Kingston receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Roanoke
Kingston
Opportunity
41 · Bottom 19%
vs56 · Bottom 49%
Growth
32 · Bottom 20%
vs38 · Bottom 29%
Climate
77 · Top 24%
vs63 · Bottom 29%
Physical resilience
75 · Top 31%
vs73 · Top 33%
Housing affordability
87 · Top 39%
vs88 · Top 35%
Access
45 · Bottom 3%
vs53 · Bottom 5%
Economic stability
42 · Bottom 19%
vs48 · Bottom 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Roanoke | Kingston | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 98,355 | 13,397 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $55,378 | $55,347 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,576 | $38,424 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,313/sq mi | 6,243/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $190,500 | $172,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $996 | $1,038 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 52.4% | 52.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | 2.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.0% | 31.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.3% | 18.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 263 | 2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 29°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 42.8" | 38.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 81 mi | 81 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.7 min | 21.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.3 | 37.9 | 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.
Full profiles: Roanoke, VA · Kingston, PA · How this is calculated: methodology