Should I Move To
Harrisonburg, Virginia comes in at about 51,784 residents. Cost of living comes out affordable — 9% below the national average. Rent typically lands near $1,060/mo, and the median household income is about $56,050. Overall, 58/100 on our composite score, which works out to a C, putting it at #195 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 91 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's affordable territory. With median rent at $1,060/mo and median household income at $56,050, housing takes about 23% of gross income — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Homes typically value around $263,700.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect four-season weather — summers near 88°F, winters around 30°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 46 inches annually. Car-dependent for most errands, with small walkable pockets downtown or in older neighborhoods. Air quality reads good (AQI 36).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
On the families profile, Harrisonburg sits squarely in the middle. It earns 65/100 (grade C+) on the families profile. Strongest on environmental quality (85/100); weakest on job market (17/100).
On the retirees profile, Harrisonburg sits squarely in the middle. It earns 67/100 (grade B-) on the retirees profile. Strongest on environmental quality (85/100); weakest on job market (17/100).
On the remote workers profile, Harrisonburg sits squarely in the middle. It earns 71/100 (grade B) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on environmental quality (85/100); weakest on job market (17/100).
Harrisonburg is a tougher sell for young professionals. It earns 46/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on environmental quality (85/100); weakest on job market (17/100).
Harrisonburg, Virginia pulls a 58/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C), currently ranked #195 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Harrisonburg's cost-of-living index is 91 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the affordable band — 9% below the national average. Median rent runs about $1,060/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 88°F, winter averages around 30°F, with about 46 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 42/100. Car-dependent for most errands, with small walkable pockets downtown or in older neighborhoods.
Harrisonburg has about 51,784 residents, 35% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 25.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Harrisonburg head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Harrisonburg stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Harrisonburg with other Virginia cities scored on UrbRank.
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