Town · Virginia
Wise, Virginia
Wise, town, in Wise County, Virginia. Wise had 2,853 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 4.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 2,971 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,916 (±13). GEOID 5187072.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
2,853
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 2,971 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,916 ±13
Median household income
$53,596
±$13,891 (90% margin)
Virginia: $93,170
Median home value
$144,700
±$27,928 (90% margin)
Virginia: $383,700
Median gross rent
$825
±$108 (90% margin)
Virginia: $1,579
Where is Wise and what county is it in?
Wise is a town in Wise County, Virginia. It covers 3.0 square miles of land, 978 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Wise, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,853 people lived in Wise on July 1, 2025, down 4.1% since 2020, while Virginia grew 2.9%. The 2020 Census counted 2,971 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,916 (±13).
| Measure | Wise | Wise County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,916 ±13 | 35,448 | −91 |
| Households | 1,298 ±215 | 13,905 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.22 ±0.37 | 2.33 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,484 ±248 | 16,627 | no clear change |
Wise's population since 2000
From 3,255 in 2000 to 2,853 in 2025: down 12.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Wise as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Wise?
The median resident of Wise is 36.5 years old; 21.3% are under 18 and 17.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 95.4%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 2.9%.
| Measure | Wise | Wise County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.5 ±7.2 | 41.8 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 21.3% ±7.8 pts | 19.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 17.6% ±8.3 pts | 19.9% | – |
| Male | 52.1% ±5.4 pts | 52.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.3% ±2.8 pts | 1.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 95.4% ±4.2 pts | 90.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.7 pts | 0.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.9% ±2.6 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 4.6% ±4.7 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 3.9% ±4.9 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.2% ±5.1 pts | 7.0% | – |
| With a disability | 21.8% ±9.3 pts | 27.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.8% ±2.6 pts | 6.5% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 86.7% ±7.6 pts | 81.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 25.2% ±11.4 pts | 15.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 12.0% ±7.0 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 81.9% ±12.0 pts | 88.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.4% ±3.2 pts | 1.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Wise earn?
Half of Wise's 1,298 households earn less than $53,596 a year (±$13,891), against $52,943 in Wise County and $93,170 in Virginia. In 2015-2019 it was $60,882 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 12.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Wise | Wise County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,596 ±$13,891 | $52,943 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $76,409 ±$27,600 | $64,112 | – |
| Per capita income | $34,200 ±$12,532 | $25,953 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 12.5% ±7.3 pts | 17.2% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 20.5% ±24.0 pts | 20.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 13.6% ±9.6 pts | 22.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.5% ±4.3 pts | 92.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 95.1% ±4.7 pts | 84.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Wise?
Owners occupy 71.3% of Wise's occupied homes and renters 28.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $144,700 by its owner (±$27,928). The median renter pays $825 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Wise | Wise County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $144,700 ±$27,928 | $118,600 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $825 ±$108 | $790 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 16.9% ±18.1 pts | 28.4% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,176 ±$172 | $1,217 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 71.3% ±10.8 pts | 74.2% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 28.7% ±10.8 pts | 25.8% | – |
| Housing units | 1,484 ±248 | 16,627 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±4.2 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 19.5% ±17.1 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 58.0% ±12.4 pts | 63.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 22.5% ±9.1 pts | 28.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.3% ±5.6 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 8.2% ±6.2 pts | 10.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.2% ±6.9 pts | 9.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Wise work and get to work?
69.6% of Wise's workers drive alone and 18.5% work from home. The average trip to work takes 19.9 minutes.
| Measure | Wise | Wise County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 57.0% ±8.5 pts | 46.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% ±4.0 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 69.6% ±11.7 pts | 77.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 6.3% ±4.8 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±3.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 3.0% ±4.8 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 18.5% ±10.3 pts | 10.7% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.9 min ±5.1 | 24.6 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Wise?
1 census tract lies mostly in Wise, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9309Wise County | 4,330 | $70,435 |
| Tract 9314Wise County | 5,304 | $54,324 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Wise) · Census block assignment files
How does Wise compare with other places in Virginia?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Wise is the 6,496th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 84th-most populous of 227 in Virginia.
Wise ranks 307th of 365 places in Virginia with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 84th | 227 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 127th | 139 |
| Residents per square mile | 231st | 374 |
| Median household income | 307th | 365 |
| Per capita income | 252nd | 374 |
| Median home value | 325th | 359 |
| Median gross rent | 289th | 341 |
| Poverty rate | 113th | 263 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 256th | 359 |
| Median age | 264th | 372 |
| Owner-occupied share | 162nd | 368 |
| Work from home | 138th | 286 |
| Travel time to work | 312th | 372 |
Wise's figures with every place in Virginia (CSV)
Every place in Virginia, sortable · Compare Wise with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Wise?
25 of the 57 figures for Wise on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Wise are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Wise.