Charleston vs Roanoke
The short version
- Charleston is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 5% lower than in the Roanoke area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $190,500 in Roanoke and $203,300 in Charleston.
- Households earn more in Charleston ($65,812 vs $55,378 median).
- Charleston gets far more snow: 32 inches a year vs 15.
- Roanoke is growing faster: -0.9% since 2020 vs -5.5%.
Side by side
| Charleston, WV | Roanoke, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 46,117 | 99,111 |
| Growth since 2020 | -5.5% | -0.9% |
| People per square mile | 1,469 | 2,331 |
| Median age | 43.0 | 38.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45% | 30% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $65,812 | $55,378 |
| Median home value | $203,300 | $190,500 |
| Home value to income | 3.1× | 3.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $908 | $996 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 88.7 | 93.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 51.4 | 78.5 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $66,500 | $70,200 |
| Homeowners | 63% | 52% |
| Top state income tax | 4.82% | 5.75% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.6% | 5.77% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 16.9 | 19.0 |
| Work from home | 13% | 12% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.5% | 5.6% |
| Poverty rate | 15.8% | 18.3% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 44° / 26° | 47° / 29° |
| July high / low | 86° / 66° | 88° / 67° |
| Precipitation per year | 46 in | 43 in |
| Snowfall per year | 32 in | 15 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 24 | 30 |
| Nights below freezing | 94 | 77 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 94.5 | 72.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 77% | 83% |
| Home prices, past year | +10.5% | +3.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +40.1% | +51.2% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Charleston: April and August to October. Roanoke: April to May and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Charleston weather by month and Roanoke weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $66,500 in Charleston and $70,200 in Roanoke. Moving from Charleston to Roanoke, you would need about $79,100 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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