Harrisonburg, VA Cost Of Living

The latest cost of living statistics for Harrisonburg. Includes statistics on rent, mortgages, healthcare, and other costs for Harrisonburg compared to the state and national averages.

Cost of living in Harrisonburg, Virginia

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:

109 Cost of living index 1.1x higher vs US
#53 Cheapest in Virginia (of 188)
#3,443 Cheapest in the U.S. (of 6,489)
$348,178 Median home value
$1,184 Median rent
$62,254 Median income
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What is the cost of living in Harrisonburg, VA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Harrisonburg has an overall cost of living index of 109, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to Virginia, Harrisonburg has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Virginia's index of 112.

The standard of living in Harrisonburg ranks as #53 most affordable out of the 188 places we measured in Virginia. By definition, that implies Harrisonburg ranks as the #135 most expensive place in the Old Dominion.

For more reading on life in Harrisonburg, check out:

Harrisonburg Cost Of Living Vs. Virginia

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Harrisonburg. Here is how it fares on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Harrisonburg is 104.

  • The Groceries index in Harrisonburg is 106.

  • The Health index in Harrisonburg is 110.

  • The Housing index in Harrisonburg is 103.

  • The Transportation index in Harrisonburg is 108.

  • The Utilities index in Harrisonburg is 106.

Living Expense Harrisonburg Virginia National Average
Overall 109 112 100
Services 104 103 100
Groceries 106 104 100
Health 110 131 100
Housing 103 105 100
Transportation 108 105 100
Utilities 106 104 100

Harrisonburg Cost Of Living Compared To Virginia Averages

Services
Harrisonburg 104
Virginia avg 103
Groceries
Harrisonburg 106
Virginia avg 104
Health
Harrisonburg 110
Virginia avg 131
Housing
Harrisonburg 103
Virginia avg 105
Transportation
Harrisonburg 108
Virginia avg 105
Utilities
Harrisonburg 106
Virginia avg 104

Index where 100 = national average. Source: cost-of-living index 2026.

For more reading on cost of living around Virginia, check out:

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Source: Cost-of-living index 2026, normalized to US average = 100

Harrisonburg, VA Housing Cost Breakdown

$348,178Median Home Value
$1,184Median Rent
$62,254Median Income

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 2020-2024. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Harrisonburg is $348,178.

  • The Median Rent in Harrisonburg is $1,184.

  • The Median Income in Harrisonburg is $62,254.

  • The Home Value To Income in Harrisonburg is 5.6x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Harrisonburg is 0.23x.

Statistic Harrisonburg Virginia United States
Median Home Value $348,178 $412,467 $332,700
Median Rent $1,184 $1,579 $1,413
Median Income $62,254 $93,170 $80,734
Home Value To Income 5.6x 4.4x 4.1x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.23x 0.2x 0.21x

Harrisonburg, VA Costs By Category

Detailed Harrisonburg Services costs vs. Virginia
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
Detailed Harrisonburg Groceries costs vs. Virginia
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
Detailed Harrisonburg Health costs vs. Virginia
Item Harrisonburg Virginia
Optometrist $121.84 $125.68
Doctor $168.85 $135.78
Dentist $135.19 $113.29
Detailed Harrisonburg Transportation costs vs. Virginia
Item Harrisonburg Virginia
Gasoline $3.49 $3.46
Tire Balancing $57.76 $59.92
Detailed Harrisonburg Utilities costs vs. Virginia
Item Harrisonburg Virginia
All Electricity $201.35 $193.99
Phone $184.83 $192.25

Harrisonburg SnackAbility

6Overall SnackAbility
Jobs 6/10
Housing 8/10
Affordability 5/10
Diversity 8.5/10
Safety 7/10
Amenities 9/10
Education 7/10
Commute 9.5/10

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Harrisonburg

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 124, 1.1x Harrisonburg.

  • Staunton, VA has a cost of living index of 102, 0.9x Harrisonburg.

  • Waynesboro, VA has a cost of living index of 99, 0.9x Harrisonburg.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Harrisonburg
Charlottesville, VA 45,437 124 1.1x
Staunton, VA 25,948 102 0.9x
Waynesboro, VA 22,841 99 0.9x
Stuarts Draft, VA 11,780 106 1.0x
Lake Monticello, VA 10,662 114 1.0x
Strasburg, VA 7,214 104 1.0x
Bridgewater, VA 6,708 111 1.0x
Massanetta Springs, VA 6,358 129 1.2x
Woodstock, VA 5,871 108 1.0x