States › Alabama › Roanoke

Is Roanoke, AL expensive to live in?

CheapRent takes 17 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$70160% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$50,803about $4,234/month · 42% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$154,30054% lower than U.S. average

Rent here is among the lowest 10% of all U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 3.0 years of household income.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $28,040 a year. That is $13 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other Alabama cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of Alabama. It is number 11 of 120 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Roanoke
$701
Glencoe
$774
Headland
$865
Odenville
$1,664
Brewton
$731
Smiths Station
$1,065
Holtville
$1,004

How much do households earn in Roanoke?

Under $25k
22.5%
$25k–50k
26.7%
$50k–100k
31.5%
$100k–150k
10.1%
$150k+
2.0%

Share of households by yearly income. 12.1% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Roanoke

SizeRoanokeU.S. average
1 bedroom$476$1,324
2 bedrooms$732$1,509
3 bedrooms$878$1,698

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Roanoke overall?

Everyday prices in Alabama overall are 11% below the U.S. average (index 88.8, U.S. = 100).

Housing
62
Goods (food, clothes…)
96
Utilities
85
Other services
97
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Roanoke, so the Alabama figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Roanoke

🏛️ Property tax$515a year · 0.33% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$217a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Roanoke

Commute to work21.6 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree17%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home67.2%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line12.5%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment3.4%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Roanoke?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $370 a month less.

Renting
$701
Owning
$1,071

Owning assumes a typical $154,300 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $15,430 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Roanoke, AL?

Renting in Roanoke costs a median of about $701 a month in 2026, including utilities. The Alabama median is $1,175.

How much do I need to make to live in Roanoke?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $28,040 a year, or $13 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Roanoke cheap or expensive?

Roanoke is rated Cheap: rent takes 16.6% of the typical household income of $50,803. It ranks 11th cheapest of 120 Alabama cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Roanoke?

The median homeowner in Roanoke pays $515 a year in property taxes, about 0.33% of the median home value.

Is Roanoke more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in Alabama are 11% below the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Roanoke?

The median home value in Roanoke is $154,300, about 3.0 times the typical yearly household income.

5,336 people live in Roanoke. Numbers are typical (middle) values.