Roanoke vs St. Louis
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $190,500 in Roanoke and $197,500 in St. Louis.
- Roanoke has the warmer winter: January highs of 47°F vs 40°F.
- Roanoke is growing faster: -0.9% since 2020 vs -7.7%.
- Commutes are shorter in Roanoke (19 vs 22 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Roanoke, VA | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 99,111 | 278,144 |
| Growth since 2020 | -0.9% | -7.7% |
| People per square mile | 2,331 | 4,507 |
| Median age | 38.3 | 36.8 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30% | 41% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $55,378 | $56,160 |
| Median home value | $190,500 | $197,500 |
| Home value to income | 3.4× | 3.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $996 | $997 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 93.6 | 95.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 78.5 | 79.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $70,200 | $71,300 |
| Homeowners | 52% | 45% |
| Top state income tax | 5.75% | 4.7% |
| Combined sales tax | 5.77% | 8.44% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.0 | 22.1 |
| Work from home | 12% | 17% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 6% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.6% | 5% |
| Poverty rate | 18.3% | 20.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 47° / 29° | 40° / 24° |
| July high / low | 88° / 67° | 90° / 71° |
| Precipitation per year | 43 in | 42 in |
| Snowfall per year | 15 in | 17 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 30 | 47 |
| Nights below freezing | 77 | 85 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 72.9 | 98.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 83% | 31% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.3% | +4.1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +51.2% | +40.5% |
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: Roanoke: April to May and September to October. St. Louis: June and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Roanoke weather by month and St. Louis weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $70,200 in Roanoke and $71,300 in St. Louis. Moving from Roanoke to St. Louis, you would need about $76,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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