Roanoke city, Virginia

VA · FIPS 51770 Democrat

Located in Virginia, Roanoke city has a population of 98,355 residents and a median age of 38.3 years, making it the #632 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.3%. The median home value is $190,500, and the median household income is $55,378, which is 26% below the national median.

98,355
Population
#632 of 3,222
$55,378
Median Income
-26.3% #2,446 of 3,222
38.3 years
Median Age
-1.5% #2,535 of 3,222
18.3%
Poverty Rate
+45.5% #2,498 of 3,222

Demographics

Roanoke city has a population of 98,355, making it the #632 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.3 years, which is 1.5% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

92.0%
Native Born
8.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Roanoke city is $55,378, ranking #2,446 out of 3,222 counties — 26.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.3% and unemployment stands at 5.6%.

Income#2,446
$55,378
-26.3%
vs nation
24th percentile
Per Capita#1,330
$36,576
-11.4%
vs nation
59th percentile
Poverty#2,498
18.3%
+45.5%
vs nation
22th percentile
Unemployment#2,348
5.6%
+5.5%
vs nation
27th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Roanoke city is $190,500 (-32.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $996/mo and the homeownership rate is 52.4%.

Home Value#1,513
$190,500
-32.4%
vs nation
53th percentile
Rent#1,004
$996
-14.4%
vs nation
69th percentile
Homeownership#3,151
52.4%
-18.6%
vs nation
2th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Roanoke city, 30.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 10.9% below the national average, ranking #764 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
30.0% −10.9% vs nation
Rank #764 of 3,222
76th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Roanoke city is 70.2 years. 21.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,848
70.2
-6.6%
vs nation
7th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,160
21.6%
+10.4%
vs nation
31th percentile
Diabetes#2,648
13.4%
+20.4%
vs nation
16th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,592
41.1%
+10.2%
vs nation
18th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,981
6.7
+18.0%
vs nation
5th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,205
4.8
+7.4%
vs nation
30th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,342
8.5%
-18.7%
vs nation
57th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,752
26.8%
+1.6%
vs nation
44th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,485
13.9%
-3.5%
vs nation
53th percentile

Substance Use

18.8% of adults in Roanoke city smoke , 36.4% are obese , and 18.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 91.3 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,942
18.8%
+4.7%
vs nation
38th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,010
36.4%
-4.0%
vs nation
68th percentile
Excessive Drinking#975
18.4%
-7.6%
vs nation
69th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#2,081
91.3
+182.3%
vs nation
2th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Roanoke city is 14.1 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 22.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.4 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,335
14.1
+76.4%
vs nation
13th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,864
22.5
+14.1%
vs nation
27th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,096
25.5
+42.4%
vs nation
15th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#880
14.4
-28.9%
vs nation
69th percentile

Families & Children

26.3% of children in Roanoke city live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.8 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 38.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#998
7.8
+15.2%
vs nation
27th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,760
38.1
+74.4%
vs nation
8th percentile
Child Poverty#2,611
26.3%
+38.5%
vs nation
17th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Roanoke city is 59.2%. The mean commute time is 21.2 min, which is 23.1% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
59.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
21.2 min −23.1% vs nation
Rank #2,675 of 3,222
17th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Roanoke city voted Democratic with a margin of 23.6%. The vote was 61.1% Dem / 37.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.2 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +23.6%
61.1% 37.5%
Dem 42,128 votes Rep
2020 DEM +25.8%
61.8% 36%
Dem 43,323 votes Rep
2016 DEM +17.6%
56.1% 38.5%
Dem 41,728 votes Rep
2012 DEM +21.5%
59.2% 37.7%
Dem 37,479 votes Rep
2008 DEM +23.4%
61.2% 37.8%
Dem 40,772 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Roanoke city, Virginia

Roanoke city, Virginia has a total population of 98,355, making it the 632nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Roanoke city is 38.3 years, which is 1.5% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Roanoke city is $55,378, which ranks #2,446 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 26.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.3%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.6%.

The median home value in Roanoke city is $190,500, 32.4% below the national median. Renters in Roanoke city pay a median gross rent of $996 per month. The homeownership rate is 52.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Roanoke city, 30.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 10.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 21.2 min.

Roanoke city is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 55.3% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (27.7%) and Hispanic or Latino (9.0%).

All data for Roanoke city, Virginia comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.