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Cave Spring.

All Cave Spring data Compare Cave Spring

25,742people live here $87,539median household incomeNear US average $1,285median rent per monthNear US average $325,800median home valueNear US average

Cave Spring is an unincorporated community in Roanoke County, VA. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.

What it's like to live in Cave Spring

Cave Spring is an unincorporated community in Virginia with rent below the national average, county unemployment below the national average, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Cave Spring deals with fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.

The good

Rent below the national average
Low unemployment in the county
Short commutes
Clean air
Highly educated workforce
Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
Car-dependent — few commuters use transit

How Cave Spring compares

Median household income

Cave Spring$87,539

Virginia avg$93,170

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Cave Spring$1,285

Virginia avg$1,579

US$1,413

Median home value

Cave Spring$325,800

Virginia avg$383,700

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Cave Spring

Based on Cave Spring's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,570

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $51,400 a year
38% of Cave Spring renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$65,160

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $32,580
Homes cost 3.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingNear US average

$1,285/mo median rent

Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,285 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $325,800. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.

Median home value $325,800 · 38% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

3.1% county unemployment

Unemployment in Roanoke County is 3.1%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Roanoke County (county-wide)

Safety

158 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction

Cave Spring doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Roanoke County Police Department jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.

Property crime 974/100k · Policed by Roanoke County Police Department (county-wide rate) · 2025 data

Getting around▼ 23% below US

20 min average commute

Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 18% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

73%

Work from home

18%

Carpool

7.1%

Other

1.1%

Walk

0.5%

Public transit

0.4%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 30°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 36% above US

49% bachelor's degree or higher

The population is well-educated, with 49% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.

Schools

7 public schools inside the boundary

There are 7 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Booker T Washington National Monument (17 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Cave Spring's strongest points are rent below the national average and county unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit. A year of median rent ($1,285/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), remote workers (18% of workers here already work from home), and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.

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