Roanoke, VA Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Roanoke, VA

Is Roanoke, VA safe to live in?

Roanoke earns an overall crime grade of C city-wide, but its neighborhood-level picture is considerably more encouraging. Of the 49 neighborhoods analyzed for 2026, 55.1% received an A grade and another 20.4% received a B — meaning roughly 76% of Roanoke neighborhoods qualify as safe. Only 14.3% of neighborhoods (7 out of 49) landed in the D range, and zero neighborhoods received an F. Areas like South Roanoke (A+), Grandin Court (A+), and Raleigh Court (A) — the latter home to nearly 10,000 residents — demonstrate that large, accessible parts of the city maintain genuinely low crime environments. Visitors and prospective residents should weigh these neighborhood-level grades rather than relying solely on the city-wide figure.

What is the crime rate in Roanoke compared to similar cities?

Roanoke's overall crime grade of C places it in the moderate tier among mid-size Virginia cities. Internally, the distribution skews positive: 27 neighborhoods graded A, 10 graded B, 5 graded C, and 7 graded D. The higher-crime pockets — Harrison (D-), Washington Park (D-), Shenandoah West (D), South Washington Heights (D), and Hurt Park (D+) — account for just 14% of analyzed neighborhoods. Roanoke's median household income of $45,664 and a poverty rate of 20.1% are contextual factors that correlate with the crime concentrations seen in those lower-graded areas, a pattern consistent with national research on urban crime distribution.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Roanoke in 2026?

Three neighborhoods share Roanoke's top safety designation of A+: Garden City (population ~2,578; median income $55,647), South Roanoke (population ~3,841; median income $105,231), and Grandin Court (population ~2,091; median income $87,890). The next tier of Grade A neighborhoods includes Mill Mountain, Monterey, Raleigh Court, Morningside, Wasena, Southern Hills, and Riverland / Walnut Hill. Median incomes across these A-rated areas range from roughly $47,000 to over $105,000, and collectively they house a substantial share of Roanoke's 216,388 residents. Raleigh Court alone has a population of nearly 10,000, making it one of the largest safe neighborhoods in the city by headcount.

Which neighborhoods in Roanoke have higher crime?

Seven neighborhoods — representing 14.3% of the 49 areas analyzed — received D-range grades in 2026. The two lowest-rated areas are Harrison and Washington Park, both graded D-. Shenandoah West and South Washington Heights each hold a D, while Hurt Park sits at a D+. Importantly, no Roanoke neighborhood received an F grade, which distinguishes the city from higher-crime urban centers where the worst areas score at the bottom of the scale. Residents in or near these neighborhoods are encouraged to use Roanoke's interactive crime map to track incident patterns and stay current with local law enforcement advisories.

Is Roanoke a good place to buy a home?

From a financial and safety standpoint, Roanoke presents a mixed but workable picture. The median home value of $134,933 is well below the national median, making entry-level homeownership accessible — particularly in A-rated neighborhoods like Garden City and Morningside where prices remain competitive. The median rent of $804 likewise sits below national averages. On the risk side, a 6.7% unemployment rate and 20.1% poverty rate are above national norms and correlate with the crime concentrations in D-graded neighborhoods such as Harrison and Washington Park. Buyers focused on safety should prioritize the 76% of neighborhoods graded A or B — a majority that includes well-established communities like South Roanoke, Grandin Court, and Raleigh Court.

How does Roanoke's neighborhood safety break down by grade?

Across all 49 neighborhoods studied, Roanoke's 2026 safety grade distribution is: A — 27 neighborhoods (55.1%); B — 10 neighborhoods (20.4%); C — 5 neighborhoods (10.2%); D — 7 neighborhoods (14.3%); F — 0 neighborhoods (0%). The combined A+B share of 76% means that a strong majority of Roanoke's residential fabric falls into the safe category. The absence of any F-rated neighborhood is a meaningful data point — it suggests that even the city's most challenged areas have not reached the extreme crime levels seen in the worst pockets of comparable-size cities. This distribution supports Roanoke's city-wide safety rating of B (Safe) at the neighborhood aggregate level, even as the overall city grade reflects broader socioeconomic pressures.