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CITY

Cave Spring

Virginia · 25,742 residents · 11.9 sq mi
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The short version

Cave Spring is home to 25,742 people in Virginia. 49% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. At a median age of 42.4, this is an older place than the country as a whole. There are 2,157 people per square mile. The poverty rate is 5.9%, under the national 12.5%. The average commute runs 20 minutes.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $87,539, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 42.4
US median: 38.9
More educated
49% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 37%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Cave Spring

Among the 24 cities and towns in the Roanoke metro

  • 7th in household income$87,539
  • 3rd in share with a bachelor's degree48.8%
  • 7th in home value$325,800
  • 5th in diversity score45.4

Its weight in Roanoke County

Cave Spring's population equals 27% of Roanoke County's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 44% of the county's. Its number of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher equals 35% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
25,742
+3%since 2000
from 24,941 in 2000
1990 – 2024
Population density
2,157 / sq mi
+3%since 2000
from 2,090 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
42.4
+4%since 2000
from 40.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
11.9 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
24K25K25K26K27K19902000201020202024Cave Spring
202426K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.5%(1,163)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.5%(1,428)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.1%(1,321)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197%(1,796)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.3%(1,374)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.6%(3,499)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.3%(3,161)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.7%(3,526)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.1%(3,641)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7411%(2,843)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.6%(1,445)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.1%(545)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$87,539
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $51,182 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$49,725
+64%since 2000
from $30,318 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
55.7%
+15.8 ptssince 2009
from 39.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
5.9%
+2.7 ptssince 2000
from 3.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.430
+6%since 2010
from 0.407 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Other services10.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Information9.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Public administration7.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Retail trade7.1%
US avg: 9.9%
Finance & insurance6.4%
US avg: 5.9%
Wholesale trade6.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5.1%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing3.1%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services1.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$325,800
+37%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $131,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,285
+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $626 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
69.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2000
from 69.6% in 2000
30.5% rent
Vacancy rate
5.8%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.33 people
+5%since 2009
from 2.22 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
15.2%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 15.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
37.8%
+3.6 ptssince 2009
from 34.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.7
+10%since 2009
from 3.4 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
43
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic92%(22,957)
Black2.4%(597)
Hispanic / Latino1.5%(376)
Asian2.9%(728)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic79.1%(20,363)
Black3.8%(989)
Hispanic / Latino5.6%(1,433)
Asian6.9%(1,767)
Other4.6%(1,190)
Diversity Score
45
+52%since 2009
from 30 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican1.6%(419)
Puerto Rican1.6%(400)
Dominican0.6%(164)
Honduran0.6%(157)
Colombian0.5%(124)
Spaniard0.3%(75)
Argentine0.2%(43)
Peruvian0.1%(22)
Asian origin
Asian Indian4.5%(1,149)
Vietnamese0.7%(181)
Chinese0.7%(177)
Nepalese0.4%(94)
Japanese0.1%(36)
Korean0%(10)
Filipino0%(10)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
English19.5%(5,008)
German12.6%(3,251)
Irish9.3%(2,397)
American5.8%(1,483)
Italian4.5%(1,150)
Scottish3.2%(833)
Polish3.2%(824)
Scotch-Irish2.5%(636)
French2.1%(549)
Norwegian1.6%(405)
Arab1.3%(323)
British0.9%(234)
+ 31 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.9%(228)
Welsh0.7%(190)
Swedish0.7%(169)
Egyptian0.6%(147)
West Indian0.5%(120)
Russian0.4%(100)
Danish0.4%(94)
Lebanese0.3%(80)
Lithuanian0.2%(53)
Latvian0.2%(52)
Iraqi0.2%(48)
Austrian0.2%(48)
Nigerian0.2%(47)
Belgian0.2%(44)
Swiss0.1%(37)
Czech0.1%(36)
Turkish0.1%(34)
Romanian0.1%(29)
Ukrainian0.1%(28)
Greek0.1%(21)
Iranian0.1%(18)
Slovak0.1%(17)
Bulgarian0%(11)
Finnish0%(11)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
48.8%
+7.7 ptssince 2000
from 41.1% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
96.0%
+1.5 ptssince 2000
from 94.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
18.4%
+4.0 ptssince 2000
from 14.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.0 min
+75%since 2000
from 11.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
73.1%
−15.0 ptssince 2009
from 88.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.1%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 7.6% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.4%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
17.8%
+15.2 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.5%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.2%
+1.6 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
2.9%
−2.8 ptssince 2011
from 5.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
66.9%
−2.9 ptssince 2011
from 69.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
79.1%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 76.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.5%
−2.7 ptssince 2009
from 15.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
50.4%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.1%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 48.5% in 2009
Female
50.9%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 51.5% in 2009
Foreign born
11.3%
+3.8 ptssince 2009
from 7.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.5%
−7.9 ptssince 2009
from 14.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.9%
+3.1 ptssince 2012
from 9.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
3.6%
−2.8 ptssince 2013
from 6.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
92.8%
+9.2 ptssince 2017
from 83.6% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.9%
+3.9 ptssince 2020
from 92.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
89.8%
+4.3 ptssince 2020
from 85.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
85.6%
−4.7 ptssince 2016
from 90.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.9%
+2.7 ptssince 2016
from 2.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married33.2%(3,568)
Married55.9%(6,002)
Widowed2.7%(288)
Divorced8.2%(879)
Women 15+
Never married25%(2,772)
Married51.5%(5,709)
Widowed10.9%(1,214)
Divorced12.6%(1,398)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
3.6%
−2.8 ptssince 2013
from 6.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
67.0%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 67.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
12.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 13.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
19.9%
−1.7 ptssince 2020
from 21.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
13.4%
+6.5 ptssince 2020
from 6.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.4%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 1.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
77.9%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 79.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
32.9%
+5.1 ptssince 2020
from 27.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)32.7%(436)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.9%(306)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era39.2%(523)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.1%(55)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.2%(30)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,334 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Cave Spring, decade by decade

Cave Spring population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199024,053$95,931$222,24634.0%10.0
200024,941$93,236$238,63741.1%18.9
201024,922$85,483$298,79146.3%30.2
202026,755$82,691$272,34547.8%43.0
202425,742$87,539$325,80048.8%45.4

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Cave Spring

Port St. John
Pop 25,120
Key West
Pop 24,999
DeBary
Pop 23,544
Northdale
Pop 25,710
Places similar to Cave Spring
Head to head

Compare Cave Spring to nearby cities

CAVE SPRING VS
Roanoke
Income$55,378−37%
Home value$190,500−42%
Population99,111+285%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CAVE SPRING VS
Salem
Income$66,725−24%
Home value$258,600−21%
Population25,816same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CAVE SPRING VS
Hollins
Income$77,456−12%
Home value$244,300−25%
Population17,097−34%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CAVE SPRING VS
Christiansburg
Income$77,147−12%
Home value$252,600−22%
Population22,442−13%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Cave Spring, Virginia?

Cave Spring, Virginia has about 25,742 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Cave Spring, Virginia?

The typical household in Cave Spring, Virginia earns about $87,539 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Cave Spring, Virginia expensive?

In Cave Spring, Virginia, the median home is worth about $325,800, and the typical rent is about $1,285 a month.

How educated are people in Cave Spring, Virginia?

About 48.8% of adults age 25 and over in Cave Spring, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Cave Spring, Virginia?

About 5.9% of people in Cave Spring, Virginia live below the federal poverty line.

Has Cave Spring, Virginia grown since 1990?

Yes, Cave Spring, Virginia has grown since 1990. The population has added about 1,689 residents, a change of about 7 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →