Roanoke, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Roanoke, VA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Roanoke | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 98,343 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2295.0 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.20% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.8 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 43,572 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Roanoke grew by 5.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 98,343 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Roanoke is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 22.0% of residents. That is 0.4 points below Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 19,704 20.0% -1.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 21,625 22.0% -0.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 19,921 20.3% -0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 16,514 16.8% +0.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Virginia, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 52.4% of the people living in Roanoke and men 47.6%.
- Women 52.4% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 47.6% Virginia 49.4%
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Economy
Roanoke has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Roanoke | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,625 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.47% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Roanoke is about 41% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Roanoke | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $196,627 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $995 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 52.4% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Roanoke is about 16.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $995 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Roanoke spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 145 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Roanoke | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.4 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.8 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 145 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,494 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.8% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 12,299 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,202 | 1,531 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Roanoke is 17 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in Virginia.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Roanoke has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Roanoke | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.1% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.22 | 2.52 | 2.53 |
Health
Roanoke has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Roanoke | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.8 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.6% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.7% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
Roanoke, VA Compared With Nearby Cities
How Roanoke, VA compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke, VA | 98,343 | $55,625 #3/3 | $196,627 #2/3 | 17.4 min #2/3 |
| Cave Spring, VA | 23,140 | $83,579 | $38,103 | 17.6 min |
| Salem, VA | 25,618 | $66,398 | $334,782 | 17.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Roanoke, Virginia.
How big is Roanoke, Virginia by population?
About 98,343 people live in Roanoke, Virginia, in 43,572 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 36.8, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Roanoke, Virginia mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Roanoke, Virginia has 2,295 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 27 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Roanoke, Virginia?
The median home costs 3.5 times the median household income ($196,627 against $55,625), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $995 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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