Cost of living in Harrisonburg research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Harrisonburg is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Virginia, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Harrisonburg is 104, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Harrisonburg is 1.0x higher than the national average.
Harrisonburg ranks as the #47 cheapest in Virginia out of 190.
Harrisonburg ranks as the #3,063 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Harrisonburg is $341,753.
The median income in Harrisonburg is $59,752.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Harrisonburg has an overall cost of living index of 104, which is 1.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Virginia, Harrisonburg has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Virginia's index of 110.
The standard of living in Harrisonburg ranks as #47 most affordable out of the 190 places we measured in Virginia. By definition, that implies Harrisonburg ranks as the #143 most expensive place in the Old Dominion.
For more reading on life in Harrisonburg, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Harrisonburg. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Harrisonburg is 101.
The Groceries index in Harrisonburg is 97.
The Health index in Harrisonburg is 94.
The Housing index in Harrisonburg is 113.
The Transportation index in Harrisonburg is 94.
The Utilities index in Harrisonburg is 107.
| Living Expense | Harrisonburg | Virginia | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 104 | 110 | 100 | |
| Services | 101 | 101 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 97 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 94 | 98 | 100 | |
| Housing | 113 | 130 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 94 | 94 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 107 | 104 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Virginia, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Harrisonburg is $341,753.
The Median Rent in Harrisonburg is $1,120.
The Median Income in Harrisonburg is $59,752.
The Home Value To Income in Harrisonburg is 5.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Harrisonburg is 0.22x.
| Statistic | Harrisonburg | Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $341,753 | $404,962 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,120 | $1,514 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $59,752 | $90,974 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 5.7x | 4.5x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.22x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
| Item | Harrisonburg | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.71 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $15.32 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $25.5 | $18 |
| Haircut | $27.97 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $54.19 | $45.56 |
| Item | Harrisonburg | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.34 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.41 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.78 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.33 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.47 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.67 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.81 | $3.7 |
| Item | Harrisonburg | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $121.84 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $168.85 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $135.19 | $113.29 |
| Item | Harrisonburg | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.49 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $57.76 | $59.92 |
| Item | Harrisonburg | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $201.35 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $184.83 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Harrisonburg. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Charlottesville, VA has a cost of living index of 121, 1.2x Harrisonburg.
Staunton, VA has a cost of living index of 99, 1.0x Harrisonburg.
Waynesboro, VA has a cost of living index of 97, 0.9x Harrisonburg.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Harrisonburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville, VA | 45,863 | 121 | 1.2x |
| Staunton, VA | 25,765 | 99 | 1.0x |
| Waynesboro, VA | 22,574 | 97 | 0.9x |
| Stuarts Draft, VA | 11,920 | 104 | 1.0x |
| Lake Monticello, VA | 10,820 | 112 | 1.1x |
| Strasburg, VA | 7,162 | 106 | 1.0x |
| Bridgewater, VA | 6,650 | 110 | 1.1x |
| Massanetta Springs, VA | 6,028 | 128 | 1.2x |
| Woodstock, VA | 5,851 | 104 | 1.0x |