Clearwater FL vs Roanoke VA — Cost of Living, Crime & Income Comparison 2026

Updated May 2026 · Source: US Census ACS 5-Year (2023), FBI CDE (2023), BLS OEWS (2024)

Clearwater, FL

Florida · Population: 117,075

  • Median HH Income$64,440
  • Median Home Price$341,503
  • Unemployment4.7%
  • Bachelor's+32.5%

Roanoke, VA

Virginia · Population: 98,677

  • Median HH Income$52,671
  • Median Home Price$279,668
  • Unemployment5.5%
  • Bachelor's+28.9%

Detailed Comparison

Demographics

Population
Clearwater
117,075
Clearwater +
Roanoke
98,677
Pop. Density / sq mi
Lower = more space
Clearwater
N/A
Roanoke
N/A
Median Age
Clearwater
46.4
Roanoke
38.0
Roanoke +
Foreign Born
Clearwater
17.0%
Clearwater +
Roanoke
7.5%
White
Clearwater
70.3%
Clearwater +
Roanoke
57.5%
Black
Clearwater
10.2%
Roanoke
29.0%
Roanoke +
Asian
Clearwater
3.6%
Clearwater +
Roanoke
3.1%
Hispanic
Clearwater
17.1%
Clearwater +
Roanoke
8.6%
Spanish at Home
Clearwater
N/A
Roanoke
N/A

Economy

Median HH Income
Clearwater
$64,440
Clearwater +
Roanoke
$52,671
Per Capita Income
Clearwater
$42,934
Clearwater +
Roanoke
$34,792
Per Capita Personal Income (MSA)
BEA MSA-level
Clearwater
$65,328
Roanoke
$69,581
Roanoke +
Unemployment Rate
Clearwater
4.7%
Clearwater +
Roanoke
5.5%
Poverty Rate
Clearwater
15.4%
Clearwater +
Roanoke
19.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
Clearwater
32.5%
Clearwater +
Roanoke
28.9%

Housing

Median Home Value
Zillow ZHVI / Census ACS
Clearwater
$341,503
Roanoke
$279,668
Roanoke +
Homeownership Rate
Clearwater
59.1%
Clearwater +
Roanoke
51.7%

Safety

Violent Crime / 100K
FBI CDE (state-level est.)
Clearwater
324
Roanoke
240
Roanoke +
Property Crime / 100K
FBI CDE (state-level est.)
Clearwater
1453
Clearwater +
Roanoke
1726

Health

Obesity Rate
CDC PLACES
Clearwater
33.3%
Clearwater +
Roanoke
41.9%
Diabetes Rate
CDC PLACES
Clearwater
13.5%
Clearwater +
Roanoke
14.9%
Poor Mental Health
CDC PLACES — 14+ days/month
Clearwater
16.8%
Clearwater +
Roanoke
18.4%
No Health Insurance
CDC PLACES
Clearwater
14.7%
Roanoke
11.0%
Roanoke +
Binge Drinking
CDC PLACES
Clearwater
15.6%
Roanoke
14.7%
Roanoke +
Current Smokers
CDC PLACES
Clearwater
14.0%
Clearwater +
Roanoke
16.7%

Climate

Avg Annual Temp
NOAA 1991–2020 normal
Clearwater
73.8°F
Roanoke
56.0°F
Roanoke +
Annual Precipitation
NOAA 1991–2020 normal
Clearwater
54.7 in
Roanoke
44.5 in
Roanoke +

Air Quality

PM2.5 Annual Avg
EPA AQS (state-level est.)
Clearwater
7.2 µg/m³
Clearwater +
Roanoke
8.2 µg/m³
Good Air Days
AQI ≤ 50
Clearwater
75.0%
Roanoke
75.0%
Tie

Commute

Mean Commute Time
Census ACS
Clearwater
25.3 min
Roanoke
21.6 min
Roanoke +

Which City is Right for You?

Clearwater leads in median household income at $64,440, while roanoke offers more affordable housing with a median home price of $279,668. On public safety, Roanoke is safer with a violent crime rate of 240 per 100,000 residents, compared to 324 in Clearwater. Clearwater has a lower unemployment rate at 4.7%, and Clearwater has cleaner air (PM2.5 avg 7.2 µg/m³). For overall health outcomes, Clearwater scores better with a lower obesity rate of 33.3%.

Compare More Cities

About Clearwater & Roanoke