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Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP

Roanoke, VA

Cost-of-living indicators for Roanoke, VA, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities — overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.

Reviewed byPlaincost Editorial, Cost Of Living Editorial Team · June 9, 2026

93.6
Overall RPP: #192
of 387 metros: 78.5
Rents RPP: $107K
$100K national buys

The verdict

Roanoke costs less than 50% of U.S. metros — an overall index of 93.6, 6.4% below the national average, with rents the biggest swing at 78.5.

93.6
overall cost index (US average = 100): #192
most expensive of 387 U.S. metros: bottom 50%
by overall cost, nationwide: 78.5
rents RPP — the biggest budget swing

A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $106,817 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $93,618.

What the Numbers Mean for Roanoke

Roanoke ranks #192 of 387 U.S. metro areas measured by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, placing it in the upper half by cost. With an overall Regional Price Parity of 93.6, Roanoke, VA is 6.4% less expensive than the national baseline of 100. The gap between Roanoke's most and least expensive categories — the priciest line item versus rents at 78.5 — is what drives the household budget experience on the ground, not the single headline number.

Translated into dollars, a nationally-benchmarked $100,000 salary carries the purchasing power of $106,817 inside Roanoke, while a household needs roughly $93,618 here to match a $100K lifestyle elsewhere. Rents carry the biggest swing in the BEA formula and are indexed at 78.5 — 21.5% below the national average — so anyone weighing a move or a remote-work arbitrage should treat the housing line as the single largest variable in the equation.

Looking at the 2008-2024 trajectory, Roanoke's overall index has stayed within 1.2 points, holding steady versus other U.S. metros. For the 2024 data year, goods are indexed at 96.8 and services at 88.9, meaning everyday spending in Roanoke is governed more by the services and rent mix than by retail goods prices. Readers comparing multiple destinations should always pair the RPP headline with local wage data and housing costs before drawing relocation conclusions.

Roanoke vs every U.S. metro

Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution

94 Top 50% higher than 50% of 387 US metros

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities · 2024

Rents

78.5
Services

88.9
Overall

93.6
Goods

96.8

What this shows Roanoke's gap from the national average is led by rents at 78.5. Goods barely move between metros; the spread you feel is housing and services.

Goods vs. housing — where Roanoke's cost comes from

Metros near Roanoke's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.

Crosshairs sit at the group median (goods 96.3, rents 78.5). Roanoke is pricier than its peers on both housing and goods. These metros sit near Roanoke's overall cost, yet they spread across the chart — proof that two places at the same headline RPP can have very different goods-vs-housing structures.

Price Index Summary

Overall

93.6

-6.4 below avg

Goods

96.8

-3.2 below avg

Services

88.9

-11.1 below avg

Rents

78.5

-21.5 below avg

Salary Equivalent

A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:

$93,618

in Roanoke, VA purchasing power

$50,000 nationally

$46,809

$75,000 nationally

$70,213

$125,000 nationally

$117,022

$150,000 nationally

$140,427

$200,000 nationally

$187,236

Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.

RPP History (2008-2024)

The cost of living has remained relatively stable, changing by only 1.2 points over this period.

Year	Overall	Goods	Services	Rents
2008	92.4	97.0	87.4	73.1
2009	92.2	94.9	90.5	78.5
2010	94.3	96.6	91.2	80.9
2011	91.3	96.3	90.4	67.7
2012	93.1	95.4	91.9	74.8
2013	93.2	95.9	89.2	75.1
2014	93.2	95.5	91.0	75.8
2015	91.8	94.7	91.7	70.5
2016	92.0	95.6	90.0	69.3
2017	91.1	95.4	88.0	68.7
2018	91.9	95.6	90.0	73.2
2019	91.0	95.1	92.7	73.9
2020	90.2	95.2	90.9	71.9
2021	93.7	96.1	87.8	78.3
2022	92.3	95.5	89.6	73.3
2023	91.2	97.1	89.5	67.6
2024	93.6	96.8	88.9	78.5

Metros with Similar Cost of Living

These metros have an overall RPP closest to Roanoke, VA's index of 93.6.

Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC 93.6 Columbia, SC 93.7 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA 93.6 Bloomington, IL 93.5 Janesville-Beloit, WI 93.7 Billings, MT 93.5

Other VA Metros

Charlottesville 99.1 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk 97.9 Richmond 97.9 Winchester 96.5 Harrisonburg 94.9 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford 92.7

View all VA metros →

Compare to Other Metros

vs New York-Newark-Jersey City vs Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim vs Chicago-Naperville-Elgin vs Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington vs Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands Custom Compare →

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Comparing Metro Areas

Step-by-step BEA RPP comparison walkthrough

View all guides →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Roanoke, VA? ▼

Roanoke, VA has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 93.6, meaning it is 6.4% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 96.8, services at 88.9, and rents at 78.5. It ranks #192 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.

What salary do I need in Roanoke, VA to match $100K nationally? ▼

To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $93,618 in Roanoke, VA. Conversely, $100K earned in Roanoke, VA has the purchasing power of $106,817 at the national average.

How expensive is rent in Roanoke, VA? ▼

Rents in Roanoke, VA are indexed at 78.5, which is 21.5% below the national average. This makes the area relatively affordable for renters.

Is Roanoke, VA getting more expensive? ▼

From 2008 to 2024, Roanoke, VA's overall cost index changed by +1.2 points (from 92.4 to 93.6). The cost of living has remained relatively stable.

What metros have a similar cost of living to Roanoke, VA? ▼

Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Scranton--Wilkes-Barre. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Roanoke, VA's 93.6.

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Statistical Area (2024). Index where national average = 100.

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Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCost Editorial

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Federal data behind these figures

BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP) — the cost-of-living indices shown on this page. bea.gov/data/regional-price-parities
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) — the gross-rent observations BEA uses to build the rents component. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI) — the price program underlying BEA's goods and services price relatives. bls.gov/cpi
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — wage reference for the labor-driven services component. bls.gov/oes
HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) — federal 40th-percentile rent cross-reference for the housing component. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr