Roanoke metropolitan area


The Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area is a Metropolitan Statistical Area in Virginia as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget. The Roanoke MSA is sometimes referred to as the Roanoke Valley, even though the Roanoke MSA occupies a larger area than the Roanoke Valley. It is geographically similar to the area known as the Roanoke Region of Virginia, but while the latter includes Alleghany County, the former does not. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 288,309.
Figures through 2000 do not include Franklin County and Craig County. The Census Bureau has since added them to the Roanoke MSA, which is the fourth largest in Virginia, and the largest in the western half of the state. Its current rank is 201 among all 363 MSAs. The Roanoke, VA MSA population changed from 288,471 in 2000 to 298,694 in 2008, a 3.54 percent change. The population is projected to be 324,882 in 2020, a 12.62 percent change between 2000 and 2020.

MSA components

Note: Since a state constitutional change in 1871, all cities in Virginia are independent cities that are not located in any county. The OMB considers these independent cities to be county-equivalents for the purpose of defining MSAs in Virginia.
Four counties and two independent cities are included in the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area.
YearGOPDEMOthers
201657.7% 87,506 36.9% 55,9905.3% 8,089
201257.3% 85,662 41.4% 61,8851.3% 2,014
200854.6% 81,633 44.2% 66,0981.2% 1,805
200460.0% 80,991 39.2% 52,9010.9% 1,205
200055.8% 68,230 41.8% 51,0322.4% 2,929
199653.1% 52,684 36.2% 35,92210.7% 10,636
199245.1% 52,889 31.3% 43,36013.6% 15,888
198856.0% 57,284 43.2% 44,2440.8% 826
198460.9% 63,591 38.5% 40,2070.6% 642
198049.1% 47,377 46.1% 44,4054.7% 4,570
197643.9% 39,94254.7% 49,783 1.4% 1,301
197270.4% 53,364 27.4% 20,7772.2% 1,672
196852.2% 37,977 25.1% 18,26822.6% 16,439
196448.3% 28,73251.6% 30,713 0.1% 44
196060.7% 29,010 39.0% 18,6380.3% 122

Communities

Places with more than 90,000 inhabitants

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 288,309 people, 119,366 households, and 80,009 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 84.96% White, 12.21% African American, 0.17% Native American, 1.05% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.47% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.13% of the population.
The median income for a household in the MSA was $40,251, and the median income for a family was $47,248. Males had a median income of $32,294 versus $23,427 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $20,390.