City comparison
Harrisonburg, VA is about 150 miles (250 km) from Newport News, VA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Harrisonburg, VA to Newport News, VA takes about 19 min, covering roughly 150 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Newport News has a population of 185,118, vs 51,784 in Harrisonburg — about 3.6× larger by population. By land area, Newport News covers about 69 sq mi vs 17 sq mi for Harrisonburg.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Harrisonburg | Newport News | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,060/mo | $1,209/mo | 14.1% higher in Newport News |
| Median home value | $263,700 | $233,400 | 13.0% higher in Harrisonburg |
| Median household income | $56,050 | $63,355 | 13.0% higher in Newport News |
| Groceries index | 96.9 | 96.9 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 89.1 | 90.0 | 1.1% higher in Newport News |
| Transportation index | 98.8 | 98.8 | ≈ equal (Harrisonburg slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 98.3 | 98.3 | ≈ equal (Harrisonburg slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Harrisonburg, you'd need $108,034 in Newport News to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Harrisonburg, VA is about 7.4% cheaper overall than Newport News, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 21% higher in Newport News than in Harrisonburg. If you earn $80,000 in Harrisonburg, you'd need about $86,427 in Newport News to keep the same standard of living.