City comparison
Roanoke, VA is about 225 miles (350 km) from Virginia Beach, VA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 275 miles, or about 4 h 30 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Roanoke, VA to Virginia Beach, VA takes about 26 min, covering roughly 225 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Virginia Beach has a population of 457,900, vs 99,213 in Roanoke — about 4.6× larger by population. By land area, Virginia Beach covers about 245 sq mi vs 43 sq mi for Roanoke.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Roanoke | Virginia Beach | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $917/mo | $1,568/mo | 71.0% higher in Virginia Beach |
| Median home value | $162,000 | $343,700 | 112.2% higher in Virginia Beach |
| Median household income | $51,523 | $87,544 | 69.9% higher in Virginia Beach |
| Groceries index | 96.9 | 96.9 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 89.4 | 90.0 | 0.7% higher in Virginia Beach |
| Transportation index | 98.8 | 98.8 | ≈ equal (Roanoke slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 98.3 | 98.3 | ≈ equal (Roanoke slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Roanoke, you'd need $111,478 in Virginia Beach to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Roanoke, VA is about 10.3% cheaper overall than Virginia Beach, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 31% higher in Virginia Beach than in Roanoke. If you earn $80,000 in Roanoke, you'd need about $89,182 in Virginia Beach to keep the same standard of living.