Wise County, VA
Get paid to care for your family member in Wise County, Virginia
About 7,180 people in Wise County are 65 or older — 21% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than Virginia overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 577 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. In a rural county, an agency aide may be a long drive away — when one is available at all. That is exactly why the state lets you be the paid caregiver instead.
Who needs care in Wise
- People 65 and older
- 7,180
- People 85 and older
- 577
- Median age
- 41.9
- Rank in Virginia
- 53rd
21% of Wise residents
the age daily help usually starts
older than the country as a whole
of 133 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Wise County is a rural county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 7). Virginia as a whole is 18% aged 65 or older.
What Virginia pays family caregivers
Rates vary — check with the program.
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Virginia Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Virginia's programs at a glance
- CCC Plus Waiver consumer direction
- LRI option (spouses & parents)
- Spouse paid?
- Sometimes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Sometimes
- Waitlist
- Some programs have no waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Virginia guide →
Towns and cities in Wise County
Virginia sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Big Stone Gap and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Wise County:
- Big Stone Gap5,087
- Wise2,869
- Coeburn1,556
- Appalachia1,376
- Pound840
- St. Paul677
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Wise apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Wise County start with Virginia's program:
Apply for Medicaid via Cover Virginia or the local Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) office and request a functional (nursing-facility level of care) screening through local DSS.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Virginia program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Wise questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Wise County?
Yes. Virginia runs real Medicaid programs — like CCC Plus Waiver consumer direction — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Wise County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Wise County?
Virginia doesn't publish one flat rate. The program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Wise County apply?
Families in Wise County start with the state, not the county. Apply for Medicaid via Cover Virginia or the local Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) office and request a functional (nursing-facility level of care) screening through local DSS.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Wise County?
Sometimes — it depends on the program. The fine print for Virginia: limited — spouses payable only as Legally Responsible Individuals for 'extraordinary care' (ADLs only, not IADLs/supervision) when circumstances prevent a non-LRI caregiver; capped at 40 hrs/week; LRI rules updated eff. 7/1/2025
How many people in Wise County might need this?
7,180 residents of Wise County are 65 or older and about 577 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Virginia's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Wise do you cover?
All of Wise County — including Big Stone Gap, Wise, Coeburn, Appalachia and Pound. Eligibility is set by Virginia, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Virginia's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
More Virginia counties
The programs are the same statewide — pick your county:
Find out in 2 minutes
Answer 5 easy questions. See your programs and pay before you share any contact info.