What percentage of people rent in Roanoke, VA?

Name: Renters and owners in Roanoke, VA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

47.6% (±1.9 points) of the occupied homes in Roanoke, VA are rented (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is 20,723 renting households against 22,852 that own their home.

In Roanoke, the share of households that rent went from 48.5% in 2015–2019 to 47.6% in 2020–2024 (−0.9 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Households that rent: 47.6% (±1.9 points)
Renting households: 20,723 (±883)
Median renter income: $40,701 (±$3,637)

Who rents and who owns in Roanoke

Tenure, estimate (90% margin of error)
	Roanoke	Roanoke city	Virginia	United States
Renter-occupied share	47.6% (±1.9 points)	47.6% (±1.9 points)	32.7% (±0.3 points)	34.8%
Renting households	20,723 (±883)	20,723 (±883)	1,099,123 (±8,702)	45,017,354
Owning households	22,852 (±887)	22,852 (±887)	2,266,609 (±13,049)	84,210,142
Average renter household size	2.1 (±0.1)	2.1 (±0.1)	2.3 (±0.0)	2.3
Average owner household size	2.3 (±0.1)	2.3 (±0.1)	2.6 (±0.0)	2.6
Median renter household income	$40,701 (±$3,637)	$40,701 (±$3,637)	$60,343 (±$529)	$52,966
Median owner household income	$73,836 (±$3,274)	$73,836 (±$3,274)	$114,147 (±$479)	$100,009

In Roanoke, the renter share is not measurably different from Roanoke city (47.6%).

It is also higher than in Virginia (32.7%).

It is higher than the national figure (34.8%).

Statewide, it ranks 81 of 464.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

How renting in Roanoke has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Households that rent	48.5% (±1.7 points)	47.6% (±1.9 points)	−0.9 percentage points	Not a measurable change
Median gross rent	$814 (±$19)	$996 (±$30)	+22.4%	No measurable change after inflation
Median household income	$44,230 (±$1,434)	$55,378 (±$2,433)	+25.2%	No measurable change after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Households that rent in places near Roanoke

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Roanoke
Place	Distance	Households that rent	Compared with this place
Roanoke	—	47.6% (±1.9 points)	—
Vinton	3.9 mi	41.3% (±8.0 points)	Not measurably different
Cave Spring	4.5 mi	30.5% (±3.1 points)	Lower
Hollins	4.5 mi	35.1% (±5.0 points)	Lower
Salem	5.4 mi	37.2% (±2.7 points)	Lower
Cloverdale	6.1 mi	25.5% (±13.5 points)	Lower
Laymantown	8.0 mi	3.7% (±5.4 points)	Lower
Daleville	9.7 mi	28.0% (±4.9 points)	Lower
Blue Ridge	10 mi	6.2% (±5.5 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Cave Spring, VA (30.5%), Hollins, VA (35.1%), Salem, VA (37.2%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Roanoke

How many renters are there in Roanoke?

Roanoke has an estimated 20,723 (±883) renting households, 47.6% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is renting growing in Roanoke?

In Roanoke, the share of households that rent went from 48.5% in 2015–2019 to 47.6% in 2020–2024 (−0.9 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How big are renting households in Roanoke?

A renting household in Roanoke has 2.1 people on average, against 2.3 in an owned home.

How much do renters earn in Roanoke?

The median renting household in Roanoke, VA has an income of $40,701 (±$3,637) a year, against $73,836 for households that own their home.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) and detailed tables (acs/acs5) for Roanoke city, Virginia (place:68000, in state:51).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B19013_001E, B19013_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0047E, DP04_0047M, DP04_0046E, DP04_0046M, DP04_0049E, DP04_0049M, DP04_0048E, DP04_0048M, B25119_003E, B25119_003M, B25119_002E, B25119_002M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.