -5.5%Charlottesville city: -3.6%Winchester city: -0.7%Bristol city: -5.7%Manassas Park city: -3.2%Fluvanna County: +5.3%Clarke County: +5.3%Lunenburg County: +0.9%Colonial Heights city: +2.8%Franklin city: +2.8%Lexington city: +6.7%Petersburg city: +2.0%Suffolk city: +8.8%Emporia city: -5.1%Middlesex County: +3.2%Fairfax city: +8.9%Fredericksburg city: +7.1%Floyd County: +1.2%Radford city: +7.2%Waynesboro city: +5.5%Hopewell city: -0.2%Staunton city: +2.1%Buena Vista city: -0.6%Covington city: -1.4%Poquoson city: +3.1%Madison County: +2.8%Falls Church city: +2.4%Franklin County: +2.1%Mecklenburg County: +1.8%Smyth County: -2.2%Pittsylvania County: -1.6%Frederick County: +6.7%Russell County: -1.3%Nottoway County: -0.1%Scott County: -0.9%Mathews County: +1.0%Stafford County: +7.1%Goochland County: +13.5%Henrico County: +1.1%Caroline County: +8.2%Prince George County: +1.2%Prince William County: +2.9%Cumberland County: +4.0%Essex County: +0.8%Fairfax County: +1.1%Henry County: -2.9%Carroll County: +0.3%Grayson County: -0.1%Louisa County: +11.4%James City County: +5.5%Albemarle County: +4.2%Lynchburg city: +1.7%King William County: +7.3%Charles City County: -2.7%Northumberland County: +4.7%Alexandria city: -0.0%Salem city: +2.0%Galax city: +0.3%Isle of Wight County: +5.8%Newport News city: -1.6%Tazewell County: -3.8%Amherst County: +1.1%Manassas city: +2.2%Buckingham County: +1.7%Shenandoah County: +2.7%Richmond city: +3.0%Alleghany County: -3.7%Culpeper County: +6.4%Warren County: +4.1%Northampton County: -1.7%Southampton County: -0.1%Portsmouth city: -1.5%Rockingham County: +4.6%Orange County: +7.1%Sussex County: -0.4%Bland County: -1.1%Chesapeake city: +2.1%Harrisonburg city: -1.0%Powhatan County: +6.4%Virginia Beach city: -1.1%Dinwiddie County: +2.5%Campbell County: -0.5%Gloucester County: +3.7%Greene County: +5.5%Page County: -0.0%Halifax County: -1.4%Hanover County: +4.6%Buchanan County: -8.0%Highland County: +4.8%Surry County: +0.4%Westmoreland County: +3.9%Wythe County: -0.8%Greensville County: -2.2%Roanoke city: -2.0%Loudoun County: +4.9%Spotsylvania County: +8.1%Brunswick County: -0.5%King George County: +7.4%Bedford County: +3.3%Patrick County: -1.6%Lancaster County: +1.4%Nelson County: +0.2%Montgomery County: -0.6%Amelia County: +3.4%York County: +1.7%Norfolk city: -2.8%Williamsburg city: +3.6%Bath County: -2.8%Accomack County: +0.0%Washington County: +0.4%Pulaski County: -0.7%Rockbridge County: -1.3%Roanoke County: +0.4%Wise County: -3.0%Fauquier County: +3.9%Craig County: -1.0%Charlotte County: -2.4%Richmond County: +3.3%Lee County: -1.5%Chesterfield County: +6.7%Danville city: -1.4%King and Queen County: +2.4%Prince Edward County: +1.7%Hampton city: +0.2%Appomattox County: +4.9%Botetourt County: +1.5%Arlington County: +0.4%Rappahannock County: +2.1%New Kent County: +17.7%Augusta County: +1.3%Giles County: -1.5%Dickenson County: -4.7%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.4%
  2. < +0.3%
  3. < +2.1%
  4. < +4.7%
  5. ≥ +4.7%
no data

Orange pin: Wise County internal point. Dark pin: Richmond.

Internal point

Decimal
36.974600, -82.621600
DMS
36°58'28.56"N 82°37'17.76"W
UTM
17N 355663.1E 4093283.4N
Geohash
dnt4rghb9
Plus code
868VX9FH+R9

Towns in Wise County

4 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Wise County, 10,888 people together, or 31% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Wise County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Big Stone Gap with 5,087.

  1. 01Big Stone Gap5,087
  2. 02Wise2,869
  3. 03Coeburn1,556
  4. 04Appalachia1,376
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Wise County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 8 neighbors for Wise County, including 3 across a state line. The most populous is Pike County, KY, with 55,430 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Richmond and the nearest big city

Richmond is 287.9 miles E of Wise County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Knoxville, TN (population 198,722), 101.3 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Kingsport, TN (population 57,109), 31.8 miles away.

Wise County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Wise County is 51195: state code 51 for Virginia plus county code 195. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $50,442.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Wise County, Virginia?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 34,973. That is down 1,093 people (3.0%) from the July 2020 estimate of 36,066.

What is the FIPS code of Wise County?

51195. The first two digits (51) are Virginia; the last three (195) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Wise County?

Big Stone Gap, with 5,087 residents inside Wise County in 2024.

Which counties border Wise County?

8 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Pike County, KY; Russell County, VA; Harlan County, KY; Lee County, VA; Scott County, VA; Letcher County, KY; Dickenson County, VA; Norton city, VA.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.