Roanoke, VA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Virginia·Roanoke

Roanoke city · Roanoke · population 97,912

First-time buyersShrinking
Roanoke, VA
Image: Wikipedia · Roanoke, Virginia
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
69
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Roanoke stands

At or near all-time high. population shrinking 0.5% per year.

Median home $279,668
1-year +3.2%
5-yr CAGR +6.8%
vs 5-yr peak -0.0%
Population -0.5%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-02$280k$134k$187k$239k$291k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
76/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,369/mo$877$1,164$1,451202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent139147100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 17.0
Lean buy

At a 17.0 price-to-rent ratio, Roanoke is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
66 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
74 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
37 · w16%
Rent YoY
71 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
73 · w10%
Long thesis

Roanoke has held up across the cycle: home values at $279,668 with +6.8% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Roanoke's population is shrinking 0.5% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — if people are leaving, the buyer pool is shrinking faster than the inventory. That eventually shows up in price.

About Roanoke

Roanoke is a city in Roanoke city, Virginia, with an estimated population of 97,912. The population has contracted 0.5% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in Roanoke is $279,668 as of 2026-04, up 3.2% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.8% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Roanoke average $1,369 per month, up 3.9% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 69 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +6.8% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +3.2% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently -0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.5% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Roanoke (Wikipedia)

Roanoke is an independent city in Virginia, United States. It lies in Southwest Virginia along the Roanoke River, within the Blue Ridge range of the greater Appalachian Mountains. Roanoke is about 50 miles (80 km) north of the Virginia–North Carolina border and 250 miles (400 km) southwest of Washington, D.C., along Interstate 81. At the 2020 census, Roanoke's population was 100,011, making it the most populous city in Virginia west of the state capital, Richmond. It is the primary population center of the Roanoke metropolitan area, which had a population of 315,251 in 2020.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

Vice MayorTerry McGuire
Area42.85 sq mi
Elevation974 ft
Densityauto/sq mi
Named forRoanoke River

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Roanoke city right now.

NWS active alerts (VA)Virginia Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Roanoke city routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Roanoke

45 tracked · ranked by median home value
1South Roanoke$605,574+4.5%
2Greater Deyerle$381,666+3.3%
3Cave Spring$357,744+3.9%
4Franklin Colonial$352,270+5.3%
5Raleigh Court$333,653+2.7%
6Old Southwest$300,709+4.2%
7Grandin Court$285,001+1.5%
8Southern Hills$282,821+5.1%
9Mecca Gardens$260,043+3.5%
10Monterery$256,296-0.1%
11Miller Court/Arrowood$254,378+3.9%
12Wasena$248,502+0.2%
13Westview Terrace$235,466+3.2%
14Ridgewood Park$231,391+3.7%
15Preston Park$228,884+0.4%
16Riverland/Walnut Hill$225,837-1.7%
17Peachtree/Norwood$222,393+4.1%
18Garden City$215,562+1.5%
19Roundhill$213,313+3.9%
20Edgewood-Summit Hills$205,962+3.9%
21Wilmont$200,362+0.8%
22Eastgate$190,329+2.1%
23Cherry Hill$188,831+1.5%
24Riverdale$188,699+2.9%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Roanoke

Newport News, VA68 · RisingSalem, VA72 · RisingHopewell, VA70 · RisingChesapeake, VA71 · Rising

Run the numbers for Roanoke

ToolCan I afford Roanoke?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Roanoke rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Roanoke to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolRoanoke cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
47° / 27°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
87° / 65°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
205
~56% of year
Annual precip
44″ rain
14″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Moderate
Tornado
Low
Wildfire
Low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Roanoke listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Roanoke area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
70%
Humid climate
Median household income
$87,200
Virginia state median
Top industries (state-level)
Government/DefenseTech (NoVa)Shipbuilding

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Cities similar to Roanoke

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