Struggling Roanoke neighborhood with lots of green space
Fallon and the rest of Southeast Roanoke struggled to recover after American Viscose, a rayon manufacturing plant that employed thousands, shut down in the 1950s. Many homeowners left this side of the city after the company shut down, and those who stayed struggled to find solid employment, says Nicole Jennings, executive director of nonprofit Presbyterian Community Center. “It was suddenly in a situation of poverty. It became generational because nothing came in to replace the plant.” Presbyterian Community Center opened in the middle of the Fallon and Belmont neighborhoods in the 1960s, providing a food pantry, after-school programs and emergency financial aid. In 2019, the city of Roanoke selected Fallon and Belmont as the two neighborhoods where it would concentrate its community development efforts between 2019 and 2025, and it invests $1.7 million in annual funding to build new homes, fix up existing houses and improve sidewalks. Habitat for Humanity in the Roanoke Valley is on track to build more than a dozen homes in Belmont and Fallon by the end of 2024, boosting the area’s deteriorating housing stock for existing and future residents. But despite its struggles, Fallon has natural beauty. Fallon Park, one of the biggest in Roanoke, covers half the neighborhood, and Tinker Creek is surrounded by a greenway on Fallon’s eastern edge.
Many of the homes in Fallon are boarded up, making this a great community to get a cheap flip.
Fallon is dominated by Fallon Park, which features a cyclocross course, basketball, and tennis.
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Waterside hiking on Tinker Creek Greenway
Fallon Park features the state’s only permanent course for cyclocross, a type of cycling where competitors race along a track but occasionally dismount to haul their bikes over obstacles or up staircases. Locals can splash into the Olympic-sized pool between June and August or play on one of six pickleball courts anytime. There’s also an ADA-accessible playground and a trailhead for the Tinker Creek Greenway. Users can walk, bike and blade the mile-long creekside trail, which ends south of the Roanoke River.
The Fallon Park pool is a popular place to cool off on a hot day.
The Tinker Creek Greenway runs alongside Fallon, and is a popular place to walk or cycle.
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Cyclocross competitors head to Fallon Park
Cyclists head to Fallon Park in September for Virginia’s Blue Ridge Go Cross Cyclocross Race. During the two-day event, children and adults pedal through dust, mud and sand while spectators cheer and occasionally ring cowbells. Besides the bike races, attendees compete in beer relays and grab bites from various food trucks. Many locals use the programs at Presbyterian Community Center, including the Pathways for Youth after-school program and Bridges Out of Poverty workshops. In 2025, the nonprofit will open a new center a block from Fallon to expand its offerings with amenities like an indoor gym. Jennings says she hopes the organization will add youth sports camps to its programming.
Take a nap in Fallon Park on a hot summer day.
For hot days Fallon residents can get a frozen lemonade from Deb's.
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Views of the Roanoke Star
Folk Victorian homes built in the late 1800s were some of the first built on Fallon’s gridded streets. American Foursquare houses, bungalows and Tudor Revivals followed in the early 20th century, but new construction basically stalled after the 1940s. Appearances vary from boarded-up, abandoned homes to historical houses with picket fences around tidy lawns. Some porches offer clear views of the Roanoke Star, an 89-foot-tall neon sign that glows atop Mill Mountain. The view makes the real estate valuable — if the homes are in good condition, Jennings says. “From the view of the star alone, the prices of those houses would increase tremendously.” Prices start around $100,000 for turnkey homes, climbing to the low $200,000s for recently renovated houses.
The Roanoke Star is easily visible from Fallon.
A row with an American Four Square, Folk Victorian and dilapidated house.
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Fallon Park Elementary hosts community health clinic
The neighborhood is home to Fallon Park Elementary School, graded a C-plus by Niche. LIFT Center, a health clinic, operates from Fallon Park Elementary. In addition to pediatric care, the clinic provides mental health counseling and English classes to students and their families. Older students can attend John P. Fishwick Middle School and William Fleming High School, which also get C-plus grades.
Fallon Park Elementary School sits right in Fallon Park, and is the best option for young kids.
John P. Fishwick Middle School gets a C+ from Niche.com.
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Heading outside Fallon for shops, restaurants
Shops and restaurants are scarce in Fallon and across Southeast Roanoke. Dollar General is the only neighborhood store, though locals can get groceries less than a mile away at Walmart Neighborhood Market. Residents can have pizza delivered from Emilio’s in the Belmont neighborhood or grab a burger at Bob’s Restaurant on the other side of Tinker Creek. Big Lots, Kroger and locally run downtown restaurants are about 2 miles away in the town of Vinton. Four Protestant churches dot the neighborhood; two are Baptist congregations, and the other two belong to Pentecostal-affiliated denominations.
Walmart Neighborhood Market serves as Fallon's grocery store.
Fallon residents can go to Market St SE in downtown Roanoke for most shopping needs.
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In between downtown and Vinton
Fallon is approximately equidistant to Downtown Roanoke and the town of Vinton; both are about a mile away. Dale Avenue is one of many roads drivers can take to both destinations. The city’s Valley Metro bus stops along Wise Avenue on its route between downtown and Vinton. The bus only stops once an hour, limiting its usability.
The bus serves as Fallon's public transit option.
Dale Avenue Connects Fallon to Vinton and Downtown Roanoke.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
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Parks in this Area
East Gate Park
Transit
Airport
Roanoke/Blacksburg Regional (Woodrum Field)
13 min drive
Bus
Dale Wb & Vernon
Bus
Wise Wb & Indian Village
Bus
Wise Wb & 18th
Bus
Dale Wb & Fallon Park
Bus
Wise Eb & 14th
Bus
Dale Wb & 19th
Bus
Wise Wb & 16th
Crime and Safety
1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime
Fallon
US
Homicide
6
4
Sexual Assault
6
4
Assault with Weapon
7
4
Robbery
6
4
Burglary
5
4
Motor Vehicle Theft
5
4
Larceny
5
4
Crime Score
6
4
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Fallon, Roanoke sell after 36 days on the market compared to the national average of 47 days. The average sale price for homes in Fallon, Roanoke over the last 12 months is $177,936, up 74% from the average home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Home Trends
Median Price (12 Mo)
$189,900
Median Single Family Price
$189,900
Average Price Per Sq Ft
$130
Last 12 months Home Sales
11
Median List Price
$185,000
Median Discount From 1st List Price
-1%
Median Home Sale Price YoY Change
89%
Home Facts
Number of Homes in Neighborhood
292
Median Year Built
1906
Avg. Single Family Home Size Sq Ft
1,185
Significantly below the national average
1,937
Median Lot Size Sq Ft
5,227
Distribution of Home Values
Source: Public Records
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Billy Kingery,
an experienced agent in this neighborhood.
Average Home Value
Source: Public Records
Property Mix - Square Feet
This Neighborhood Has More Renters
Demographics
Total Population
1,183
Median Age
33
Population Density
6 ppl/acre
Population under 18
32.9%
Above the national average
23.8%
Population over 65
11.9%
Below the national average
19.1%
Finances
Median Household Income
$45,833
Significantly below the national average
$71,702
Average Household Income
$57,893
Education and Workforce
High School Graduates
78.4%
Below the national average
89.1%
College Graduates
12.6%
Below the national average
34.1%
Advanced Degrees
0%
% Population in Labor Force
61%
Weather
Annual Precipitation
43''
Average Winter Low Temperature
29°F
Average Summer High Temperature
88°F
Annual Snowfall
1''
Area Factors
Bikeable
Bike Score®
52/ 100
Car-Dependent
Walk Score®
44/ 100
Some Transit
Transit Score®
29/ 100
Source: Walk Score
Source: Walk Score
Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
