Lynchburg receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lynchburg
Roanoke
Opportunity
38 · Bottom 15%
vs41 · Bottom 19%
Growth
48 · Bottom 46%
vs32 · Bottom 20%
Climate
75 · Top 30%
vs77 · Top 24%
Physical resilience
83 · Top 19%
vs75 · Top 31%
Housing affordability
79 · Bottom 48%
vs87 · Top 39%
Schools
43 · Bottom 39%
vs38 · Bottom 32%
Access
34 · Bottom 1%
vs45 · Bottom 3%
Economic stability
34 · Bottom 11%
vs42 · Bottom 19%
Measured values
| Metric | Lynchburg | Roanoke | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 79,497 | 98,355 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $57,947 | $55,378 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,937 | $36,576 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,625/sq mi | 2,313/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $229,800 | $190,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,073 | $996 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 48.9% | 52.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.5% | 30.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.6% | 18.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 241 | 263 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.0 | 2.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 14.2% | -34.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 29°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 42.8" | 42.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 99 mi | 81 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.5 min | 20.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 28.6 | 38.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 29 | 30 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.85 | 12.75 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 43.4% | 41.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 59.4% | 55.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 87.8% | 95.4% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Full profiles: Lynchburg, VA · Roanoke, VA · How this is calculated: methodology