Cost of living in Roanoke research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Roanoke is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Alabama, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Roanoke is 88, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Roanoke is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Roanoke ranks as the #33 cheapest in Alabama out of 119.
Roanoke ranks as the #912 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Roanoke is $145,202.
The median income in Roanoke is $48,083.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Roanoke has an overall cost of living index of 88, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Alabama, Roanoke has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Alabama's index of 90.
The standard of living in Roanoke ranks as #33 most affordable out of the 119 places we measured in Alabama. By definition, that implies Roanoke ranks as the #86 most expensive place in the Heart of Dixie.
For more reading on life in Roanoke, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Roanoke. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Roanoke is 98.
The Groceries index in Roanoke is 98.
The Health index in Roanoke is 91.
The Housing index in Roanoke is 61.
The Transportation index in Roanoke is 93.
The Utilities index in Roanoke is 111.
| Living Expense | Roanoke | Alabama | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 88 | 90 | 100 | |
| Services | 98 | 97 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 98 | 98 | 100 | |
| Health | 91 | 86 | 100 | |
| Housing | 61 | 74 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 93 | 93 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 111 | 102 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Alabama, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Roanoke is $145,202.
The Median Rent in Roanoke is $589.
The Median Income in Roanoke is $48,083.
The Home Value To Income in Roanoke is 3.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Roanoke is 0.15x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Roanoke. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Newnan, GA has a cost of living index of 104, 1.2x Roanoke.
Opelika, AL has a cost of living index of 94, 1.1x Roanoke.
LaGrange, GA has a cost of living index of 91, 1.0x Roanoke.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Roanoke |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newnan, GA | 43,510 | 104 | 1.2x |
| Opelika, AL | 31,944 | 94 | 1.1x |
| LaGrange, GA | 31,479 | 91 | 1.0x |
| Carrollton, GA | 27,058 | 96 | 1.1x |
| Oxford, AL | 22,063 | 91 | 1.0x |
| Anniston, AL | 21,377 | 88 | 1.0x |
| Villa Rica, GA | 17,798 | 96 | 1.1x |
| Talladega, AL | 15,041 | 83 | 0.9x |
| Saks, AL | 10,727 | 86 | 1.0x |
| Bremen, GA | 7,364 | 96 | 1.1x |