Harrisonburg, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Harrisonburg, VA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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D
Income Well below average
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Harrisonburg | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 51,391 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2955.9 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.14% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 25.1 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 17,360 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Harrisonburg grew by 17.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 51,391 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Harrisonburg is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 44.2% of residents. That is 22.8 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 22,708 44.2% +22.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,935 17.4% -5.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,164 13.9% -6.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,767 9.3% -7.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Virginia, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.9% of the people living in Harrisonburg and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 49.1% Virginia 49.4%
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Economy
Harrisonburg has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Harrisonburg | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,229 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.93% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.8% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Harrisonburg is about 31% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Harrisonburg | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $275,925 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,183 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 39.5% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Harrisonburg is about 19.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,183 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Harrisonburg spend about 28 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 115 hours, about 4.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Harrisonburg | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.8 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 27.7 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 115 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,576 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.1% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 13,474 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,453 | 1,531 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Harrisonburg is 14 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in Virginia.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Harrisonburg has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Harrisonburg | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.9% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.54 | 2.52 | 2.53 |
Health
Harrisonburg has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Harrisonburg | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.8 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.0% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.5% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Harrisonburg, Virginia.
How big is Harrisonburg, Virginia by population?
About 51,391 people live in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in 17,360 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 25.1, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 12 years.
Is Harrisonburg, Virginia urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Harrisonburg, Virginia has 2,956 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 34 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Harrisonburg, Virginia?
The median home costs 4.3 times the median household income ($275,925 against $64,229), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,183 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Harrisonburg, Virginia?
Unemployment in Harrisonburg, Virginia is 6.8%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
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