CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

37.23° N · 80.01° W · GEOID 5113720

Cave Spring

Roanoke County, Virginia · part of the Roanoke, VA metro

VirginiaCave Spring, VACave SpringCave Spring

The short answer

Cave Spring is home to 25,742 people. Median household income is $87,539 a year and median rent is $1,285 a month, 17.6% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $325,800, about 3.7x annual median household income.

Cave Spring stands out for what is close at hand. OpenStreetMap shows 1.6 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 97% of places its size. Also notable: 39% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 93% of places its size.

87OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Strong

Cave Spring scores better than 87% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 24th of 190 in Virginia.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%63
Economy 20%74
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%39
Education 10%78
Commute 10%81
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,285
6% below the median place
Median household income
$87,539
9% above the median place
Median home value
$325,800
2% above the median place
Unemployment
3.0%
40% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Cave Spring

  • Work and commutingCounting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 125 hours a year commuting, less than in 86% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Cave Spring

Roanoke County gains about 2.0 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in5,953
Moved out5,786
Net+167

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Roanoke city, VA1,9161,553+363
Franklin County, VA238243−5

Within Virginia, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within VirginiaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$84K
Leavers$63K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Roanoke County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
7.4% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.6% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Roanoke County report $84,200 a year in income on average; those leaving, $63,000, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$51,400 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,285 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,668 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $325,800.
Getting to work
20 minutes each way on average; 17.9% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Sylvania, OH matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
7.4%
28% above the median place
Moved from another state1
2.6%
29% above the median place
Income of households moving in6
$84,216
19% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureCave SpringAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year17.4%28% above
Moved from another state12.6%29% above
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure2.0above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$84,21619% above
Income of households moving out6County figure$62,95210% below
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 38.6%, 24% below the median place.

Cave Spring17.6%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$51,400
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
17.6%
14% below the median place
Home price to income
3.7x
2% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
18%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$75,000
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Cave Spring, $1,285 a month, and local prices for everything else (96.7 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Cave Spring, but easier on the budget

Places that match Cave Spring on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Sylvania, OH9412.8% vs 17.6%$16,000Compare
Glen Carbon, IL9313.5% vs 17.6%$10,800Compare
Monfort Heights, OH9114.4% vs 17.6%$3,500Compare
Broadview Heights, OH9112.6% vs 17.6%$18,500Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Cave Spring.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Cave Spring? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
38.6%
24% below the median place
Vacant homes1
5.8%
18% below the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,668
11% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureCave SpringAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,2856% below
Rent to income117.6%14% below
Property tax rate10.8%11% below
Home price to income13.7x2% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure93.67% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,4649% below
Property tax paid (median)1$2,64619% below
Median home value1$325,8002% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure4.5%42% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure54.0%5% above
Homeownership169.5%5% above
Renters paying 30%+138.6%24% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,66811% below
Vacant homes15.8%18% below
Median year built119770% below
03

Work and pay

OpenStreetMap shows 0 bus and rail stops per square mile, fewer than in 88% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 195 Virginia places we track.

Unemployment1
3.0%
40% below the median place
Poverty rate1
5.9%
45% below the median place
Mean commute1
20 min
20% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Works from home17.9% +43%
Income per person$49,725 +24%
Median household income$87,539 +9%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureCave SpringAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$87,5399% above
Income per person1$49,72524% above
Unemployment13.0%40% below
Average annual pay5County figure$56,27015% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure2.5%32% below
Jobs5County figure37,43475% below
Poverty rate15.9%45% below
Mean commute120 min20% below
Works from home117.9%43% above
Commutes by transit1Metro figure0.8%0% above
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 3.6%, 44% below the median place.

No health insurance1
3.6%
44% below the median place
High school or higher1
96.0%
4% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
48.8%
52% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Median age42.4 +9%
Household size2.3 −7%
Born abroad11.3% +28%
Homes with broadband92.8% +1%
All 8 people measures
MeasureCave SpringAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population125,7421806th largest
Median age142.49% above
Bachelor's or higher148.8%52% above
High school or higher196.0%4% above
Household size12.37% below
Born abroad111.3%28% above
No health insurance13.6%44% below
Homes with broadband192.8%1% above
05

Life in Cave Spring

OpenStreetMap shows 1.6 libraries per 10,000 residents, more than in 91% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

77 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents1.6 −85%
Playgrounds per 10k2.3 −75%
Grocery stores per 10k2.7 +28%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k13.6 +22%
Libraries per 10k1.6 +78%
Named paths and bike trails1 km −55%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Booker T. Washington National Monument 15 miles
  • Appalachian Trail 22 miles
  • Bluestone National Scenic River 59 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars14.3 −31%
Shops25.1 −17%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.8 −7%
Doctors' offices and clinics21.7 +7%
Child care centers1.8 −22%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site9
15.1
51% below the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k7
14.3
31% below the median place
Shops per 10k7
25.1
17% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureCave SpringAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure26189% above
Public school students11County figure13,154169% above
Students per teacher11County figure14.28% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure14.331% below
Shops per 10k7County figure25.117% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure3.87% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure21.77% above
Child care centers per 10k7County figure1.822% below
Parks per 10k81.685% below
Playgrounds per 10k82.375% below
Grocery stores per 10k82.728% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k813.622% above
Libraries per 10k81.678% above
Named paths and bike trails80.955% below
Transit stops per sq mi80.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site915.151% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles9350% above
National Register listings10County figure77above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Heat wave risk is 24.0, 73% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Cave Spring. Larger places are fetched first.

Heat wave risk13
24.0
73% below the median place
Natural hazard risk13
52.2
44% below the median place
Tornado risk13
24.6
70% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureCave SpringAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure86°F1% below
January average low12County figure26°F3% above
Average temperature12County figure55°F1% above
Annual precipitation12County figure44.7 in2% above
Natural hazard risk13County figure52.244% below
Hurricane risk13County figure68.53% below
Tornado risk13County figure24.670% below
Wildfire risk13County figure32.347% below
Heat wave risk13County figure24.073% below
Median air quality index14County figure3714% below
Good air days14County figure83.8%22% above
08

Cave Spring in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 18% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 18% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Cave Spring does better than 62% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 53%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,285/mo (2024)$1,650/mo$1,360 to $2,010/mo+4.3%
Median household income$87,539 (2024)$112,000$94,500 to $132,500+4.2%
Median home value$325,800 (2024)$468,000$340,000 to $645,000+6.2%

The median home would be worth 4.2 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.7 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Cave Spring

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Clemmons, NC$1,269$87,655Compare
Grafton, WI$1,310$89,861Compare
South Lyon, MI$1,310$92,467Compare
Greendale, WI$1,252$94,769Compare
Greendale, WISouth Lyon, MIGrafton, WIClemmons, NCCave Spring, VACave SpringClemmonsGraftonSouth LyonGreendaleCave SpringClemmonsGraftonSouth LyonGreendale

Places built like Cave Spring

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Cave Spring performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Cave Spring, VA17.6%6.2%/yrn/a
Bon Air, VA21.2%4.5%/yrn/aCompare
Wade Hampton, SC17.3%7.3%/yrn/aCompare
Lake Magdalene, FL22.8%3.6%/yrn/aCompare
Annapolis, MD19.6%5.9%/yr-0.4%Compare
Reisterstown, MD22.4%3.9%/yrn/aCompare
Brandermill, VA19.9%1.2%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Cave Spring a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 87 out of 100, better than 87% of the places we rate and 24th of 190 in Virginia. Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 125 hours a year commuting, less than in 86% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 69 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Cave Spring expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 17.6% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $325,800.

What salary do you need to live in Cave Spring?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $51,400 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Cave Spring?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Clemmons, NC, Grafton, WI, South Lyon, MI and Greendale, WI.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  9. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Cave Spring with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Cave Spring itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/cave-spring-virginia

Citytistics. “Cave Spring, Virginia.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/cave-spring-virginia/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.