Home values and rents: available snapshot
Only one observation is stored for Roanoke, VA. A historical trend cannot be calculated from this snapshot.
- Typical home value (ZHVI)
- $301,139
- Source period: 2026-05-31
- Monthly rent index (ZORI)
- $1,403
- Source period: 2026-05-31
Stored snapshot: 2026-06-29. Source dates describe the underlying observations, not today’s market.
Quick Investment Calculator
Purchase
Monthly Cash Flow
* Based on metro-wide median values. 35% expenses include taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and property management. Individual counties and properties vary significantly.
Score Breakdown
Based on 5.59% rent-to-price ratio. Higher ratios indicate stronger cash flow potential.
Based on 4.0% YoY price growth. Moderate growth (3-8%) scores highest.
Based on 0.0% population growth. Growing areas indicate economic stability.
Based on price relative to estimated local incomes.
Scores are calculated using real Zillow metro-level home value and rent data, Census population data, and economic indicators. The weighted average produces the overall investment score. This metro score represents area-wide averages; individual counties may vary significantly.
Investment Outlook
Strengths
- +Low unemployment (0.0%)
Challenges
- -Negative cash flow at typical financing (-$667/mo)
- -Negative leverage (cap rate 3.6% < mortgage rate 6.9%)
Counties in Roanoke, VA
Section 8 in Roanoke, VA: payment standards by ZIP, PHA waitlist status, and voucher counts are on VoucherMatch, the same HUD dataset with the tenant demand side attached.
Compare to Similar Metros
| Metro Area | Verdict | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ogdensburg, NY Ogdensburg, NY | 82 | $144,973 | $1,169 | 9.67% | Strong Buy | View | |
Centralia, IL Centralia, IL | 82 | $123,413 | Est. | Strong Buy | View | ||
McAlester, OK McAlester, OK | 82 | $151,079 | $1,190 | 9.45% | Strong Buy | View | |
Snyder, TX Snyder, TX | 82 | $150,206 | $1,300 | 10.39% | Strong Buy | View | |
Abilene, TX Abilene, TX | 82 | $217,009 | $1,827 | 10.10% | Strong Buy | View | |
Current Roanoke, VA | 62 | $301,139 | $1,403 | 5.59% | Buy |
Rent vs buy in this metro
The Bottom Line
The Roanoke, VA metro area scores 62/100, ranking #453 of 894 US metros (top 51%). The 5.59% rent-to-price ratio may require targeting specific counties or creative strategies for positive cash flow. Current metro-wide averages make traditional buy-and-hold investing challenging. Consider house hacking, value-add strategies, or drilling down to specific counties.