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Roanoke city, Virginia: crime rate, income and local data
Roanoke city averaged 5.7 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year in 2021-2025, about 2.5 times the Virginia rate (2.3). Households here have a median income of $55,378 and the unemployment rate was 3.9% in August 2026. It is home to roughly 98,355 residents.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Roanoke city?
Over 2021-2025, the county's police agencies sent the FBI reports of about 559 violent and 3,822 property crimes per year. That is 5.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, about 2.5 times the Virginia rate (2.3), and 55% higher than the U.S. rate (3.7). For property crime the county rate is 39.1 per 1,000 (Virginia: 15.5; U.S.: 18.1). Aggravated assaults make up 66% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 14 homicide deaths a year in the county (14.1 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Roanoke city | Per 1,000 | Virginia per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 559 | 5.7 | 2.3 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 18 | 0.18 | 0.06 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 85 | 0.87 | 0.30 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 88 | 0.90 | 0.35 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 368 | 3.8 | 1.6 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 3,822 | 39.1 | 15.5 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 426 | 4.4 | 1.1 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 3,043 | 31.1 | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 353 | 3.6 | 1.5 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (1 agencies; 99% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Roanoke city?
Half of households in Roanoke city make more than $55,378 and half make less; across Virginia the midpoint is $93,170. Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $190,500, and the median rent is $996 a month. 16.9% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 9.1%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.9% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 1,855 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Roanoke city | Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 98,355 | 8,705,170 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $55,378 | $93,170 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $190,500 | $383,700 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $996 | $1,579 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 5.6% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 18.3% | 9.9% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 16.9% | 9.1% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 30.0% | 42.2% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 52.4% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 38.3 | 39.0 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 85.7% | 91.0% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 9.8% | 6.9% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Roanoke city?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Roanoke city has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively Low”. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Roanoke city, active or completed (October 2026).
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 2 high-hazard dams in Roanoke city. None is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory; 1 is rated Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Windsor Lake Dam (33 ft) and Spring Valley Lake Dam (26 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
6 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 30,844 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Roanoke city was covered by 2 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Tropical Storm 1, Hurricane 1), not counting COVID-19. EPA puts the county in radon zone 1 (highest). NHTSA counted 9 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 3 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Roanoke city?
The state DOT feed had no interstate, U.S. or state highway work zones in Roanoke city on October 11, 2026. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel. The map's layer refreshes every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Roanoke city?
Roanoke city has 33 public schools (2024-25) and 6 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 11 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 11 fire or EMS stations and 2 police or sheriff stations.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Roanoke city
Gun shops
7 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Roanoke city, plus 4 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 4 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Academy Sports + Outdoors #409 (Roanoke), Safeside Tactical (Roanoke), Sportsman's Warehouse #223 (Roanoke), The Pawnshop (3 in Roanoke) and Valley Pawn (Roanoke).
Liquor stores
No liquor stores are on the map in Roanoke city. Virginia has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
One Planned Parenthood health center is on the map in Roanoke city: Planned Parenthood (Roanoke).
See them on the map: gun shops · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Roanoke city?
Roanoke city averaged 559 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 5.7 per 1,000 residents, about 2.5 times the Virginia rate (2.3). The property-crime rate was 39.1 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Roanoke city?
$55,378 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $93,170 for Virginia and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Roanoke city?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.9% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 1,855 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Roanoke city?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Roanoke city has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively Low”. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here.
Is there road construction in Roanoke city right now?
The state DOT feed had no interstate, U.S. or state highway work zones in Roanoke city on October 11, 2026. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel.
How many nursing homes are in Roanoke city?
11 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Roanoke city compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke County | 97,023 | 2.2 | $83,709 |
| Salem city | 25,618 | 1.0 | $66,725 |
Cities in Roanoke city with their own page: Roanoke.
More: Virginia statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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