Population 8,688 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Roanoke
Household size in Roanoke
| Period | Roanoke | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.70 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.54 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.51 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.23 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.47 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Roanoke are small: just 2.23 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.70, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of the 186 Alabama cities with 5,000+ people, only eight have smaller households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Roanoke
| Period | Roanoke | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.7 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.9 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.8 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.1 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.4 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Roanoke skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.1, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 38.7 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Roanoke
| Period | Roanoke | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.4% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.1% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.9% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Roanoke: 16.9% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is up 0.5 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Roanoke has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Alabama cities.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Roanoke
Renters in Roanoke
| Period | Roanoke | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.5% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.3% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.9% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.9% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Roanoke rent their homes (26.9%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. About seven in ten owners (69.7%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the southeast; owners are most common in the west. The renter share has fallen 4.6 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Roanoke
| Period | Roanoke | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.7% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.4% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.2% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.7% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 19.7% of the housing in Roanoke, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy is down 2.0 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Roanoke
| Period | Roanoke | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Roanoke are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. Homes here are older than in Alabama overall, where the median home dates to 1986. The median year built has moved up from 1972 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Roanoke
| Period | Roanoke | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $532 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $626 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $604 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $604 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$72 | +$375 | +$606 |
The median renter in Roanoke pays $604 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $72 a month since 2006–10, up 13%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 27.5% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Only one other Alabama city with 5,000+ people has lower rents.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Roanoke
Bachelor's degrees in Roanoke
| Period | Roanoke | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.0% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.3% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.0 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Roanoke have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.3%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 5.0 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the center.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Roanoke
| Period | Roanoke | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 70.9% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 74.6% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.6% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.1% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +16.2 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Roanoke never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.1% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 16.2 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Roanoke
| Period | Roanoke | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.1% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −8.8 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Roanoke than nationally: unemployment was 4.4%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 8.8 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Roanoke compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke | 2.23 | 45.1 | 16.9% | 26.9% | 19.7% | 1980 | $604 | 16.3% | 87.1% | 4.4% |
| Moores Crossroads | 1.92 | 45.8 | 14.5% | 53.8% | 14.4% | 1974 | $475 | 12.4% | 92.7% | 0.0% |
| Taylors Crossroads | 2.31 | 41.3 | 16.5% | 24.8% | 21.9% | 1988 | $654 | 17.0% | 86.7% | 4.8% |
| Rock Mills | 2.31 | 47.4 | 20.6% | 19.8% | 11.2% | 1977 | $496 | 17.6% | 90.3% | 14.2% |
| Bacon Level | 1.88 | 47.7 | 17.6% | 36.8% | 14.4% | 1981 | $506 | 10.2% | 89.2% | 0.3% |
| Peavy | 2.77 | 39.7 | 12.6% | 13.4% | 29.1% | 1979 | $783 | 20.3% | 80.6% | 6.1% |
| Pooles Crossroad | 2.27 | 50.1 | 7.8% | 15.8% | 19.6% | 1982 | $567 | 24.4% | 87.6% | 5.6% |
| Stroud | 2.09 | 49.1 | 14.6% | 18.1% | 17.5% | 1985 | $542 | 16.8% | 86.3% | 4.5% |
| Wehadkee | 2.20 | 55.7 | 5.8% | 10.8% | 30.1% | 1990 | $791 | 10.3% | 75.4% | 0.0% |
| Cornhouse | 2.49 | 40.9 | 16.3% | 16.5% | 30.7% | 1981 | $718 | 19.7% | 77.9% | 1.5% |
| Standing Rock | 1.82 | 49.8 | 21.3% | 18.1% | 14.5% | 1990 | $542 | 7.4% | 85.1% | 0.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Putnam, CT · Mulvane, KS · Muncy, PA · Murphy, MO · Nevada, IA · New Castle, CO · New Freedom, PA · Pleasant Hills, PA · Presque Isle, ME · Prestonsburg, KY
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Roanoke. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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