Roanoke, Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Roanoke is located in Virginia with a total population of 98,355. It is the 20th most populous county out of 133 in Virginia.

Age Demographics

The median age in Roanoke is 38.3 years. This is 2% lower than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Roanoke is $55,378. This is 41% lower than the state median of $93,170. It is also 31% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 18.3%. This is 85% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. The unemployment rate is 5.6%. This is 32% higher than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $190,500. Housing costs are 50% lower than the state median of $383,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.4x. 52.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 22% lower than the state average of 67.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Roanoke is White (non-Hispanic), making up 55.3% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 27.7%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (27.7% vs 18.3%). The Asian population (3.1%) is well below the state average of 6.9%.

Education

30.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 29% lower than the state rate of 42.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 89.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Roanoke come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Virginia and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.