Roanoke, VA Demographics

A map of Roanoke's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	54,346	55,951	55.3%	55.9%
Black	27,236	27,077	27.7%	27.1%
Hispanic	8,823	8,484	9.0%	8.5%
Multiracial	4,051	5,261	4.1%	5.3%
Asian	3,082	2,462	3.1%	2.5%
Native American/Other	817	776	0.8%	0.8%

Roanoke, Virginia has an estimated population of 98,355, a slight decrease from the 100,011 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 55.3% White, 27.7% Black, 9.0% Hispanic, 4.1% Multiracial, 3.1% Asian, and 0.8% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Roanoke, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Roanoke is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is about as diverse as Virginia overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Roanoke, that probability was 60.3% in 2020 and 60.7% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Roanoke is ranked the 10th most populous place in Virginia, out of 688 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Roanoke was ranked the 9th most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Roanoke's White Population

54,346 residents of Roanoke, or 55.3% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Roanoke is slightly lower than in Virginia overall, where 58.4% of the population is White. Roanoke ranks 481st statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 688 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Roanoke's White population has declined by an estimated 2.9%. White residents' share of Roanoke's population has decreased from 55.9% to 55.3%.

Roanoke is less White than neighboring Hollins (73.5% White), Vinton (90.4% White), Cave Spring (79.1% White), Cloverdale (85.5% White), and Salem (81.6% White).

Roanoke's Black Population

27,236 residents of Roanoke, or 27.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Roanoke is higher than in Virginia overall, where 18.3% of the population is Black. Roanoke ranks 124th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 688 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Roanoke's Black population has remained roughly the same. Black residents' share of Roanoke's population has increased from 27.1% to 27.7%.

Roanoke is more Black than neighboring Hollins (13.3% Black), Vinton (1.6% Black), Cave Spring (3.8% Black), Cloverdale (7% Black), and Salem (8.7% Black).

Roanoke's Asian Population

3,082 residents of Roanoke, or 3.1% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Roanoke is slightly lower than in Virginia overall, where 6.9% of the population is Asian. Roanoke ranks 195th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 688 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Roanoke's Asian population has grown by an estimated 25.2%. Asian residents' share of Roanoke's population has increased from 2.5% to 3.1%.

Roanoke is more Asian than neighboring Vinton (1.1% Asian), Cloverdale (1.5% Asian), and Salem (2% Asian). Roanoke is less Asian than neighboring Hollins (5% Asian), and Cave Spring (6.9% Asian).

Roanoke's Hispanic Population

8,823 residents of Roanoke, or 9.0% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Roanoke is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 11% of the population is Hispanic. Roanoke ranks 199th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 688 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Roanoke's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 4.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Roanoke's population has increased from 8.5% to 9.0%.

Roanoke is more Hispanic than neighboring Hollins (4.2% Hispanic), Vinton (3.5% Hispanic), Cave Spring (5.6% Hispanic), Cloverdale (0.4% Hispanic), and Salem (4.8% Hispanic).

Roanoke's Native American/Other Population

817 residents of Roanoke, or 0.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Roanoke is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Roanoke ranks 278th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 688 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Roanoke's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 5.3%. Native American/Other residents' share of Roanoke's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Roanoke is more Native American/Other than neighboring Hollins (0.3% Native American/Other), and Vinton (0.7% Native American/Other). Roanoke is less Native American/Other than neighboring Cave Spring (0.9% Native American/Other), Cloverdale (3.6% Native American/Other), and Salem (1% Native American/Other).

Roanoke's Multiracial Population

4,051 residents of Roanoke, or 4.1% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Roanoke is comparable to the share in Virginia overall, where 4.7% of the population is Multiracial. Roanoke ranks 180th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 688 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Roanoke's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 23.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Roanoke's population has decreased from 5.3% to 4.1%.

Roanoke is more Multiracial than neighboring Hollins (3.7% Multiracial), Vinton (2.7% Multiracial), Cave Spring (3.7% Multiracial), Cloverdale (1.9% Multiracial), and Salem (2% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.