City · Alabama
Roanoke, Alabama
Roanoke, city, in Randolph County, Alabama. Roanoke had 5,440 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 5,311 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 5,336 (±25). GEOID 0165040.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
5,440
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 5,311 · ACS 2020-2024: 5,336 ±25
Median household income
$47,105
±$15,138 (90% margin)
Alabama: $63,999
Median home value
$154,300
±$27,836 (90% margin)
Alabama: $209,900
Median gross rent
$666
±$145 (90% margin)
Alabama: $1,007
Where is Roanoke and what county is it in?
Roanoke is a city in Randolph County, Alabama. It covers 18.7 square miles of land, 283 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Roanoke, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 5,440 people lived in Roanoke on July 1, 2025, up 2.4% since 2020, slower than Alabama (+3.3%). The 2020 Census counted 5,311 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 5,336 (±25).
| Measure | Roanoke | Randolph County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,336 ±25 | 22,510 | −590 |
| Households | 2,344 ±188 | 9,271 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.21 ±0.17 | 2.37 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 2,860 ±228 | 12,505 | no clear change |
Roanoke's population since 2000
From 6,563 in 2000 to 5,440 in 2025: down 17.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Roanoke as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Roanoke?
The median resident of Roanoke is 42.5 years old; 24.0% are under 18 and 24.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 57.4%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 39.9%.
| Measure | Roanoke | Randolph County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.5 ±4.5 | 43.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 24.0% ±4.2 pts | 20.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 24.3% ±5.1 pts | 21.9% | – |
| Male | 48.2% ±4.8 pts | 49.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.5% ±1.6 pts | 3.0% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 57.4% ±5.7 pts | 74.6% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 39.9% ±5.9 pts | 15.5% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±1.4 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.5% ±1.5 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.0% ±1.6 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.0% ±2.5 pts | 5.4% | – |
| With a disability | 19.6% ±4.6 pts | 16.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.1% ±2.4 pts | 9.1% | −6.0 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 88.8% ±3.9 pts | 84.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 17.0% ±5.3 pts | 18.4% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.1% ±3.3 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.6% ±4.9 pts | 92.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.4% ±2.2 pts | 2.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Roanoke earn?
Half of Roanoke's 2,344 households earn less than $47,105 a year (±$15,138), against $52,338 in Randolph County and $63,999 in Alabama. In 2015-2019 it was $51,774 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 12.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Roanoke | Randolph County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,105 ±$15,138 | $52,338 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $64,515 ±$10,708 | $72,203 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,471 ±$4,754 | $30,082 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 12.5% ±5.1 pts | 19.9% | −7.5 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 9.1% ±8.0 pts | 20.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 27.9% ±7.9 pts | 18.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 87.3% ±4.7 pts | 90.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 83.5% ±5.4 pts | 84.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Roanoke?
Owners occupy 67.2% of Roanoke's occupied homes and renters 32.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $154,300 by its owner (±$27,836). The median renter pays $666 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Roanoke | Randolph County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $154,300 ±$27,836 | $181,600 | +$48,583 |
| Median gross rent | $666 ±$145 | $708 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 20.7% ±16.2 pts | 35.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,152 ±$114 | $1,271 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 67.2% ±7.4 pts | 77.2% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 32.8% ±7.4 pts | 22.8% | – |
| Housing units | 2,860 ±228 | 12,505 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.6% ±3.9 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 23.3% ±12.1 pts | 13.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 71.9% ±6.6 pts | 68.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 11.7% ±5.2 pts | 24.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±1.4 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.0% ±3.4 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 10.4% ±4.3 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 9.9% ±5.0 pts | 4.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Roanoke building?
Roanoke last reported building permits to the Census Bureau for 2022.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Roanoke work and get to work?
81.2% of Roanoke's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 21.6 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.4%.
| Measure | Roanoke | Randolph County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 52.6% ±6.1 pts | 51.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% ±2.2 pts | 3.8% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 81.2% ±6.1 pts | 80.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 10.7% ±5.5 pts | 9.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.9 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±1.9 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.6% ±3.1 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.6 min ±4.9 | 28.9 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Roanoke?
1 census tract lies mostly in Roanoke, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Roanoke) · Census block assignment files
How does Roanoke compare with other places in Alabama?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Roanoke is the 4,668th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 105th-most populous of 463 in Alabama.
Roanoke ranks 214th of 305 places in Alabama with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 105th | 463 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 107th | 257 |
| Residents per square mile | 210th | 311 |
| Median household income | 214th | 305 |
| Per capita income | 187th | 311 |
| Median home value | 184th | 304 |
| Median gross rent | 225th | 274 |
| Poverty rate | 183rd | 258 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 180th | 295 |
| Median age | 97th | 309 |
| Owner-occupied share | 186th | 310 |
| Travel time to work | 252nd | 310 |
Roanoke's figures with every place in Alabama (CSV)
Every place in Alabama, sortable · Compare Roanoke with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Roanoke?
18 of the 57 figures for Roanoke on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Roanoke are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Roanoke.