Roanoke County, VA
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 37.33, -80.19.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 77th pct · 695th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 56th pct · 59th of 133 Virginia counties · median $309,231
- 80th pct · 2nd of 6 counties in the Roanoke metro · median $302,817
- 54th pct · 1,408th of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 59th pct · 55th of 133 Virginia counties · median +2.8%
- 20th pct · 5th of 6 counties in the Roanoke metro · median +3.8%
- 56th pct · 589th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 28th pct · 51st of 71 Virginia counties · median $1,806
- 75th pct · 2nd of 5 counties in the Roanoke metro · median $1,531
- 80th pct · 633rd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 81st pct · 25th of 133 Virginia counties · median 9,944
- 80th pct · 2nd of 6 counties in the Roanoke metro · median 18,323
- 65th pct · 1,111th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 59th pct · 55th of 133 Virginia counties · median $1,048
- 20th pct · 5th of 6 counties in the Roanoke metro · median $1,232
- 76th pct · 706th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 55th pct · 60th of 133 Virginia counties · median 5.4
- 80th pct · 2nd of 6 counties in the Roanoke metro · median 4.4
Typical home value divided by the average annual wage of one covered job.
A percentile here is a min-max scaling of average rank: the smallest published value in the cohort is 0 and the largest is 100, and tied values share the average of the ranks they span. It is not the share of entities below the value, so 0 means smallest, not none below. Entities that did not publish the metric are outside the cohort entirely and are counted in neither the rank nor its denominator.
Home values #
Typical home $335,201 (Sep 2026), +3.2% over one year, +31.8% over five
- 77th pct · 695th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 56th pct · 59th of 133 Virginia counties · median $309,231
- 80th pct · 2nd of 6 counties in the Roanoke metro · median $302,817
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Roanoke County, VA | $335,201 · +3.2% 1-yr |
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical value of homes in the 35th to 65th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted; a model estimate of value, not a sale price. Data through Zillow Research.
Rents #
Typical rent $1,586/mo (Sep 2026), +6.5% over one year; price-to-rent 17.6
- 56th pct · 589th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 28th pct · 51st of 71 Virginia counties · median $1,806
- 75th pct · 2nd of 5 counties in the Roanoke metro · median $1,531
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Roanoke County, VA | $1,586/mo · +6.5% 1-yr |
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), smoothed, all homes and multifamily; price-to-rent = typical home / (typical rent × 12).
What the typical home costs to carry #
Principal and interest of $1,857 a month on $335,201 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,840 a month: 38.4% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $335,201 × 80% = $268,160, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $1,857/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,117 × 52 / 12 = $4,840) = 38% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $335,201 / ($1,117 × 52) = 5.8
- price-to-rent = $335,201 / ($1,586 × 12) = 17.6
The wage is one covered job’s average, not a household’s income, so this is the share of a single paycheque and not a mortgage underwriting ratio.
Estimate. Principal and interest on the typical home with 20% down over 30 years at this week's Freddie Mac average rate; compared with the average weekly wage of all jobs covered by unemployment insurance in the area (BLS QCEW), which is pay per job, not household income.
Jobs & wages #
37,252 jobs at 2,732 employers (2026 Q1); -0.1% jobs and +3.6% average weekly wage over the year
- 80th pct · 633rd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 81st pct · 25th of 133 Virginia counties · median 9,944
- 80th pct · 2nd of 6 counties in the Roanoke metro · median 18,323
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Roanoke County, VA | 37,252 jobs · $1,117/wk · -0.1% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 5,181 | $1,108 | 0.92 | -2.3% |
| Retail trade | 4,687 | $760 | 1.29 | -0.9% |
| Manufacturing | 4,413 | $1,369 | 1.47 | +0.2% |
| Professional and technical services | 3,033 | $1,563 | 1.18 | +1.5% |
| Accommodation and food services | 3,013 | $479 | 0.90 | -1.1% |
| Administrative and waste services | 2,360 | $686 | 1.11 | +5.7% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,346 | $1,181 | 0.86 | -3.9% |
| Finance and insurance | 1,056 | $2,172 | 0.70 | -7.9% |
| Other services | 1,022 | $787 | 0.92 | +1.1% |
| Educational services | 854 | $789 | 1.07 | +1.2% |
| Management of companies | 619 | $2,626 | 0.99 | -2.7% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 569 | $344 | 0.93 | -1.0% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, all ownerships, total covered employment in the quarter's third month; over-the-year changes as published. Suppressed cells stay blank.
Drought #
D0 abnormally dry
Sites found: 5, searched within 0 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 0 km away are not.
US Drought Monitor current week; the highest class of any polygon containing the point.
Reservoirs #
3 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 3, searched within 150 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 150 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| LITTLE RIVER RESERVOIR NEAR RADFORD, VA | 231.0 Acre-ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 44 km |
| HYCO LAKE AT DAM NR ROXBORO, NC | 7.92 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 137 km |
| AFTERBAY RESERVOIR AT DAM NR MCGEHEES MILL, NC | 364.2 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 139 km |
Σ(capacity × percent full) / Σ capacity over TWDB reservoirs within 150 km. Texas only; elsewhere USGS reservoir elevation/storage is listed without a capacity to normalise by.
Stream gauges #
122 gauges · 0 flooding · 29 with quality panels averaging 99 % · 27 stale
Sites found: 122, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| ROANOKE RIVER AT THIRTEENTH ST BR AT ROANOKE, VA | stage 3.12 ft · quality 80 % (5) · STALE | 25 km |
| ROANOKE RIVER AT GLENVAR, VA | flow 86.7 ft³/s · no flooding | 8 km |
| ROANOKE RIVER AT RTS 639/760 AT SALEM, VA | turb. 0.90 FNU · quality 100 % (5) | 10 km |
| ROANOKE RIVER NEAR WABUN, VA | flow 226.0 ft³/s · STALE | 10 km |
| ROANOKE RIVER AT LAFAYETTE, VA | flow 78.5 ft³/s · no flooding | 11 km |
| ROANOKE RIVER ALONG ROUTE 626 AT LAFAYETTE, VA | turb. 5.00 FNU · quality 100 % (5) · STALE | 11 km |
| ROANOKE RIVER ABOVE ROUTE 11 AT LAFAYETTE, VA | turb. 1.50 FNU · quality 100 % (5) · STALE | 11 km |
| MASON CREEK AT RTS 419/311 AT HANGING ROCK, VA | stage 2.66 ft · no flooding · STALE | 13 km |
| Craig Creek at Broad Run near New Castle | no readings | 15 km |
| BOTTOM CREEK ALONG ROUTE 612 NR BENT MOUNTAIN, VA | stage 1.54 ft · quality 100 % (5) · STALE | 16 km |
USGS latest readings screened against EPA freshwater criteria (DO ≥ 5 mg/L, pH 6.5–9, conductance, turbidity, temperature); NWS flood categories where a NWPS gauge is co-located.
Groundwater #
13 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 13, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| USGS-372223080234801 | depth 41.6 ft · 2026-10-18 | 19 km |
| USGS-371653079552101 | depth 18.7 ft · 2026-10-18 | 24 km |
| USGS-372603079553301 | depth 30.6 ft · 2026-10-18 | 26 km |
| USGS-370812080261901 | depth 3.13 ft · 2026-10-18 | 31 km |
| USGS-373234080320101 | depth 83.6 ft · 2026-10-18 | 38 km |
| USGS-371719080372901 | depth 102.0 ft · 2026-10-18 | 39 km |
| USGS-372224079423601 | depth 12.7 ft · 2026-10-18 | 43 km |
| USGS-372150079422301 | depth 41.7 ft · 2026-10-18 | 43 km |
USGS latest daily water levels. A single latest reading says where the table is, not which way it is moving; select a well for its 365-day trace.
Water stress #
low (0.00)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.01 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$2.6 bn in deposits at 25 offices of 10 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,913, highly concentrated. $1.2 bn federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $661.0 m, contracts $334.9 m), $32,294 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $865.2 m · 32.9% share · 2 offices | |
| Truist Bank | $564.8 m · 21.5% share · 4 offices | |
| Atlantic Union Bank | $357.1 m · 13.6% share · 3 offices | |
| Roanoke, VA | $1.2 bn FY2026 · $32,294/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $655.7 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $865,163,000 | 32.9% | 2 |
| Truist Bank | $564,839,000 | 21.5% | 4 |
| Atlantic Union Bank | $357,116,000 | 13.6% | 3 |
| Bank of Botetourt | $198,228,000 | 7.5% | 4 |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $179,740,000 | 6.8% | 2 |
| Carter Bank & Trust | $149,472,000 | 5.7% | 2 |
| HomeTrust Bank | $133,002,000 | 5.1% | 2 |
| Pinnacle Bank | $130,669,000 | 5.0% | 3 |
| SKYLINE NATIONAL BANK | $31,674,000 | 1.2% | 1 |
| Bank of the James | $22,097,000 | 0.8% | 2 |
Deposit concentration is 1,913 across 10 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 10 banks with deposits in the county = 32.9² + 21.5² + 13.6² + … (7 more) = 1,913
FDIC Summary of Deposits: deposits at every insured office as of June 30, annual; HHI is the sum of squared county deposit shares (DOJ 1995 bank merger screen: 1000 / 1800). USAspending: obligations by place of performance for the latest complete federal fiscal year (Oct 1 to Sep 30), what agencies committed, not what they paid out; recipients are legal entities. Per-job divides obligations by BLS QCEW covered employment.
Federal obligations #
USAspending place-of-performance obligations for FY2026, by awarding agency.
| Awarding agency | Obligations |
|---|---|
| Social Security Administration | $585,447,102 |
| Department of Defense | $333,856,945 |
| Department of Transportation | $206,821,371 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $70,764,587 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $2,517,210 |
| Department of Education | $2,509,693 |
| Department of Agriculture | $638,083 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $382,308 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $89,284 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $43,413 |
| Department of Justice | $7,431 |
| Small Business Administration | $0 |
That is $32,294 per covered job, against 37,252 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $1.2 bn / 37,252 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $32,294
USAspending obligations are recorded where the work is performed, so a prime award performed here is counted here even when the recipient is headquartered elsewhere. Recipients are legal entities, never people.
National context, not this county #
These are United States, single-gauge, single-state and port series. None of them is keyed to this county.
| Series | Latest | As of | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River at Memphis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Mississippi River at St. Louis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Ohio River at Louisville, stage · ft | 17.95 | 2026-10-18 | -2.6% |
| Missouri River at St. Joseph, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Colorado River below Hoover Dam, flow (Hoover releases) · ft³/s | 5,170.00 | 2026-02-05 | -25.3% |
| Texas reservoirs, statewide percent full · % | 72.20 | 2026-10-19 | +0.0% |
| Laredo truck crossings, monthly · trucks | 258,700.00 | 2026-08-01 | -0.4% |
| Los Angeles + Long Beach container volume, annual · TEU | 10,513,167.00 | 2023-01-01 | -13.5% |
| Containerships waiting for a berth, all US ports · ships | 7.00 | 2026-10-13 | +133.3% |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles container rate · $ per 40 ft box | 7,848.00 | 2026-09-01 | +14.9% |
| US diesel retail price · $ per gallon | unavailable | not published | |
| WTI crude oil, spot · $ per barrel | 101.91 | 2026-10-14 | +1.0% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate · % | 7.40 | 2026-10-15 | +0.0% |
| Housing starts, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,275.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.6% |
| Building permits, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,403.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.1% |
| Case-Shiller US home price index · index, Jan 2000 = 100 | 337.31 | 2026-07-01 | +0.1% |
| Unemployment rate · % | 4.20 | 2026-09-01 | +2.4% |
| US goods and services trade balance, monthly · $ millions | -105,572.00 | 2026-08-01 | -13.7% |
| Retail sales excluding food services, monthly · $ millions | 652,115.00 | 2026-09-01 | +0.7% |
The indicator registry has no county-keyed series and no geographic selection: every entry is national, a named gauge, a single state or a port. They are here as the backdrop the county's own numbers move against, and they are never this county's readings.
What changed #
Roanoke County, VA: 7 findings, 1 at a watch level and 6 noted
watchRoanoke County, VA's covered employment is -0.1% against a year earlier, a watch level here: covered employment below the same quarter a year earlier (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- test: jobs.yoy.emp = -0.1 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
noteRoanoke County, VA's average weekly wage was 3.6% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +3.6 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteRoanoke County, VA's typical asking rent rose 0.7% from $1,574 in August 2026 to $1,586 in September 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- +0.7% = (1585.7222222222224 - 1574.488218322608) / 1574.488218322608 × 100
- 1585.7222222222224 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-09
- 1574.488218322608 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
noteRoanoke County, VA's covered employment was 0.1% lower than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- -0.1 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteThe next Unemployment rate (BLS Employment Situation, monthly) covering Roanoke County, VA is due between 2026-10-30 and 2026-11-13, estimated from the publisher's past release pattern.
Show the arithmetic
- window = 2026-10-30 to 2026-11-13, estimated from the publisher's past release pattern
estimated from the publisher's past release pattern; not an announced date
Read all 7 findings in the full brief
Every finding is produced by a fixed rule table and a fixed sentence for each rule. Nothing here is generated prose.