Roanoke County, Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Roanoke County is located in Virginia with a total population of 97,023. It is the 22nd most populous county out of 133 in Virginia. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Roanoke County is 43.5 years. This is 12% higher than the state median of 39.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Roanoke County is $83,709. This is 10% lower than the state median of $93,170. It is also 4% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 7.3%. This is 27% lower than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. The unemployment rate is 2.8%. This is 35% lower than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $286,000. Housing costs are 25% lower than the state median of $383,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.4x. 75.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 12% higher than the state average of 67.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Roanoke County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 82.3% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 6.4%. The Black or African American population (6.4%) is well below the state average of 18.3%. The Hispanic or Latino population (4.1%) is well below the state average of 11.0%.

Education

37.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 12% 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 94.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Roanoke County 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.