Roanoke receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Roanoke
Dallas
Opportunity
70 · Top 23%
vs58 · Top 47%
Growth
61 · Top 31%
vs64 · Top 26%
Climate
67 · Bottom 38%
vs63 · Bottom 29%
Physical resilience
62 · Top 46%
vs53 · Bottom 46%
Housing affordability
71 · Bottom 35%
vs66 · Bottom 29%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
80 · Top 7%
vs53 · Bottom 36%
Measured values
| Metric | Roanoke | Dallas | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,286 | 1,307,930 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $97,295 | $70,518 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $63,605 | $45,811 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,493/sq mi | 3,850/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $466,900 | $320,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,783 | $1,472 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.3% | 42.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.1% | 38.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.5% | 16.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 20 | 7,307 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 5.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -9.1% | 30.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 97°F | 97°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 36°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 36.6" | 38.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.1 min | 27.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.5 | 33.4 | 2024 ACS 5-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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Roanoke
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Dallas
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Full profiles: Roanoke, TX · Dallas, TX · How this is calculated: methodology