Living in Wise County, Virginia

The region's population center, home to UVA Wise and the towns of Wise, Big Stone Gap, Coeburn, Appalachia, and Pound. The High Knob highcountry of the Jefferson National Forest rises along its southern edge.

See what you can afford in Wise County →

Commute & how people work

About 11% of Wise County workers work from home and the typical commute runs 25 min.

How long the commute is, share of commuters

How people get to work, share of workers

Check drive times from a specific address →

Compare commutes across Appalachian Highlands →

Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-year (2024). County-wide figures, not a specific address.

Schools

Wise County Public Schools reports a 98% on-time graduation rate, with 89% passing Math and 88% passing Reading on Virginia SOL assessments (VDOE School Quality Profile).

Before you choose an address

• Which school is assigned to this exact address today?
• Are there specialty, magnet, or transfer programs with separate deadlines?
• What is the real commute or bus time during morning drop-off?
• Confirm attendance zone and enrollment steps before relying on listing copy.

Check a specific address for nearby schools, commute, and services →

Compare school signals across Appalachian Highlands →

Amenities & walkability

Within a few miles you'll find about 37 restaurants & cafes and 10 grocery stores. The town center is car-dependent (0 walkable spots within a mile). Counts from OpenStreetMap.

Local businesses

Use this as a daily-life snapshot: grocery stores, restaurants, cafes, and everyday places that help you picture a normal week in Wise County. Owner-approved details appear when available.

Grocery & markets

• Walmart Supercenter, 780 Commonwealth Drive Northeast, Norton, VA 24273
• Wise Farmers' Market, 309 East Main Street, Wise, VA 24293
• Hometown IGA, 305 Church Street, Wise, VA 24293
• Save-A-Lot, 175 Plaza Road Southwest, Wise, VA 24293
• United Grocery Outlet, 700 Norton Coeburn Road, Norton, VA 24273
• Farmer's Market

Restaurants

• Arby's, 164 Plaza Road Southwest, Wise, VA 24293
  TakeoutCuisine: Sandwiches
• Burger King, 602 Trent Street Southeast, Norton, VA 24273
  TakeoutCuisine: Burgers
• DQ Grill & Chill, 412 Coeburn Avenue Southwest, Norton, VA 24273-2608
  TakeoutCuisine: BurgersCuisine: Dessert
• Hardee's, 475 Wharton Lane, Norton, VA 24273
  TakeoutCuisine: Burgers
• KFC, 4 Ridgeview Road Southwest, Wise, VA 24293
  TakeoutCuisine: Chicken
• McDonald's, 108 Woodland Drive Southwest, Wise, VA 24293
  TakeoutCuisine: Burgers

Cafes & coffee

• Lincoln Road Coffee Lounge, 736 Park Avenue NW, Norton, VA 24273
  Outdoor seatingCuisine: Coffee

Bakeries

• K&E Southern Sweets LLC, 332 East Main Street, Wise, VA 24293

Shops & retail

• Cato, 652 Norton Coeburn Road, Norton, VA 24273
• Gold-N-Things, 752 Park Avenue Northwest, Norton, VA 24273
• Sexton Flowers, 528 West Main Street, Wise, VA 24293
• Dollar General
• Dollar Tree
• HK Sports, 127 Plaza Road Southwest, Wise 24293

Health & medical

• Designing Smiles Cosmetic Dental Center, 728 Commonwealth Drive Northeast, Norton
• In Home Care, 712 Commonwealth Drive Northeast, Norton
• New Vision Optical, 137 Plaza Road Southwest, Wise 24293
• The Optometry Group, 610 Trent Street SE, Norton 24273
• Vitality Wellness, 428 West Main Street, Wise, VA 24293
• Wellmont Medical Associates, 417 West Main Street, Wise, VA 24293

Pharmacies

• Lonesome Pine Economy Drug, 517 Park Avenue Northwest, Norton, VA 24273
• CVS Pharmacy

Gyms & fitness

• Stepz

Personal care

• Wise's Tan Land, +1-276-328-5251
• Geneses
• Merle Norman

Hotels & lodging

• Best Western, 124 Woodland Drive Southwest, Wise, VA 24293
• Days Inn, 375 Wharton Lane, Norton, VA 24273
• Econo Lodge, 551 Highway 58 East, Norton, VA 24273
• Hampton Inn, 1051 Park Avenue Northwest, Norton, VA 24273
• Super 8, 425 Wharton Lane, Norton, VA 24273

Banks

• Wells Fargo, 701 Park Avenue Northwest, Norton, VA 24273
• First Bank & Trust, 303 West Main Street, Wise, VA 24293
• First Bank & Trust Co., 1026 Park Avenue Northwest, Norton, VA 24273
• BB&T
• Farmers & Miners Bank

Hardware & home

• Harbor Freight Tools, 129 Ridgeview Road Southwest, Wise, VA 24293
• Lowe's, 201 Woodland Drive Southwest, Wise, VA 24293
• Home Hardware & Furniture
• Wise Lumber & Supply Company

Auto services

• Collins Auto & Towing, 531 West Main Street, Wise, VA 24293
• Advance Auto Parts
• AutoZone
• Freedom Ford, 151 Woodland Court Southeast, Wise 24293
• Norton Gulf Services Center, 874 Park Avenue Northwest, Norton, VA 24273
• Quality Car Care, 605 Trent Street SE, Norton 24273

Churches & faith communities

• City Center Church, 308 Coeburn Avenue Southwest, Norton
• All Saints Episcopal Church
  Episcopal
• Central Freewill Baptist Church
  Baptist
• First Baptist Church
  Baptist
• Glamorgan Chapel
  Baptist
• Norton United Methodist Church
  Methodist

Other services

• Hagy & Fawbush Funeral Home, 956 Park Avenue Northwest, Norton, VA 24273

Gas stations

• Valero, 590 Trent Street Southeast, Norton, VA 24273
• Diamond Shamrock, 800 Park Avenue Northwest, Norton, VA 24273
• Food City
• Marathon
• Murphy Express
• Wise Gas

Convenience stores

• Fas Mart, 590 Trent Street Southeast, Norton, VA 24273

Browse the full Wise County directory, search businesses, parks & employers →

Business listings start from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL) and public local directories; owner-approved updates appear after review. Own or manage one? Claim or add your listing.

By the numbers

Cost of living

Who lives here

Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates.

Risk

Source: FEMA NFHL (approx, area-weighted)

Frequently asked questions

What are property taxes like in Wise County?

Wise County's real-estate tax rate is about $0.69 per $100 of assessed value (roughly 0.69% a year).

How are the schools in Wise County?

Wise County Public Schools reports a 98% on-time graduation rate, with 89% passing Math and 88% passing Reading on Virginia SOL assessments.

How long is the commute in Wise County?

The average commute for Wise County workers is about 25 minutes, and 52% get to work in under 20 minutes. County-wide Census figures, not a specific address.

Can I work remotely from Wise County?

About 11% of Wise County workers already work from home.

Nearby area guides

Keep exploring Appalachian Highlands with nearby area guides.

Moving from out of state?

See your tax and cost-of-living savings if you're moving from out of state:

Compare costs in the moving guide →

Sources and freshnessLast rebuilt 2026-09-14 with public records and source notes for Living in Wise County.

• Last rebuilt 2026-09-14 from the latest records synced into this guide.
• 1 area shows an explicit coming-soon state rather than a guessed price.
• Property and tax figures come from county/city parcel, sales, and assessor records.
• School metrics use Virginia Department of Education profiles when available.
• Amenity and business counts use OpenStreetMap, so hours and listings can change.
• Jobs, events, news, and business-directory layers are included only after their feeds or curated sources sync.
• Use these figures as planning estimates, then verify taxes, listings, and school details before making an offer.

Also exploring Southwest Virginia?

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