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 | Austin | Roanoke | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $917/mo | 68.9% higher in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $162,000 | 184.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $51,523 | 68.0% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.2 | 96.8 | 7.7% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 102.6 | 92.9 | 10.4% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 91.7 | 79.0 | 16.1% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 110.4 | 90.4 | 22.1% 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 Austin, you'd need $74,441 in Roanoke to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Roanoke, VA is about 25.6% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 41% lower in Roanoke than in Austin. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $59,553 in Roanoke to keep the same standard of living.