If you're a regular reader of my blog or follow my Facebook page, you might remember that recently I shared my 6 reasons to make the Roanoke Valley your home.

My top reason for folks to consider the Roanoke region was the low cost of living, and that's been proven again with the latest numbers from the Council for Community and Economic Research. According to the Roanoke Regional Partnership, Roanoke's cost of living was 87.7 during the second quarter of 2018. The national average is 100.

In terms of other Virginia metro areas, Roanoke has the lowest cost of living. In terms of metros across the country, Roanoke is the 44th lowest.

So what does that really mean, especially for someone who's thinking of relocating to Roanoke?

At the most basic level, it means that your dollar goes further in the Roanoke area when purchasing housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous goods and services. Compared with Richmond:

Now let's look out of state to Chattanooga, Tennessee:

Look at those housing numbers. A home in Roanoke will cost you an average of 19 percent less than in Chattanooga.

I used the Roanoke Regional Partnership's cost of living index calculator to get this data. You can use it to compare data from all around the country.

If you're interested in moving to Roanoke — especially if you're thinking about relocating or starting a business — the partnership has tons of resources on its website that will help you learn more and get a sense of what our region is all about.

If you have questions about housing in Roanoke, please give me a call. I'd be happy to talk with you about your needs and tell you more about my hometown!