Population
316,547
2025
+0.4% since 2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025), 2025. Resident population, July 1 estimate.
Roanoke, VA metro area: population growth, jobs and income
The Roanoke, VA metro area gained 256 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+0.1%).
The Roanoke, VA metro area had an estimated 316,547 residents in 2025, up 0.4% (1,298 more people) since 2020.
Data as of 2025 · updated
Top 3 counties by population: Roanoke city, Roanoke County and Franklin County. Three County Growth and Demographics Report PDFs in one payment.
Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now.
Headline numbers
Net domestic migration
+597
2025
1.9 per 1,000 residents
+3,096 in total, 2021–2025
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025), 2025. People moving in from other U.S. counties minus people moving out.
Unemployment rate
3.3%
2025
+0.5 pts since 2019
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2025. Annual average unemployment rate.
New homes permitted (calendar 2025)
877
2025
−16.7% since 2024
2.8 per 1,000 residents
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Housing units authorized by building permits in the year.
Median household income
$68,761
2020–24
+19.3% since 2016–20
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–24. American Community Survey 5-year estimate.
Private-sector employment
143,093
2023
−2.3% since 2018
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023. Paid employees of private employers in mid-March (County Business Patterns).
Net migration (IRS tax returns)
+693
2022–23
Source: IRS Statistics of Income, U.S. Population Migration Data, 2022–23. People on tax returns moving in minus moving out, U.S. and abroad; the sum of the member counties (moves between them cancel out).
Population, migration, employment, permits, unemployment and income are the figures each agency publishes for the area itself (OMB Bulletin 23-01 delineation; ACS 2016-20 and CBP 2018 use the delineation of their year). IRS migration is the sum of the member counties.
What the numbers say
Net domestic migration added 597 people in 2025: more people moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out.
Private employers had 143,093 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −2.3% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).
Unemployment averaged 3.3% in 2025, 0.5 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).
Builders were authorized to start 877 new homes in 2025, or 2.8 per 1,000 residents.
Median household income was $68,761 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +19.3% since 2016–20.
Population growth over five years ranks 10th of 11 Virginia metro areas and 279th of 387 U.S. metro areas.
IRS tax-return data for 2022-2023 show a net gain of 693 people (the sum of its counties).
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How it ranks
| Measure | Among U.S. metro areas |
|---|---|
| Population growth | 279th of 387 |
| Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents | 172nd of 387 |
| Private-sector job growth | 309th of 377 |
| Median household income | 238th of 364 |
| Lowest unemployment rate | 62nd of 364 |
| New homes permitted per 1,000 residents | 239th of 387 |
1st = highest (lowest for unemployment), against areas with a figure for the same period.
Fastest-growing metro areas in Virginia · Fastest-growing metro areas in the U.S.
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The County Growth and Demographics Report for Roanoke city, VA, the principal county of the Roanoke, VA area, as a PDF: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.
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Counties in this metro area
Franklin County, VA drove the change: of the 1,298 residents the Roanoke, VA metro area gained from 2020 to 2025 (the sum of its counties), it added 1,048 (81%), while Roanoke city, VA lost 792 residents.
| County | Role | Residents2025 | Share of residents2025 | Change2020–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke city, VA | Central | 99,111 | 31.3% | −792 (−0.8%) |
| Roanoke County, VA | Central | 97,150 | 30.7% | +192 (+0.2%) |
| Franklin County, VA | Outlying | 55,526 | 17.5% | +1,048 (+1.9%) |
| Botetourt County, VA | Central | 34,144 | 10.8% | +508 (+1.5%) |
| Salem city, VA | Central | 25,816 | 8.2% | +418 (+1.6%) |
| Craig County, VA | Outlying | 4,800 | 1.5% | −76 (−1.6%) |
Census Bureau population estimates (July 1). Shares are of the member counties' total; a share of the change shows only when every county moved the same way. – means no figure for the common period.
Nearby and similar metro areas
Next to this metro area
- Lynchburg, VApop +2.9%
- Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VApop −0.1%
- Danville, VApop −1.8%
- Martinsville, VApop −1.9%
Similar in size
Questions
Is the Roanoke, VA metro area growing?
Yes. Its population grew 0.4% between 2020 and 2025, about 1,298 more people (Census Bureau population estimates).
Which county in the Roanoke, VA metro area is growing fastest?
Franklin County, VA. Its population grew 1.9% between 2020 and 2025, the fastest of the 6 member counties (Census Bureau population estimates).
How many people moved to the Roanoke, VA metro area?
On net, about 597 people in 2025: that many more moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate). International migration is not in this figure.
What is the unemployment rate in the Roanoke, VA metro area?
It averaged 3.3% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).
What is the population of the Roanoke, VA metro area?
About 316,547 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.
Roanoke city data alerts
Email me when Roanoke city gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.
Sources and method
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns
- IRS Statistics of Income, U.S. Population Migration Data
Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.
Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.