Living in Harrisonburg, VA
Small city in Virginia
Harrisonburg is a small city in Virginia, home to about 51,000 people, with 203,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Harrisonburg a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Low natural disaster risk: 2 federally declared disasters since 2000
- Safe: violent crime is 0.5× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $333k and rents for $1,800 a month
- Strong healthcare: 3 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
👎 Cons
- Smaller job market: about 203,000 people live within 31 mi
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Cloudier than most places
- Fewer graduates: 37% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Harrisonburg ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Harrisonburg: common questions
What is the cost of living in Harrisonburg?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $333k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,800 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 95, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Harrisonburg?
Virginia collects about $2,198 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.78% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Harrisonburg safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.5× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Harrisonburg?
Harrisonburg has cold winters: winter days average around 45°F and summer days around 84°F, with roughly 19″ of snow a year.
Does Harrisonburg get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding: 2 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.24 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Harrisonburg?
The nearest major airport is IAD, about 84 mi away.
How Harrisonburg scores
Each bar compares Harrisonburg with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Is Harrisonburg right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.