Knoxville vs Roanoke
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $190,500 in Roanoke and $239,700 in Knoxville.
- Roanoke gets far more snow: 15 inches a year vs 5.
- Knoxville is growing faster: +6% since 2020 vs -0.9%.
- Tennessee has no state income tax on wages; Virginia's top rate is 5.75%.
Side by side
| Knoxville, TN | Roanoke, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 202,021 | 99,111 |
| Growth since 2020 | +6% | -0.9% |
| People per square mile | 2,046 | 2,331 |
| Median age | 33.5 | 38.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35% | 30% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $54,039 | $55,378 |
| Median home value | $239,700 | $190,500 |
| Home value to income | 4.4× | 3.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,191 | $996 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 92.6 | 93.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 82.8 | 78.5 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $69,400 | $70,200 |
| Homeowners | 47% | 52% |
| Top state income tax | None | 5.75% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.61% | 5.77% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 20.2 | 19.0 |
| Work from home | 13% | 12% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.5% | 5.6% |
| Poverty rate | 20.2% | 18.3% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 48° / 30° | 47° / 29° |
| July high / low | 88° / 69° | 88° / 67° |
| Precipitation per year | 52 in | 43 in |
| Snowfall per year | 5 in | 15 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 37 | 30 |
| Nights below freezing | 67 | 77 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 92.1 | 72.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 56% | 83% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.9% | +3.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +63.5% | +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: Knoxville: May to June and September to October. Roanoke: April to May and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Knoxville 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 $69,400 in Knoxville and $70,200 in Roanoke. Moving from Knoxville to Roanoke, you would need about $75,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.