Living in Roanoke, VA
Small city in Virginia
Roanoke is a small city in Virginia, home to about 99,000 people, with 290,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.
Is Roanoke a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $264k and rents for $1,740 a month
- Low natural disaster risk: 6 federally declared disasters since 2000
- Strong healthcare: 4 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Mild summers: highs around 86°F
👎 Cons
- Fewer family amenities than most places
- Smaller job market: about 290,000 people live within 31 mi
- No dog parks within 9 mi
- Fewer graduates: 29% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Roanoke ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Roanoke: common questions
What is the cost of living in Roanoke?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $264k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,740 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 94, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Roanoke?
Virginia collects about $2,198 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.01% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Roanoke safe?
Violent crime is close to the national rate (1.0× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Roanoke?
Roanoke has cool winters: winter days average around 49°F and summer days around 86°F, with roughly 15″ of snow a year.
Does Roanoke get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding: 6 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.28 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Roanoke?
The nearest major airport is GSO, about 81 mi away.
How Roanoke scores
Each bar compares Roanoke with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Is Roanoke right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.