Roanoke city, Virginia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 62.4 | 97,171 people · 26th most distressed in Virginia
American Default Research

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Roanoke city, VA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 62.4 — 659th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Virginia, it ranks 26th of 133 counties. It scores higher than all 2 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Roanoke city's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 84.6 — worse than roughly 85% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 84.6
Poverty Rate 80
Income vs. State Median 91
Child Poverty Rate 83
Housing Cost Burden 80.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 74
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 71
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 66
Homeownership Rate 98
Rent-to-Income Ratio 94
Debt & Delinquency 64.3
Debt in Collections 79
Medical Debt 26
Student Loan Delinquency 66
Auto Loan Delinquency 78
Credit Card Delinquency 68
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 69
Community Vulnerability 47.6
Uninsured Rate 62
Disability Rate 33
Employment & Wages 35.3
Unemployment Rate 41
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 41
Business Formation Rate 24

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Roanoke city compares to its 2 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Roanoke city
Roanoke city, VA 62.4 Elevated —
Salem city, VA 41.4 Normal -21.0
Roanoke County, VA 30.3 Healthy -32.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Roanoke city
Richmond city, VA 62.4 Elevated 0.0
Pitt County, NC 62.5 Elevated +0.0
Shasta County, CA 62.4 Elevated -0.1
Allegany County, MD 62.6 Elevated +0.2
Iberia Parish, LA 62.3 Elevated -0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Roanoke city as a CSV file.

Find Help in Roanoke city

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Roanoke city.

COMMONWEALTH CATHOLIC CHARITIES
Roanoke
804-285-5986 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling
SOUTHEAST RURAL COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE PROJECT
Roanoke
540-345-1184 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling
TOTAL ACTION FOR PROGRESS IN ROANOKE VA
Roanoke
540-777-4673 Website
Foreclosure PreventionPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education

See all counselors in Virginia →

Find an Attorney

Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-552-7977

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Roanoke city residents at no cost.

Virginia Legal Aid Society 540-342-3900
Legal Aid Justice Center 434-977-0553
Legal Services of Northern Virginia 703-778-6800
Virginia Poverty Law Center 804-782-9430
Central Virginia Legal Aid Society 804-648-1012
Blue Ridge Legal Services, Inc. (866) 534-5243
Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia (757) 827-5078
Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society, Inc. (888) 201-2772

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Virginia →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Roanoke city, Virginia?

    Roanoke city has a County Distress Index score of 62.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 659th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 26th in Virginia out of 133 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Roanoke city?

    The primary driver of distress in Roanoke city is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 84.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Roanoke city compare to neighboring counties?

    Roanoke city (62.4) can be compared to its 2 neighboring counties: Salem city, VA (41.4); Roanoke County, VA (30.3).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Roanoke city?

    Roanoke city, Virginia has a population of approximately 97,171 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.