Roanoke, VA

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2022 Population

314,708

0.0658% 1-year growth

US Senator

Mark Warner

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tim Kaine

Democratic Party

2022 Median Age

42.8

0% 1-year change

2022 Poverty Rate

12.3%

1.84% 1-year increase

2022 Median Household Income

$65,687

7.85% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$221,100

15.5% 1-year growth

2022 Employed Population

148,765

0.354% 1-year decline

About

In 2022, Roanoke, VA had a population of 315k people with a median age of 42.8 and a median household income of $65,687. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Roanoke, VA grew from 314,501 to 314,708, a 0.0658% increase and its median household income grew from $60,907 to $65,687, a 7.85% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Roanoke, VA are White (Non-Hispanic) (76.9%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (13.2%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.75%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (2.4%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (1.55%).

None of the households in Roanoke, VA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.4% of the residents in Roanoke, VA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Roanoke, VA are Virginia Western Community College (233949) (1,184 degrees awarded in 2022), Roanoke College (233426) (477 degrees), and American National University (256 degrees).

In 2022, the median property value in Roanoke, VA was $221,100, and the homeownership rate was 68.8%.

Most people in Roanoke, VA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Roanoke, VA was 2 cars per household.

Roanoke, VA borders Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA, Danville, VA, Lynchburg, VA, and Martinsville, VA.

Photo by Donnie Nunley

United States Virginia

Population & Diversity

Roanoke, VA is home to a population of 315k people, from which 97.4% are citizens. As of 2022, 4.95% of Roanoke, VA residents were born outside of the country (15.6k people).

In 2022, there were 5.84 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (242k people) in Roanoke, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 41.4k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 8.64k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.4%

2022 Citizenship

97.5%

2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 97.4% of Roanoke, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Roanoke, VA was 97.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Roanoke, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Roanoke, VA

White (Non-Hispanic)
242k ± 574
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
41.4k ± 621
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
8.64k ± 773

4.3%

Hispanic Population

13.5k people

4.3% of the people in Roanoke, VA are hispanic (13.5k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Roanoke, VA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Virginia.

Most Common Origin

El Salvador
107,605 ± 8,003 people
India
98,735 ± 7,670 people
Mexico
59,855 ± 5,986 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Virginia was El Salvador, the natal country of 107,605 Virginia residents, followed by India with 98,735 and Mexico with 59,855.

Foreign-Born Population

4.95%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

15.6k people

4.69%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

14.8k people

As of 2022, 4.95% of Roanoke, VA residents (15.6k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Roanoke, VA was 4.69%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Roanoke, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
6,812 ± 563
Gulf War (2001-)
3,811 ± 487
Gulf War (1990s)
3,268 ± 449

Roanoke, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.79 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Roanoke, VA employs 149k people. The largest industries in Roanoke, VA are Health Care & Social Assistance (25,852 people), Manufacturing (16,327 people), and Retail Trade (16,176 people), and the highest paying industries are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($72,877), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($71,346), and Utilities ($57,634).

Males in Virginia have an average income that is 1.33 times higher than the average income of females, which is $69,674. The income inequality in Virginia (measured using the Gini index) is 0.475, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

149k

2022 Value

± 3,168

−0.354%

1 Year decline

± 3.05%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Roanoke, VA declined at a rate of −0.354%, from 149k employees to 149k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Roanoke, VA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (17,891 people), Sales & Related Occupations (15,088 people), and Management Occupations (14,523 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Roanoke, VA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Virginia (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

149k

2022 Value

± 3,168

−0.354%

1 Year decline

± 3.05%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Roanoke, VA declined at a rate of −0.354%, from 149k employees to 149k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Roanoke, VA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (25,852 people), Manufacturing (16,327 people), and Retail Trade (16,176 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Roanoke, VA, though some of these residents may live in Roanoke, VA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$49,503

Median earning men ± $1,515

$37,440

Median earning women ± $1,276

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($68,657), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($60,639), and Information ($58,929).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Public Administration ($55,699), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($46,347), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($43,712).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Y-Axis

2.48%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.1M people employed in Virginia. This represents a 2.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.8%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Virginia.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

637
Other Services (except Public Administration)
549
Retail Trade
509
Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$1.76M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$916k
Manufacturing
$574k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 54.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (44%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.45%).

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing the state of Virginia. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Roanoke, VA. Showing the available data for Virginia.

2020 Election Results

Joseph R Biden Jr. (54.1%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (44%)
Republican Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.45%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 54.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (44%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.45%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Virginia for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Virginia

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Mark Warner

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2009

Tim Kaine

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing Virginia.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Virginia over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Virginia

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Virginia have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Roanoke, VA awarded 2,367 degrees. The student population of Roanoke, VA in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 4,100 male students and 6,463 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Roanoke, VA are White (1,680 and 72%), followed by Black or African American (252 and 10.8%), Two or More Races (105 and 4.5%), and Hispanic or Latino (100 and 4.29%).

The largest universities in Roanoke, VA by number of degrees awarded are Virginia Western Community College (233949) (1,184 and 50%), Roanoke College (233426) (477 and 20.2%), and American National University (256 and 10.8%).

The most popular majors in Roanoke, VA are General Business Administration & Management (155 and 6.55%), Biological & Physical Sciences (105 and 4.44%), and General Studies (90 and 3.8%).

The median tuition cost in Roanoke, VA for private four year colleges is $37,400.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Roanoke, VA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 78%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 12.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 10,563 (38.8% men and 61.2% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 10,563 students enrolled in Roanoke, VA, 38.8% men and 61.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 6,950 records, of which 59.9% were women and 40.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
79 degrees awarded
General Psychology
72 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
61 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Roanoke, VA was General Business Administration & Management with 79 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Roanoke, VA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Virginia Western Community College (233949)
1,184 degrees awarded
Roanoke College (233426)
477 degrees awarded
American National University
256 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Virginia Western Community College (233949) with 1,184 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 804 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Roanoke, VA, which is 0.514 times less than the 1,563 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,680 degrees mean that there were 6.67 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 252 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($37,400) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($920) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($1,500) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Measure

In 2022, 0.884% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.904% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.71M), Bachelors Degree (1.47M), and Some college (1.4M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Roanoke, VA was $221,100 in 2022, which is 0.784 times smaller than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $191,500 to $221,100, a 15.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Roanoke, VA is 68.8%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Roanoke, VA have an average commute time of 23.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Roanoke, VA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Roanoke, VA is $65,687. In 2022, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Roanoke, VA was Loudoun County, VA with a value of $170,463, followed by Falls Church city, VA and Fairfax County, VA, with respective values of $164,536 and $145,165.

Housing

Property

$221,100

Median Property Value 2022

±$3,321

$88,646

Median Property Taxes

±$2,234

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Roanoke, VA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Roanoke, VA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

68.8%

Homeownership

2022

68.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 68.8% of the housing units in Roanoke, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 68.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Roanoke, VA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2022, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Roanoke, VA was Loudoun County, VA with a value of $170,463, followed by Falls Church city, VA and Fairfax County, VA, with respective values of $164,536 and $145,165.

The following map shows all of the counties in Roanoke, VA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$65,687

Median Household Income

± $1,366

129k

Number of Households

± 2,746

In 2022, the median household income of the 129k households in Roanoke, VA grew to $65,687 from the previous year's value of $60,907.

The following chart displays the households in Roanoke, VA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Roanoke, VA is from Virginia.

0.475

2022 Wage GINI in Virginia

0.476

2021 Wage GINI in Virginia

In 2022, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.475 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.164% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Virginia in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Virginia across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2022

Drove Alone (78.9%)
Worked At Home (10.5%)
Carpooled (6.59%)

In 2022, 78.9% of workers in Roanoke, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.5%) and those who carpooled to work (6.59%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

23.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Roanoke, VA have a shorter commute time (23.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 1.46% of the workforce in Roanoke, VA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Roanoke, VA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Roanoke, VA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Roanoke, VA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Roanoke, VA (37.4k out of 306k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Roanoke, VA is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

93.2% of the population of Roanoke, VA has health coverage, with 48.7% on employee plans, 15.1% on Medicaid, 16.8% on Medicare, 10.6% on non-group plans, and 1.98% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Virginia see 1324 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.07% increase from the previous year (1310 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1351 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 447 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

1,324 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Virginia

Primary care physicians in Virginia see an average of 1,324 patients per year. This represents a 1.07% increase from the previous year (1,310 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Virginia in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22% under 18 years, 19.1% between 18 and 34 years, 38.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.1% were men and 52.9% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

6.79%

Uninsured

48.7%

Employer Coverage

15.1%

Medicaid

16.8%

Medicare

10.6%

Non-Group

1.98%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Roanoke, VA declined by 10.3% from 7.57% to 6.79%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Roanoke, VA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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