Housing and tax tradeoff: Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke, Virginia comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare Roanoke vs Knoxville on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 12 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
RoanokeKnoxville
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke, Virginia is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on sunshine, weaker on climate comfort.
Potential dealbreaker: Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on rent burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 100,011 | 185,291 |
| Population Density | 2.3k /sq mi | 1.9k /sq mi |
| Center Elevation | 935 ft(285 m) | 906 ft(276 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $268,725 | $359,252 |
| Median Rent | $1,353 | $1,716 |
| Median Income | $51,523 | $48,309 |
| Rent Burden | 32% | 43% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 307 days/yr | 304 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 69°F | 70°F |
| Avg. Low | 48°F | 51°F |
| Comfort Score | 63/100Good | 72/100Great |
| Temp Swing | 43°F | 41°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 44"(112 cm) | 49"(124 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 10"(25 cm) | 5"(13 cm) |
| Air Quality | AQI 39 (Avg)1 days > 100 | AQI 45 (Avg)17 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Transit Score | 52 | N/A |
| Safety Score | 61 / 100 | 53 / 100 |
| School Rating | 7.9/10 | 6.5/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | minimalMinimal Risk |
| Fire Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal | minimalMinimal |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 56%Cable: 98% | Fiber: 67%Cable: 98% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 38.1 years | 33.4 years |
| College Educated | 28% | 33% |
| Remote Workers | 10% | 9% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Plan a first lookWays to plan a first visit or connect with a relevant local partner. | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Roanoke | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Knoxville |
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