Wise County, VA

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Population

39,539

1.34% decline

Poverty Rate

19.9%


Median Age

40.3


Median Household Income

$38,255

5.23% growth

Number of Employees

13,321

2.49% decline

Median Property Value

$84,500

1.74% decline

About

COVID-19

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2017, Wise County, VA had a population of 39.5k people with a median age of 40.3 and a median household income of $38,255. Between 2016 and 2017 the population of Wise County, VA declined from 40,074 to 39,539, a -1.34% decrease and its median household income grew from $36,352 to $38,255, a 5.23% increase.

The population of Wise County, VA is 91.7% White Alone, 5.27% Black or African American Alone, and 1.22% Hispanic or Latino. N/A% of the people in Wise County, VA speak a non-English language, and 99.5% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Wise County, VA are Mountain Empire Community College (683 degrees awarded in 2017) and The University of Virginia's College at Wise (286 degrees).

The median property value in Wise County, VA is $84,500, and the homeownership rate is 69.2%. Most people in Wise County, VA commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 21.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Wise County, VA is 2 cars per household.

About the photo: Aerial of Richmond - Facing West

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United StatesVirginiaBig Stone Gap, VA

COVID-19

Total Confirmed Cases by Date

Showing data at the state level for Virginia.

This chart shows the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases by date in Virginia compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases.

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Impact on Employment

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

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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Community Mobility

Showing data at the state level for Virginia.

This chart presents movement trends over time in the state of Virginia across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.

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Economy

The economy of Wise County, VA employs 13.3k people. The largest industries in Wise County, VA are Retail Trade (1,952 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,816 people), and Educational Services (1,377 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($65,854), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($62,243), and Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($44,712).

Median household income in Wise County, VA is $38,255. Males in Wise County, VA have an average income that is 1.34 times higher than the average income of females, which is $55,180. The income inequality in Wise County, VA (measured using the Gini index) is 0.478, which is lower than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$38,255

2017 value

± $3,086

5.23%

1 Year Growth

± 11.3%

Households in Wise County, VA have a median annual income of $38,255, which is less than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $36,352 in 2016, which represents a 5.23% annual growth.

The following chart shows how the median household income in Wise County, VA compares to that of its neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

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

$74,183

Average Male Salary

± $1,323

$55,180

Average Female Salary

± $1,030

In 2017, full-time male employees in Virginia made 1.34 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in Virginia by number of full-time employees.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

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

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. Asian

    $68,169 ± $3,324

  2. White

    $60,529 ± $977

  3. Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

    $56,661 ± $29,375

In 2017 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Virginia workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.13 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in Virginia by number of full-time employees.

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Wage Distribution

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

0.478

2017 Wage GINI

0.477

2016 Wage GINI

In 2017, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.478 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0649% growth from 2016 to 2017, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even.

The 2017 the GINI for Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.479. 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.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Census Tract 9314

  2. Census Tract 9313

  3. Census Tract 9312

In 2017, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Wise County, VA was Census Tract 9314 with a value of $52,102, followed by Census Tract 9313 and Census Tract 9312, with respective values of $44,327 and $41,692.

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

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 45 - 54

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

19.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Wise County, VA (7.27k out of 36.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 13.1%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 45 - 54, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 18 - 24.

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.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. White

    6,753 ± 516

  2. Black

    407 ± 205

  3. Hispanic

    178 ± 138

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Wise County, VA is White, followed by Black 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.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

13.3k

2017 Value

± 772

-2.49%

1 Year decline

± 8.2%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Wise County, VA declined at a rate of -2.49%, from 13.7k employees to 13.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Wise County, VA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,778 people), Sales & Related Occupations (1,241 people), and Construction & Extraction Occupations (985 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Wise County, VA.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Wise County, VA, by number of employees, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,778 people), Sales & Related Occupations (1,241 people), and Construction & Extraction Occupations (985 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other counties, Wise County, VA has an unusually high number of residents working as Law Enforcement Workers Including Supervisors (3.14 times higher than expected), Construction & Extraction Occupations (1.49 times), and Transportation Occupations (1.46 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Wise County, VA, by median earnings, are Management Occupations ($55,318), Management, Business, & Financial Occupations ($52,630), and Health Diagnosing & Treating Practitioners & Other Technical Occupations ($51,607).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

13.3k

2017 Value

± 772

-2.49%

1 Year decline

± 8.2%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Wise County, VA declined at a rate of -2.49%, from 13.7k employees to 13.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Wise County, VA, are Retail Trade (1,952 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,816 people), and Educational Services (1,377 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.

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Most Common

The most common industries in Wise County, VA, by number of employees, are Retail Trade (1,952 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,816 people), and Educational Services (1,377 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other counties, Wise County, VA has an unusually high number of Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (12.7 times higher than expected), Public Administration (1.91 times), and Utilities (1.49 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Wise County, VA, by median earnings, are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($65,854), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($62,243), and Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($44,712).

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Virginia to other states, or from other states to Virginia.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

  1. Mixed freight

    $29.9B

  2. Motorized vehicles

    $27.8B

  3. Electronics

    $26B

In 2015, the top outbound Virginia product (by dollars) was Mixed freight with $29.9B, followed by Motorized vehicles ($27.8B) and Electronics ($26B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Virginia products.

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Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Virginia state.

$277B

2020 Value

$373B

Projected 2045 Value

34.7% growth

In 2020, total outbound Virginia trade was $277B. This is expected to increase 34.7% to $373B by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Virginia trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

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Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Virginia to other states, or from other states to Virginia.

Most Common Trade Partners

  1. Maryland

    $25.5B

  2. North Carolina

    $14B

  3. Pennsylvania

    $12.4B

In 2015, the top outbound Virginia domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Maryland with $25.5B, followed by North Carolina with $14B and Pennsylvania and $12.4B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Virginia shares with each state (excluding itself).

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Health

88.4% of the population of Wise County, VA has health coverage, with 40.9% on employee plans, 19.3% on Medicaid, 17.9% on Medicare, 8.61% on non-group plans, and 1.66% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the county of Wise County, VA was $7,556 in 2014. This is a 3.42% increase from the previous year ($7,306).

Primary care physicians in Wise County, VA see 1986 patients per year on average, which represents a 5.52% decrease from the previous year (2102 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4904 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1226 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Mecklenburg County and Halifax County have the highest prevalence of diabetes (15.6%). Additionally, Petersburg city has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (45.3%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,986 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in Wise County, VA see an average of 1,986 patients per year. This represents a 5.52% decrease from the previous year (2,102 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.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

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Health Care Spending

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

$7,556

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$4,218

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$7,361

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$9,677

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in Virginia (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 3.42%, from $7,306 to $7,556.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

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Health Care Coverage

11.6%

Uninsured

40.9%

Employer Coverage

19.3%

Medicaid

17.9%

Medicare

8.61%

Non-Group

1.66%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Wise County, VA declined by 6.89% from 12.5% to 11.6%.

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.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Mecklenburg County

    15.6% prevalence

  2. Halifax County

    15.6% prevalence

  3. Northumberland County

    15.4% prevalence

Mecklenburg County and Halifax County have the highest prevalence of diabetes in Virginia, at 15.6%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in Virginia by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

Wise County, VA is home to a population of 39.5k people, from which 99.5% are citizens. As of 2017, 1.17% of Wise County, VA residents were born outside of the country (464 people).

The ethnic composition of the population of Wise County, VA is composed of 36.3k White Alone residents (91.7%), 2.08k Black or African American Alone residents (5.27%), 482 Hispanic or Latino residents (1.22%), 460 Two or More Races residents (1.16%), 178 Asian Alone residents (0.45%), 45 American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.114%), 20 Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.0506%), and 13 Some Other Race Alone residents (0.0329%).

Age

Age by Nativity

40

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.5

41

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 12.1

In 2017, the median age of all people in Wise County, VA was 40.3. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 40, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 41. But people in Wise County, VA are getting getting older. In 2016, the average age of all Wise County, VA residents was 40.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

1.17%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

464 people

1.17%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

469 people

As of 2017, 1.17% of Wise County, VA residents (464 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Wise County, VA was 1.17%, 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.

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Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

  1. El Salvador

    103,545 ± 7,851 people

  2. India

    82,876 ± 7,033 people

  3. Mexico

    56,021 ± 5,792 people

In 2017, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Virginia was El Salvador, the natal country of 103,545 Virginia residents, followed by India with 82,876 and Mexico with 56,021.

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Citizenship

99.5%

2017 Citizenship

99.5%

2016 Citizenship

As of 2017, 99.5% of Wise County, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2016, the percentage of US citizens in Wise County, VA was 99.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. White Alone

    36.3k ± 17

  2. Black or African American Alone

    2.08k ± 181

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    482 ± 101

In 2017, there were 17.4 times more White Alone residents (36.3k people) in Wise County, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.08k Black or African American Alone and 482 Hispanic or Latino residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in Wise County, VA as a share of the total population.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    1,017 ± 165

  2. Gulf War (1990s)

    361 ± 97

  3. Gulf War (2001-)

    227 ± 91

Wise County, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.82 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2017, universities in Wise County, VA awarded 969 degrees. The student population of Wise County, VA is skewed towards women, with 1,894 male students and 2,885 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Wise County, VA are White (900 and 93.9%), followed by Black or African American (28 and 2.92%), Hispanic or Latino (16 and 1.67%), and Asian (7 and 0.731%).

The largest universities in Wise County, VA by number of degrees awarded are Mountain Empire Community College (683 and 70.5%) and The University of Virginia's College at Wise (286 and 29.5%).

The most popular majors in Wise County, VA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (172 and 17.8%), Other Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, & Treatment Professions (112 and 11.6%), and Other Liberal Arts & Sciences, General Studies, & Humanities (77 and 7.95%).

The median tuition costs in Wise County, VA are $N/A for private four year colleges, and $5,366 and $21,926 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. Liberal Arts & Sciences

    115 degrees awarded

  2. Registered Nursing

    52 degrees awarded

  3. Other Business Operations Support & Secretarial Services

    20 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Wise County, VA was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 115 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. Mountain Empire Community College

    683 degrees awarded

  2. The University of Virginia's College at Wise

    286 degrees awarded

$5,366

Median In-State Public

$N/A

Median Private

In 2017, the Wise County, VA institution with the largest number of graduating students was Mountain Empire Community College with 683 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

407

Degrees Awarded to Men

562

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2017, 407 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Wise County, VA, which is 0.724 times less than the 562 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the institutions in Wise County, VA by degrees awarded.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    900 degrees awarded

  2. Black or African American

    28 degrees awarded

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    16 degrees awarded

In 2017 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Wise County, VA were to White students. These 900 degrees mean that there were 32.1 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 28 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Wise County, VA was $84,500 in 2017, which is 0.368 times smaller than the national average of $229,700. Between 2016 and 2017 the median property value increased from $86,000 to $84,500, a 1.74% decrease. The homeownership rate in Wise County, VA is 69.2%, which is higher than the national average of 63.9%. People in Wise County, VA have an average commute time of 21.9 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Wise County, VA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$84,500

2017 Median

± $4,082

$86,000

2016 Median

± $4,019

In 2017, the median property value in Wise County, VA declined from to $84,500 from the previous year's value of $86,000.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Wise County, VA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Wise County, VA the largest share of households have a property value in the $70k - $80k range.

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Household Income

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

$38,255

Median Household Income

± $3,086

15.1k

Number of Households

± 815

In 2017, the median household income of the 15.1k households in Wise County, VA grew to $38,255 from the previous year's value of $36,352.

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.

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Property Taxes

< $800

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Wise County, VA 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.

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Rent vs Own

69.2%

2017 Homeownership

68.6%

2016 Homeownership

In 2017, 69.2% of the housing units in Wise County, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 68.6%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is higher than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Wise County, VA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Commute Time

21.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Wise County, VA have a shorter commute time (21.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.1 minutes). Additionally, 2.24% 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.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    84.9%

  2. Carpooled

    10.4%

  3. Walked

    1.96%

In 2017, the most common method of travel for workers in Wise County, VA was Drove Alone (84.9%), followed by those who Carpooled (10.4%) and those who Walked (1.96%).

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.

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Transportation

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, followed by 3 cars.

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