This document discusses poverty in Virginia localities over time through graphs and statistics. It finds that median incomes converged somewhat in the 1970s but diverged again after 2000. Poverty rates have increased in most localities and are closely correlated over time. For Roanoke specifically, the median income has declined in certain decades and the poverty rate has risen. Educational attainment in Roanoke lags the state average, and costs of health insurance have risen significantly as a percentage of median income. Job opportunities in Roanoke are tilted towards lower-paying work. The document argues that increasing educational attainment is key to escaping poverty and promoting racial equity.