Austin, TX vs Roanoke, VA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Austin

68.3

#1322 nationally

Roanoke

69.5

#1203 nationally

Austin leads in median household income ($91,461 vs $51,523). Roanoke leads in cost of living index (95 vs 129). Roanoke leads in average commute (20.9 min vs 26.8 min).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Austin, TX	Roanoke, VA
WhereAtHome Score	68.3 (#1322)	69.5 (#1203)
Population	967,862	97,171
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$504,148	$283,969
Median Household Income	$91,461	$51,523
Average Commute	26.8 min	20.9 min
Walk Score	42	39
Crime Level	Moderate	17.0
School Rating	7.2	N/A
Cost of Living Index	129	95
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+39.3	D+23.6