CensusEasy
METRO AREA · 2020 ACS

Roanoke Metro

Roanoke, VA · 6 counties · 315,251 residents · 1,868 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Compare
The short version

Roanoke is a metro area of 315,251 people. The median age is 43.7, about 5 years above the US median. 5% of residents were born outside the United States. The typical home is worth $179,645, having risen by half since 2000. Renters pay $838 a month at the median. About 28% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 43.7
US median: 38.8
Average education
28% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
315,251
+9%since 2000
from 288,309 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
169 / sq mi
+9%since 2000
from 154 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
43.7
+11%since 2000
from 39.4 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
1,868 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
264K278K292K306K320K19902000201020202024Roanoke
2024315K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55%(15,696)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.5%(17,282)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.1%(19,199)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196%(18,911)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.7%(17,852)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412%(37,708)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4411.4%(35,800)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.5%(39,533)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6414.6%(46,033)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7412.5%(39,265)
US avg: 10%
75 to 846.3%(19,878)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.6%(8,094)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$59,589
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,704 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$33,760
+61%since 2000
from $21,006 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
37.8%
+9.9 ptssince 2009
from 27.9% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
12.4%
+2.9 ptssince 2000
from 9.5% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information11.4%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade11%
US avg: 10%
Other services6.9%
US avg: 6.6%
Finance & insurance6.2%
US avg: 5.5%
Wholesale trade5.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration5.3%
US avg: 4.7%
Professional, scientific, technical5.2%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing3.1%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services1%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.7%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$179,645
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $100,459 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$838
+14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $488 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
67.8%
−3.5 ptssince 2000
from 71.3% in 2000
32.2% rent
Persons per household
2.38 people
+3%since 2009
from 2.31 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.0
−7%since 2009
from 3.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic84.4%(243,264)
Black12.1%(34,988)
Hispanic / Latino1.1%(3,269)
Asian1%(3,011)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic75.5%(237,907)
Black12.5%(39,404)
Hispanic / Latino5%(15,863)
Asian2.2%(6,969)
Other2.7%(8,395)
Segregation Score
44
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican1.3%(3,910)
Puerto Rican0.9%(2,694)
Central American0.7%(2,202)
Honduran0.6%(1,538)
South American0.4%(1,258)
Cuban0.4%(963)
Dominican0.2%(473)
Peruvian0.2%(362)
Salvadoran0.1%(355)
Spaniard0.1%(334)
Ecuadorian0.1%(250)
Colombian0.1%(173)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Panamanian0.1%(148)
Guatemalan0.1%(107)
Venezuelan0%(100)
Bolivian0.2%(92)
Chilean0.1%(68)
Nicaraguan0.1%(54)
Paraguayan0.1%(46)
Argentine0%(36)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.9%(2,604)
Chinese0.4%(1,250)
Filipino0.3%(881)
Vietnamese0.3%(616)
Korean0.1%(359)
Pakistani0.1%(315)
Japanese0.1%(171)
Thai0.1%(144)
Cambodian0.1%(55)
Laotian0%(49)
Taiwanese0%(37)
Mongolian0%(16)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(79)
Samoan0%(2)
Ancestry
English11.6%(36,165)
German11.5%(35,957)
American10.8%(33,850)
Irish8.5%(26,786)
Scottish2.5%(7,899)
Italian2.4%(7,593)
Scotch-Irish2.4%(7,557)
French1.5%(4,834)
Polish1.4%(4,285)
Dutch0.9%(2,830)
British0.8%(2,357)
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.6%(1,839)
Swedish0.4%(1,272)
Norwegian0.4%(1,103)
Russian0.3%(1,015)
West Indian0.4%(943)
Greek0.2%(725)
Ukrainian0.2%(706)
Swiss0.2%(698)
Danish0.2%(697)
Hungarian0.2%(636)
Canadian0.2%(546)
Lebanese0.2%(486)
Czech0.1%(435)
Haitian0.2%(404)
Lithuanian0.1%(358)
Jamaican0.1%(310)
Slovak0.1%(284)
Austrian0.1%(281)
Brazilian0.1%(236)
Portuguese0.1%(207)
Iraqi0.1%(206)
Romanian0.1%(180)
Nigerian0.1%(165)
Arab0.1%(133)
Ghanaian0.1%(118)
Syrian0%(112)
Egyptian0.1%(103)
Ethiopian0.1%(98)
Armenian0%(96)
Serbian0%(94)
Finnish0%(90)
Belgian0%(86)
Turkish0.1%(81)
Croatian0.1%(63)
Guyanese0%(35)
Iranian0%(34)
Kenyan0%(31)
Barbadian0%(22)
Jordanian0%(18)
Latvian0%(17)
Slovene0%(17)
Israeli0%(15)
Moroccan0%(12)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
28.5%
+7.5 ptssince 2000
from 21.0% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
90.5%
+11.1 ptssince 2000
from 79.4% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
10.6%
+3.5 ptssince 2000
from 7.1% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.7 min
+77%since 2000
from 14.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
82.0%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 83.2% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
7.1%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 6.8% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.6%
−1.4 ptssince 2011
from 6.1% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
60.9%
−2.7 ptssince 2011
from 63.7% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
74.2%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
37.6%
+4.9 ptssince 2009
from 32.6% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.2%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 47.9% in 2009
Female
51.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 52.1% in 2009
Foreign born
4.8%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 3.8% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
7.8%
−3.7 ptssince 2013
from 11.5% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
88.5%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
86.7%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married33.9%(42,613)
Married50.9%(64,015)
Widowed3.9%(4,876)
Divorced11.4%(14,337)
Women 15+
Never married29.4%(40,216)
Married46.4%(63,542)
Widowed11.8%(16,201)
Divorced12.4%(17,007)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
7.8%
−3.7 ptssince 2013
from 11.5% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
58.3%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
13.0%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
22.8%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
14.7%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
3.0%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
70.5%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
36.2%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)16.4%(3,449)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)21.1%(4,451)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era37.8%(7,963)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War8.3%(1,742)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II3.3%(705)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 21,068 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
In this metro

Largest cities

RoanokeCENTRAL99,111Salem25,816Cave Spring25,742Hollins17,097Vinton7,967Rocky Mount4,973Daleville3,797North Shore3,638Cloverdale3,208Blue Ridge2,800Westlake Corner2,033Ferrum1,774Laymantown1,626Union Hall1,445Penhook1,250Buchanan1,212Glenvar829Fincastle825Henry Fork805Troutville468Boones Mill258New Castle120Eagle Rock67Glen Wilton66
What's inside

6 component counties

RoanokeCENTRAL99,111Roanoke CountyCENTRAL97,150Franklin County55,526Botetourt CountyCENTRAL34,144SalemCENTRAL25,816Craig County4,800
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Roanoke

Clarksville
Pop 349,001
Rockford
Pop 337,242
South Bend
Pop 324,538
Utica
Pop 285,611
Places similar to Roanoke
Head to head

Compare Roanoke side by side

ROANOKE VS
Clarksville
Income$70,081+18%
Home value$250,970+40%
Population349,001+10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ROANOKE VS
Rockford
Income$68,800+15%
Home value$172,788−4%
Population337,242+7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ROANOKE VS
South Bend
Income$67,435+13%
Home value$196,800+10%
Population324,538+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ROANOKE VS
Utica
Income$69,815+17%
Home value$175,381−2%
Population285,611−10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Roanoke, VA?

Roanoke, VA has about 315,251 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Roanoke, VA?

The typical household in Roanoke, VA earns about $59,589 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Roanoke, VA expensive?

In Roanoke, VA, the median home is worth about $179,645, and the typical rent is about $838 a month.

How educated are people in Roanoke, VA?

About 28.5% of adults age 25 and over in Roanoke, VA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Roanoke, VA?

About 12.4% of people in Roanoke, VA live below the federal poverty line.

Has Roanoke, VA grown since 1990?

Yes, Roanoke, VA has grown since 1990. The population has added about 46,853 residents, a change of about 17 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →