Wise County, Virginia
Among the top 10% of US counties for affordability.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade A, better than 90% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade D, better than 17% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade D, better than 20% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade C, better than 32% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 51% of US counties
- top 5% for cost of living
- top 10% for sales tax
- bottom 7% for unemployment
Wise County is a county in Virginia with about 36,000 residents. It grades A for affordability and D for weather. Standout strengths include cost of living, sales tax, and monthly owner costs. It rates lower on broadband access and unemployment.
Official websitewisecounty.org (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm summers · Cold winters · Wet · Heavy snow
v.cold
cold
cool
comfortable
warm
comf.
cool
cold
71%43%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.9 in3.1 in
humid 65%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$48k16th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$41kbetter than 95% of US counties
Home Value$108k17th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$715better than 76% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$1kbetter than 81% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.60%better than 76% of US counties
Income Tax5.49%better than 40% of US counties
Sales Tax5.77%better than 90% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden8.75%better than 67% of US counties
Unemployment9.1%better than 7% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)35°F53rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)74°F33rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation50.8 in75th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall44.2 inbetter than 16% of US counties
Sunny Days217 daysbetter than 30% of US counties
Summer Humidity65°Fbetter than 49% of US counties
Comfortable Days85 daysbetter than 66% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk50.4better than 48% of US counties
School Quality42.7better than 21% of US counties
Violent Crime1091/100kbetter than 31% of US counties
Property Crime1556/100kbetter than 24% of US counties
Community
Population36,10559th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age42.056th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.1731st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0987th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+6283rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)90.8%74th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)4.6%64th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)1.3%7th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)1.1%70th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)2.2%20th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time23 minbetter than 58% of US counties
Walkability5.8/20better than 43% of US counties
Airport Distance154 mibetter than 24% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access73.0%better than 10% of US counties
Amenities Nearby7.76better than 79% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessGoodbetter than 68% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Wise County an affordable place to live?
- Wise County is relatively affordable. Its cost-of-living index is $41k, better than 95% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Wise County?
- The median home value in Wise County is $108k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Wise County?
- Median household income in Wise County is $48k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Wise County?
- Median gross rent in Wise County is $715 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Wise County safe?
- Wise County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1091/100k (better than 31%). Property crime is 1556/100k.
- What is the weather like in Wise County?
- Wise County averages 74°F in July and 35°F in January, with 50.8 in of annual precipitation and about 217 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Wise County?
- Public-school quality in Wise County is below average, scoring better than 21% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Wise County?
- The average one-way commute in Wise County is 23 min.
Other counties in Virginia
Explore Virginia
Data sources
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)