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.

Safety

DRoanokeSafer than 6% of U.S. towns –Cave SpringNot graded

Schools

DRoanokeBetter than 11% of districts in the state ACave SpringBetter than 92% of districts in the state

Health

C−RoanokeHealthier than 19% of U.S. towns A−Cave SpringHealthier than 81% of U.S. towns

7Roanoke

13Cave Spring

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 249 towns #243#58 Best schoolsSchools · 219 towns #162#15 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 255 towns #189#34 Most trailsOutdoors · 216 towns #72#203 Most activeHealth · 255 towns #220#94 HealthiestHealth · 254 towns #223#104 Lowest obesityHealth · 255 towns #233#114 Most conserved landOutdoors · 243 towns #84#194

Left end = #1 in Virginia. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Roanoke’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $230 more a month in Cave Spring

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.

Down paymentRate%

Roanoke$1,700/mo

Typical home $279K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.99% · or rent about $996/mo · Housing →

Cave Spring$1,930/mo

Typical home $326K (Census) · tax rate 0.81% · or rent about $1,285/mo · Housing →

The difference: $230 a month, about $2,800 a year, between Cave Spring and Roanoke.

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.

Where they are

Roanoke and Cave Spring share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

RoanokeCave Spring

Roanoke ↔ Cave Spring4.5 miles apart · They share a border

Who commutes between them

4,396 Cave Spring residents work in Roanoke (35.8% of its workers)

1,982 Roanoke residents work in Cave Spring (5% of its workers)

Work & commute in Cave Spring →

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

RoanokeCave Spring

Snow a year15″18″

January low29°F —

July high88°F —

Growing season (days)210d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)27th 13th

Outdoors & history

RoanokeCave Spring

Trails54 mi 3 mi

Conserved land7.6%1.4%

Settled1852 —

National Register places65 1

Archive photos11 —

Community

RoanokeCave Spring

Library hours a week52 hrs 54 hrs

Colleges in town1 —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 1

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.

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.

Only big differences vs Virginia average

RoanokeCave Spring

People

Population 98,355Highest 25,742Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.1%Lowest VA: +7.9% +7.4%Highest VA: +7.9%

Median age 38.3±0.5Lowest about the VA average 42.4±1.7Highest 9% above VA

Kids under 18 22.6%±0.8Highest VA: 21.7% 19.5%±1.9Lowest VA: 21.7%

Age 65+ 17.8%±0.8Lowest VA: 16.7% 18.8%±1.7Highest VA: 16.7%

Cave Spring and Roanoke are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 30%Lowest VA: 42.2% 48.8%Highest VA: 42.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.1%±0.6Lowest VA: 6.9% 5.5%±1.2Highest VA: 6.9%

Cave Spring and Roanoke are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $55,378±$2kLowest 41% below VA $87,539±$6kHighest 6% below VA

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $190,500±$7kLowest 50% below VA $325,800±$12kHighest 15% below VA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $996±$30Lowest 37% below VA $1,285±$67Highest 19% below VA

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,893Lowest 32% below VA $2,646Highest 5% below VA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 45.3%±3.4Highest VA: 48.5% 38.6%±7.3Lowest VA: 48.5%

Roanoke and Cave Spring are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 18.3%Highest VA: 9.9% 5.9%Lowest VA: 9.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 52.4%Lowest VA: 67.3% 69.5%Highest VA: 67.3%

Typical home builtmedian year 1958Lowest 26 yrs older than VA 1977Highest 7 yrs older than VA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 19 minLowest 30% below VA 20 minHighest 27% below VA

Work from home 11.8%±1.5Lowest VA: 18.3% 17.8%±3.8Highest VA: 18.3%

Work in townworking residents 43.3%Highest 10.4%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 4.3 miLowest 5.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.63Highest 0.85Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Salem (9%)Roanoke (36%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 5% work in Cave Spring36% work in Roanoke

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 7.6%Highest 1.4%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 53.6 miHighest 3.1 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.3 miHighest 0.3 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 47Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 81.8Highest 64.5Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #162 of 219 in VA #15 of 219 in VA

School district Reg Alternative Plus Self Project/Roanoke City · Roanoke Valley Governor's SchoolRoanoke County Public Schools

High school in town Patrick Henry HighCave Spring High

Students per teacherat that high school 13.9Lowest 15.6Highest

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.

Roanoke neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Roanoke’s Town Square.

Cave Spring neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 3d

Cave Spring School Memories

1 neighbor in Cave Spring can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Roanoke and Cave Spring

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

Bordering Roanoke

+ Compare

Salem25,618 people · $259K homes

+ Compare

Vinton8,056 people · $191K homes

+ Compare

Hollins17,097 people · $244K homes

Towns like Roanoke

+ Compare

Hampton137,557 people · $246K homes

+ Compare

Portsmouth97,190 people · $247K homes

+ Compare

Newport News184,216 people · $261K homes

+ Compare

Danville42,214 people · $119K homes

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.

Roanoke vs Cave Spring

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Cave Spring places higher on 13 of 21 VA lists

A typical home costs $230 more a month in Cave Spring

Roanoke and Cave Spring share a border

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Cave Spring School Memories

Set another town beside Roanoke and Cave Spring

Bordering Roanoke

Towns like Roanoke

Post to Roanoke

Check your email