Wise County Demographics

A map of Wise County's Population by Race

Wise County, Virginia has an estimated population of 35,448, a slight decrease from the 36,130 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 90.0% White, 4.7% Black, 2.7% Multiracial, 1.4% Hispanic, 0.8% Native American/Other, and 0.3% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Wise County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Wise is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Virginia overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Wise County, that probability was 18.3% in 2020 and 18.7% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Wise County is ranked the 49th most populous county in Virginia, out of 133 counties. Wise County was ranked the 49th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Wise County's White Population

31,893 residents of Wise County, or 90.0% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Wise County is significantly higher than in Virginia overall, where 58.4% of the population is White. Wise County ranks 20th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wise County's White population has declined by an estimated 2.1%. White residents' share of Wise County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 90.0%.

Wise County is less White than neighboring Norton County (91.6% White), Scott County (95.4% White), Letcher County (96.5% White), Dickenson County (97.4% White), and Knott County (96.7% White).

Wise County's Black Population

1,681 residents of Wise County, or 4.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Wise County is considerably lower than in Virginia overall, where 18.3% of the population is Black. Wise County ranks 98th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wise County's Black population has declined by an estimated 5.1%. Black residents' share of Wise County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.7%.

Wise County is more Black than neighboring Norton County (2.2% Black), Scott County (1.3% Black), Letcher County (0.6% Black), Dickenson County (1% Black), and Knott County (1.1% Black).

Wise County's Asian Population

112 residents of Wise County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Wise County is lower than in Virginia overall, where 6.9% of the population is Asian. Wise County ranks 103rd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wise County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 25.3%. Asian residents' share of Wise County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Wise County is more Asian than neighboring Scott County (0.1% Asian), Letcher County (0.2% Asian), Dickenson County (0.1% Asian), and Knott County (0.2% Asian).

Wise County's Hispanic Population

509 residents of Wise County, or 1.4% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Wise County is lower than in Virginia overall, where 11% of the population is Hispanic. Wise County ranks 125th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wise County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 12.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Wise County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.4%.

Wise County is more Hispanic than neighboring Letcher County (0.8% Hispanic), Dickenson County (0.7% Hispanic), and Knott County (0.6% Hispanic). Wise County is less Hispanic than neighboring Norton County (3.1% Hispanic), and Scott County (1.5% Hispanic).

Wise County's Native American/Other Population

284 residents of Wise County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Wise County is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Wise County ranks 116th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wise County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 95.9%. Native American/Other residents' share of Wise County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Wise County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Norton County (0% Native American/Other), Scott County (0.3% Native American/Other), Letcher County (0.4% Native American/Other), Dickenson County (0.2% Native American/Other), and Knott County (0.1% Native American/Other).

Wise County's Multiracial Population

969 residents of Wise County, or 2.7% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Wise County is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 4.7% of the population is Multiracial. Wise County ranks 113th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 133 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wise County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 5.6%. Multiracial residents' share of Wise County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.7%.

Wise County is more Multiracial than neighboring Scott County (1.5% Multiracial), Letcher County (1.5% Multiracial), Dickenson County (0.5% Multiracial), and Knott County (1.3% Multiracial). Wise County is less Multiracial than neighboring Norton County (2.8% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.