Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Harrisonburg's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
How far does your salary go in Harrisonburg?
Your $100,000 in Harrisonburg has the same purchasing power as $110,351 in the average US city. You'd need $10,351 less here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of Harrisonburg's cost index of 91, sorted by closest match.
People moving to Harrisonburg usually have at least one specific reason. Most of them line up with what the data shows: living costs come in under the us baseline, on the calmer side of the national distribution, plus 2 more things worth knowing. Here's what's actually on the table.
Harrisonburg sits at 91 on the composite cost-of-living index — about 9% under the national average. Not the cheapest place in the country, but enough of a discount to notice on rent and groceries every month. Median rent in town runs about $1,060/mo against a typical household income of $56,050, which is the kind of ratio that leaves room to save.
Harrisonburg reports about 2,091 crime incidents per 100,000 residents — a step below the US average of around 3,500. The citywide number averages over neighborhoods that can vary a lot, but the headline number is friendlier than most American cities of comparable size.
Harrisonburg's air quality index averages about 36 — comfortably in the EPA's "good" range. No daily ritual of checking the AQI before going for a run, no smoky-day plans, no surprise asthma flare-ups for the kids. The kind of background condition you notice mostly by its absence.
The average one-way commute in Harrisonburg is about 17 minutes — short by US standards (the national average is closer to 27). Over a year of working days, that's hundreds of hours that don't get spent in traffic, which is the kind of thing you notice in the weekend rather than the weekday.
Reasons are pulled from Harrisonburg's actual data — Census ACS, BLS, BEA, NOAA, EPA AQS, FBI, and Walk Score. We don't list positives that aren't supported by the numbers, which is why different cities show different sections.
Snow is a regular feature, not a surprise. With winter temperatures hovering near 30°F, Harrisonburg sees enough snowfall that locals don't think twice about it but also enough mild stretches that nobody owns three pairs of boots.
Cold but workable. Winter in Harrisonburg averages about 30°F — colder than the national norm, mild compared to the upper Midwest. A solid coat handles most days; the genuine cold snaps are short.
Hot, but not desert-hot. Summer in Harrisonburg runs about 88°F on average, with afternoons in the 90s and humidity that varies by region. AC is standard rather than optional.
Zone 8, give or take a half-zone. Harrisonburg's typical winter low puts it in that band on the USDA Hardiness map, which is what nurseries label plants against. Use Zone 8 as your starting filter; the USDA's interactive map is more precise for borderline cases.
Harrisonburg is at about 1,332 feet (406 m) above sea level. High enough to be solidly above any coastal concern, low enough that altitude isn't a factor.
Atlantic basin storms can form from June 1 to November 30, but the serious ones cluster in August, September, and the first half of October. Residents of Harrisonburg learn the season's rhythm fast: watch the cone, board up when it's the call, and don't shrug off the slow-mover storms — those are usually the ones that flood.
Average for an American city. Harrisonburg's reported crime rate of about 2,091 per 100,000 residents sits roughly in line with the US baseline of ~3,500. Like anywhere else, the citywide number masks real differences between neighborhoods — worth looking at specific areas before deciding.
Roughly average. Harrisonburg's cost-of-living index is 91, putting it in the band where rent, groceries, and utilities track the national norm. Not a bargain, not a premium.
Mostly car-dependent. Harrisonburg's Walk Score of 42/100 means a handful of errands work on foot — depending on the neighborhood — but most residents still need a car for the rest. Transit Score is 48 out of 100.
Roughly $63,434 a year would match the lifestyle of someone earning $70,000 in an average US city. That's a starting point, not a target — negotiate higher when you can. Median rent in Harrisonburg runs about $1,060/mo — keeping housing under 30% of gross income points to a similar floor on what you'd want to earn.