

Blacksburg vs Roanoke
$533/mo more in Roanoke
BlacksburgRoanokeAbout 34 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Roanoke leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,371/mo in Roanoke. $1,838/mo in Blacksburg. +$6,396 a year.
Blacksburg
$1,838
left each month
Roanoke
$2,371
+$533 vs Blacksburg
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 343 households moved Blacksburg → Roanoke (avg AGI $50,242). 312 went the other way. The whole move →
+$533 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Blacksburg | Roanoke | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,375 | $7,211 | +$836 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,496 | $1,792 | +$296 |
| Take-home pay | $4,879 | $5,419 | +$540 |
| Rent | $1,103 | $1,090 | −$13 |
| Getting around | $533 | $553 | +$20 |
| Groceries | $388 | $388 | $0 |
| Healthcare | $436 | $436 | $0 |
| Utilities | $242 | $242 | $0 |
| Everything else | $339 | $339 | $0 |
| Left over | $1,838 | $2,371 | +$533 |
Salary to match Blacksburg
$76,500
Gross pay in Roanoke that leaves the same amount as $76,500 in Blacksburg.
Tax difference
−$577
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 23.5% in Blacksburg, 24.8% in Roanoke.
More about Roanoke
Blacksburg, VA in full
State income tax topping out at 5.75%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,313 and 206 sunny days; commutes average 21 minutes.
Roanoke, VA in full
State income tax topping out at 5.75%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,298 and 208 sunny days; commutes average 23 minutes.
The other way
Start in Roanoke.
Roanoke → Blacksburg →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Roanoke than Blacksburg?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Roanoke leaves about $533 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,103 in Blacksburg and $1,090 in Roanoke.
Does Roanoke have state income tax?
Roanoke is in Virginia, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Blacksburg to Roanoke?
The paycheck is taxed in Virginia. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Blacksburg and Roanoke changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.