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Compare towns

Hampton vs Roanoke

202 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (2.6× in Roanoke) and rent (+43% in Hampton).

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Hampton, VAA colonial town, settled 1610Virginia · 137,557 people
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Roanoke, VAA history townVirginia · 98,355 people
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

★ What stands out · Report cards

Roanoke places higher on 15 of 26 VA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Virginia ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Hampton$1,700/mo
Typical home $282K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.95% · or rent about $1,427/mo · Housing →
Roanoke$1,700/mo
Typical home $279K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.99% · or rent about $996/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
HamptonRoanoke
Snow a year3″15″
January low32°F29°F
July high87°F88°F
Growing season (days)238d210d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)18th27th
Outdoors & history
HamptonRoanoke
Conserved land2%7.6%
Settled16101852
National Register places3165
Archive photos2311
Community
HamptonRoanoke
Library hours a week56 hrs52 hrs
Colleges in town21
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

202 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Hampton ↔ Roanoke202 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

HamptonRoanoke
People
Population 137,557Highest 98,355Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -0.2%Lowest VA: +7.9% +3.1%Highest VA: +7.9%
Median age 36.8±0.2Lowest 6% below VA 38.3±0.5Highest about the VA average
Kids under 18 21.5%±0.6Lowest VA: 21.7% 22.6%±0.8Highest VA: 21.7%
Roanoke and Hampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 16.7%±0.7Lowest VA: 16.7% 17.8%±0.8Highest VA: 16.7%
Roanoke and Hampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 28.5%Lowest VA: 42.2% 30%Highest VA: 42.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.5%±0.7Highest VA: 6.9% 4.1%±0.6Lowest VA: 6.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $69,621±$2kHighest 25% below VA $55,378±$2kLowest 41% below VA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $245,700±$5kHighest 36% below VA $190,500±$7kLowest 50% below VA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,427±$35Highest 10% below VA $996±$30Lowest 37% below VA
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,327Highest 17% below VA $1,893Lowest 32% below VA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.3%±3.7Highest VA: 48.5% 45.3%±3.4Lowest VA: 48.5%
Below poverty line 12.7%Lowest VA: 9.9% 18.3%Highest VA: 9.9%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 56.9%Highest VA: 67.3% 52.4%Lowest VA: 67.3%
Typical home builtmedian year 1974Highest 10 yrs older than VA 1958Lowest 26 yrs older than VA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 minHighest 18% below VA 19 minLowest 30% below VA
Work from home 10.4%±1Lowest VA: 18.3% 11.8%±1.5Highest VA: 18.3%
Roanoke and Hampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 24.8%Lowest 43.3%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miHighest 4.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.87Lowest 1.63Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Newport News (27%)Salem (9%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in RoanokeFew work in Hampton
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2%Lowest 7.6%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 37.0 miLowest 53.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 1.3 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 24Lowest 47Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 30.9Lowest 81.8Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #91 of 219 in VA#162 of 219 in VA
School district New Horizons Career and Technical Center · Hampton City Public SchoolsReg Alternative Plus Self Project/Roanoke City · Roanoke Valley Governor's School
High school in town Bethel HighPatrick Henry High
Students per teacherat that high school 14.9Highest 13.9Lowest
Virginia average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Hampton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hampton’s Town Square.

Roanoke neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Roanoke’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Hampton and Roanoke

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Hampton

Towns like Hampton

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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