City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Alexandria | Roanoke | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,983/mo | $917/mo | 116.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $655,700 | $162,000 | 304.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $113,179 | $51,523 | 119.7% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 97.3 | 6.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 101.0 | 90.7 | 11.3% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 99.2 | 0.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.5 | 97.5 | 2.1% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Alexandria, you'd need $72,060 in Roanoke to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Roanoke, VA is about 27.9% cheaper overall than Alexandria, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 50% lower in Roanoke than in Alexandria. If you earn $80,000 in Alexandria, you'd need about $57,648 in Roanoke to keep the same standard of living.