Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety2#908/924
Economy3#896/925
Housing33#619/925
Health7#858/925
Healthcare15#784/923
Environment88#114/917
Education10#830/925
Infrastructure1#914/925
Community21#729/925
Leisure & amenities27#675/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Roanoke Rapids, NC micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Home price to income ratio · low2.3×
92/100North Carolina 4.0×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Grocery stores · high2.5 /10k
92/100North Carolina 1.8 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Public EV charging ports · high13.8 /10k
91/100North Carolina 5.2 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties
Median Air Quality Index · low33
88/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Days with unhealthy air · low0.0%
81/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Suicide rate · low14.0 /100k
81/100North Carolina 14.7 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Broadband subscriptions · low75.1%
1/100North Carolina 90.1%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Homicide rate · high18.9 /100k
2/100North Carolina 6.9 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Traffic deaths · high39.0 /100k
2/100North Carolina 15.0 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Public transit commuters · low0.0%
3/100North Carolina 0.6%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301High uncertainty
Lack of reliable transportation · high15.3%
3/100North Carolina 8.8%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Food insecurity · high29.8%
3/100North Carolina 15.8%United States 15.6%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
13% (2021) → 94% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+81 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
56.6% (2015-2019) → 75.1% (2020-2024)
+18 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
32.7% (2010 & 2021) → 44.2% (2022 & 2024)
+11 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
0.3 /10k (2020) → 0.5 /10k (2025)
+57%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Traffic deathsWorsening
27.8 /100k (2015-2019) → 39.0 /100k (2020-2024)
+40%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
57.6% (2015-2019) → 49.7% (2020-2024)
−7.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Roanoke Rapids, NC micropolitan area improved on 18 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 4 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved18

Broadband+18 points56.6% → 75.1%
Uninsured−4.4 points16.1% → 11.7%
Libraries+9.5%1.0 /10k → 1.1 /10k
Gyms+57%0.3 /10k → 0.5 /10k
Rent burden−7.9 points57.6% → 49.7%

Declined3

Traffic deaths+40%27.8 /100k → 39.0 /100k
Homicides+20%15.8 /100k → 18.9 /100k
Arts & recreation−9.5%2.3 /10k → 2.1 /10k

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Roanoke Rapids, NC micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.3 /10k2020	2.1 /10k2025	−9.5%	Declined	15%
Average commute time	24.4 min2015-2019	26.8 min2020-2024	+2.4 min	Within the margin of error	9%
Average weekly wage	$7412020	$9472025	+28%	Improved	84%
Bachelor's degree or higher	14.2%2015-2019	16.6%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Improved	40%
Broadband subscriptions	56.6%2015-2019	75.1%2020-2024	+18 points	Improved	96%
Child poverty rate	37.0%2015-2019	32.2%2020-2024	−4.7 points	Improved	74%
Distance to an airport	71 mi2020	71 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	20%
Drug overdose deaths	34.8 /100k2020	21.6 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−38%	Improved	67%
Effective property tax rate	1.06%2015-2019	0.85%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	74%
Firearm deaths	27.7 /100k2020	26.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−4.5%	Little change	56%
Grocery stores	2.4 /10k2020	2.5 /10k2025	+4.5%	Little change	66%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.3 /10k2020	0.5 /10k2025	+57%	Improved	90%
High school diploma or higher	79.1%2015-2019	83.0%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Improved	90%
Home price to income ratio	2.4×2015-2019	2.3×2020-2024	−0.1×	Within the margin of error	97%
Homicide rate	15.8 /100k2020	18.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+20%	Declined	12%
Income adjusted for local prices	$43,9532019	$57,8832024	+32%	Improved	51%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4892015-2019	0.4852020-2024	−0.003	Within the margin of error	65%
Median household income	$36,1282015-2019	$47,1042020-2024	+30%	Improved	67%
New business applications	10.8 /1k2020	13.6 /1k2025	+26%	Improved	22%
Pharmacies	1.7 /10k2020	1.9 /10k2025	+14%	Improved	92%
Poverty rate	24.4%2015-2019	22.4%2020-2024	−2 points	Within the margin of error	74%
Property crime rate	2,324 /100k2020	2,234 /100k2025	−3.9%	Little change	8%
Public libraries	1.0 /10k2019	1.1 /10k2024	+9.5%	Improved	91%
Rent as share of income	32.8%2015-2019	29.8%2020-2024	−3 points	Improved	92%
Rent-burdened households	57.6%2015-2019	49.7%2020-2024	−7.9 points	Improved	95%
Restaurants and bars	6.7 /10k2020	7.1 /10k2025	+6.8%	Improved	71%
Traffic deaths	27.8 /100k2015-2019	39.0 /100k2020-2024	+40%	Declined	11%
Unemployment rate	9.0%2020	5.3%2025	−3.7 points	Improved	72%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	16.1%2015-2019	11.7%2020-2024	−4.4 points	Improved	98%
Violent crime rate	610 /100k2020	542 /100k2025	−11%	Improved	42%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Roanoke Rapids, NC micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Roanoke Rapids, NC micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Roanoke Rapids, NC micropolitan area itself moved +3.4 points in standing on average over the same 29 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

64,606 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

28,240 households (±482)

Roanoke Rapids, NC micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k31%8,670
$25k–50k22%6,304
$50k–75k16%4,462

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

28,240 households (±482)

Roanoke Rapids, NC micropolitan area
United States share

Own66%18,690
Rent34%9,550

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

24,303 workers (±850)

Roanoke Rapids, NC micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone78%18,930
Carpool9.7%2,356
Public transit0.0%†1

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Roanoke Rapids, NC micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Roanoke Rapids, NC has 1,189 employer establishments, 186 for every 10,000 residents (0.75× the US rate of 248), with 16,767 paid employees at an average annual pay of $43,438. The Census Bureau also counts 3,875 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,189; 3,875 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 186; US 248
Paid employees: 16,767
Average annual pay: $43,438; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Roanoke Rapids, NC by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	106	16.6	0.80×Fewer than typical	1,259	$51,905	162
Restaurants and other eating places	96	15.1	0.82×About typical	1,992	$16,545	18
Religious organizations	70	11	1.98×More than typical	228	$14,912	—
Specialty trade contractors	69	10.8	0.70×Fewer than typical	868	$60,067	263
Limited-service restaurants	48	7.5	0.94×About typical	1,086	$16,379	11
Gasoline stations	47	7.4	2.27×More than typical	336	$26,938	3
Truck transportation	43	6.7	1.33×More than typical	258	$44,186	230
Full-service restaurants	42	6.6	0.86×About typical	808	$16,899	4
Building equipment contractors	41	6.4	1.07×About typical	453	$48,815	63
Offices of physicians	38	6	0.92×About typical	392	$83,008	19
General merchandise stores	37	5.8	3.28×More than typical	657	$23,090	9
Lessors of real estate	35	5.5	0.45×Fewer than typical	88	$26,375	278

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 63,784 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $3.7M on contracts performed in Roanoke Rapids, NC micropolitan area: $59.24 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $3.7M; +22% vs FY2025
Per resident: $59.24; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

EAGLE HOME MEDICAL CORP$3.6M97%
LINE DRIVE LOGISTICS LLC$115.4K3.1%
GOVPRO INDUSTRIES LLC$1380.0%
PCB PIEZOTRONICS OF NORTH CAROLINA, INC.$00.0%

Spending by fiscal year

12.9MFY2017
12.6MFY2018
2.3MFY2019
2.6MFY2020
3.8MFY2021
4.7MFY2022
2.2MFY2023
3.9M

Top industries (NAICS)

Consumer goods rental · 5322$3.6M97%
Special food services · 7223$115.4K3.1%
Machine shops and screw, nut, and bolt manufacturing · 3327$1380.0%

Largest awards

HOME OXYGEN SERVICES$2.8M
EAGLE HOME MEDICAL CORP· Halifax County, NC· Equipment maintenance· Nov 3, 2025 – Nov 3, 2025· 36C24526N0093
EXPRESS REPORT: HOME OXYGEN AND VENTILATOR SERVICES FOR MONTH OF DECEMBER 2025$105.8K
EAGLE HOME MEDICAL CORP· Halifax County, NC· Equipment maintenance· Dec 1, 2025 – Dec 1, 2025· 36C24726K0035
EXPRESS REPORT: HOME OXYGEN AND VENTILATOR SERVICES FOR MONTH OF JANUARY 2026$100.5K
EAGLE HOME MEDICAL CORP· Halifax County, NC· Equipment maintenance· Jan 1, 2026 – Jan 1, 2026· 36C24726K0036
EXPRESS REPORT: HOME OXYGEN AND VENTILATOR SERVICES FOR MONTH OF APRIL 2026

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $554.9M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Roanoke Rapids, NC micropolitan area: $8,805 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $554.9M; −3.4% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,805; US $12,955
Loan face value: $26.3M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 3.4%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$316.3M57%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$62.3M11%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$47.8M8.6%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$30.8M5.5%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$30.7M5.5%
93.224 · Health Center Program$6.9M1.2%
10.051 · Commodity Loans and Loan Deficiency Payments$6.5M1.2%
93.600 · Head Start$6M1.1%

Top recipients (organizations)

CHOANOKE AREA DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION OF NORTH CAROLINA, INCORPORATED$7.7M1.4%
RICH SQUARE, NC
RURAL HEALTH GROUP, INC$7.1M1.3%
ROANOKE RAPIDS, NC
ROANOKE-CHOWAN REGIONAL HOUSING AUTHORITY$6.1M1.1%
GASTON, NC
TRANSPORTATION NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT$5M0.9%
RALEIGH, NC
HALIFAX COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$440.1M79%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$54.5M9.8%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Farm Service Agency$16.1M2.9%
Department of Agriculture
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$9.7M1.8%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Health Resources and Services Administration

Assistance by fiscal year

511.2MFY2021
514.7MFY2022
522.9MFY2023
544.3MFY2024
574.8MFY2025
554.9MFY2026

County aggregates

90%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Roanoke Rapids, NC

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Roanoke RapidsPrincipal city14,856

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in North Carolina

Areas based in North Carolina, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Rocky Mount, NC24

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M40260

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved18

Declined3

Metro and micro areas like Roanoke Rapids, NC micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Roanoke Rapids, NC

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in North Carolina

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved18

Declined3

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type