Roanoke Apartments and Rentals

The city of Roanoke is located in southwest Virginia, midway between New York City and Atlanta on Interstate 81. A hub of finance, transportation, education and industry, Roanoke is within a 500-mile radius of nearly two-thirds of the total U.S. population, and was named one of America's Most Livable Communities by Partners for Livable Communities. It is a Certified Crime Prevention Community and five-time recipient of the National Civic League's prestigious "All-America City" designation. Those interested in Roanoke apartments for rent can expect to live in an economically diverse municipality sandwiched between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Virginia Alleghany Highlands.

The first pioneers to explore the Roanoke Valley region wrote of its "blue mountains and snug flat valley beside the upper Roanoke River" in 1671, although the area was not settled until 70 years later. The towns of Gainesborough and Big Lick sprang up in the early 19th century and were incorporated in 1882 to form the town of Roanoke. Two years later, Roanoke was officially designated a city. The area prospered thanks to its location alongside the Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio Railroad, which would later become the Norfolk & Western Railway. It's still a transportation hub today and houses terminals for a number of interstate motor freight lines, as well as the Roanoke Regional Airport.

Roanoke was home to more than 97,000 people in 2010, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Roanoke City Public Schools district is comprised of 17 elementary schools, five middle schools, two high schools and three alternative programs. The city is also home to Hollins University, a women-only institute of further education that is included in Forbes magazine's 2011 list of America's 250 best colleges and featured in the 2012 edition of the Princeton Review's Best 376 Colleges guide. Founded in 1845 as the first chartered women's college in the state, Hollins' 475-acre campus is attended by approximately 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

Hollins is by no means the only institute of further education in the area. In fact, there are 10 institutions that house 35,000 undergraduates within roughly an hour's drive of Roanoke, including Roanoke College which, despite its name, is actually located in the neighboring city of Salem. The four-year liberal arts college has around 2,100 full-time students and is the second-oldest Lutheran-related college in the country. It offers 37 majors, 34 minors, 24 concentrations and 780 courses.

The largest employers in Roanoke County include financial services corporation Wells Fargo, insurance company Allstate, IT and security firm ITT Exelis and Hollis University.

The cost of living in Roanoke is less than the national average - it registered an 87.3 on City-Data.com's March 2012 cost of living index, compared to the U.S. average of 100. Those interested in Roanoke rentals may be pleasantly surprised by the city's low median gross rent of $649.

Since 1949, the Roanoke Valley has been lit by the 100-foot tall Roanoke Star. Situated atop Mill Mountain, the star weighs 10,000 lbs and is made up of 2,000 feet of neon tubing. It is illuminated every night until midnight, and is just a 15-minute drive from the bustling downtown that serves as Roanoke's center of arts and culture. Music lovers have a host of live music venues from which to choose, including the Kirk Avenue Music Hall. The Jefferson Center frequently hosts performances by the Roanoke Symphony and Roanoke Ballet Theatre, as well as a number of nationally touring acts and musicians. 

Roanoke residents can also get up close and personal with fine art at the Taubman Museum, hike the trails of the Blue Ridge Parkway and visit the Historic Roanoke City Market for locally grown produce and handcrafted items.

To find your next rental apartment or house in Roanoke, take a look at our listings on Rent.com®.