Overall
94.9
Below avg
Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Harrisonburg, VA
Cost-of-living indicators for Harrisonburg, VA, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.
- 94.9
- Overall RPP
- #169
- of 387 metros
- 82.3
- Rents RPP
- $105K
- $100K national buys
Harrisonburg ranks #169 of 387 U.S. metros by cost, and its overall price index has risen 2.8 points since 2008.
- rising since 2008
- similar cost to Glens Falls
The verdict
Harrisonburg costs less than 44% of U.S. metros, an overall index of 94.9, 5.1% below the national average, with rents the biggest swing at 82.3.
- bottom 56%
- by overall cost, nationwide
- 96.8
- goods RPP, tradable items
- 88.5
- services RPP, labor-priced
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $105,383 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $94,892.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has been trending upward, increasing by 2.8 points over this period. The largest single-year move was in 2021, when the index jumped 3.6 points from the year before, a bigger swing than the full 2008-2024 change.
Harrisonburg overall RPP, 2008-2024
Every year on record, national average = 100
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 92.1 |
| 2009 | 91.0 |
| 2010 | 93.0 |
| 2011 | 91.5 |
| 2012 | 92.4 |
| 2013 | 92.4 |
| 2014 | 92.7 |
| 2015 | 91.8 |
| 2016 | 91.2 |
| 2017 | 90.2 |
| 2018 | 93.4 |
| 2019 | 92.6 |
| 2020 | 90.4 |
| 2021 | 94.0 |
| 2022 | 94.9 |
| 2023 | 93.5 |
| 2024 | 94.9 |
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Harrisonburg's overall RPP rose +1.4 points, from 93.5 in 2023 to 94.9 in 2024. The largest category movement was rents, changing from 75.4 to 82.3. This is a relative change against the national benchmark, not a household's dollar bill.
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$94,892
in Harrisonburg, VA purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$47,446
$75,000 nationally
$71,169
$125,000 nationally
$118,615
$150,000 nationally
$142,338
$200,000 nationally
$189,784
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
Affordability score
D
45/100
How far the median local paycheck goes here, combining income and housing cost
Purchasing power
Not reported
Housing affordability D
45th percentile
A weighted composite (60% purchasing power, 40% housing affordability) percentile-ranked against every other tracked metro; a missing input redistributes its weight rather than deflating the score. Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 (income) + BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost). Vintages differ by design; see methodology.
Housing-led affordability profile
How Harrisonburg's cost structure works
Housing is the strongest affordability offset in Harrisonburg: rents index at 82.3, the component furthest below the national benchmark. That does not make every local expense low, but it is the clearest explanation for the metro's overall RPP of 94.9.
Across all reported metros, the closest component-profile matches are Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC, Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ, Columbia, SC. They resemble Harrisonburg across goods, services, and rents together, so they are stronger structure peers than a place selected only because its overall RPP happens to be nearby.
Across 2008-2024, Harrisonburg's overall index has risen by 2.8 points. This is a relative price-level history, not a prediction or a personal affordability recommendation; pair it with current local wages and housing options before making a decision.
Harrisonburg vs every U.S. metro
Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution
95 Top 44% higher than 56% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024
Harrisonburg cost breakdown
BEA RPP by category, 100 = national average
- Rents
Rents
82.3 RPP
- Services
Services
88.5 RPP
- Overall
Overall
94.9 RPP
- Goods
Goods
96.8 RPP
What this shows Harrisonburg's cost structure is housing-led: rents at 82.3 depart furthest from 100, while services sits at 88.5. This is a rent-sensitive profile, not a claim that every local expense moves together.
Goods vs. housing, where Harrisonburg's cost comes from
Metros near Harrisonburg's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.
Read the chart as text
- Harrisonburg (Harrisonburg, this metro): goods RPP 96.8, rents RPP 82.3
- Glens Falls: goods RPP 99.7, rents RPP 76.2
- Kalamazoo: goods RPP 93.7, rents RPP 81.6
- Lansing: goods RPP 93.7, rents RPP 83.5
- Lewiston: goods RPP 97.2, rents RPP 69
- San Antonio: goods RPP 93.8, rents RPP 94.6
- Bloomington: goods RPP 94.3, rents RPP 85.6
Price Index Summary
Goods
96.8
Below avg
Services
88.5
Cheap
Rents
82.3
Cheap
VA-relative analysis
Goods prices places Harrisonburg, VA toward the bottom of VA's metros
Among the 9 VA metros PlainCost tracks with reported goods prices data, Harrisonburg, VA ranks #1 - the 22nd percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide rank above: it compares Harrisonburg, VA only against its own state's metros, not the full US field.
Goods prices
#1 of 9
22nd percentile in VA
Services prices
#7 of 9
22nd percentile in VA
Rent prices
#5 of 9
44th percentile in VA
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "more expensive is worse", see the national comparison above for direction context. This is a comparison within VA only, not a livability score.
Nationwide metros with similar overall cost or rent prices
Two BEA RPP-derived peer sets for Harrisonburg, VA: nearest metros by overall regional price parity and by rents RPP. These are cross-state neighborhoods, not the in-state metro list below.
Similar overall RPP
Nearest metros by overall regional price parity (94.9 here).
Similar rents RPP
Nearest metros by rents regional price parity (82.3 here).
Other VA Metros
Charlottesville, VA 99.1 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC 97.9 Richmond, VA 97.9 Winchester, VA-WV 96.5 Roanoke, VA 93.6 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA 92.7
View all VA metros → Cheapest in VA → Most expensive in VA →
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Harrisonburg, VA's index of 94.9.
Showing the 6 closest of 387 metro areas tracked nationally.
Decision peers
Metros with a similar cost mix
These metros are closest to Harrisonburg's combined goods, services, and rents profile. They may not have the same overall RPP, but their price pressures are shaped in a similar way.
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC
Goods 96.3 · Services 88.0 · Rents 83.1 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ
Goods 96.2 · Services 88.7 · Rents 79.8 Columbia, SC
Goods 96.3 · Services 88.3 · Rents 79.5 Mankato, MN
Goods 95.4 · Services 87.0 · Rents 79.9 Warner Robins, GA
Goods 96.3 · Services 88.1 · Rents 79.2 Hinesville, GA
Goods 96.3 · Services 86.8 · Rents 79.5
Shareable data card
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Compare to Other Metros
Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive metro rankings, salary negotiation with RPP data, and step-by-step comparison walkthroughs.
What this means for Harrisonburg
How to read Harrisonburg's cost of living before a move, a job offer, or a budget.
- Budget to local prices, not headline pay, a $100K national salary spends like about $105,383 in Harrisonburg. Salary calculator
- Start with rents: it indexes at 82.3, the largest departure from the national benchmark in this metro's BEA cost mix. Compare it with the other components before treating the overall RPP as a complete household budget.
- Compare Harrisonburg head-to-head against a specific destination before you decide. Compare metros
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark for the data year shown, not a live market quote. Pair it with current local wages and housing costs before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Harrisonburg, VA?
Harrisonburg, VA has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 94.9, meaning it is 5.1% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 96.8, services at 88.5, and rents at 82.3. It ranks #169 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Harrisonburg, VA to match $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $94,892 in Harrisonburg, VA. Conversely, $100K earned in Harrisonburg, VA has the purchasing power of $105,383 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Harrisonburg, VA?
Rents in Harrisonburg, VA are indexed at 82.3, which is 17.7% below the national average. This makes the area relatively affordable for renters.
Is Harrisonburg, VA getting more expensive?
From 2008 to 2024, Harrisonburg, VA's overall cost index changed by +2.8 points (from 92.1 to 94.9). The cost of living has been trending upward.
What costs the most in Harrisonburg, VA?
The priciest category in Harrisonburg, VA is goods at 96.8, 3.2% below the national average, still the highest of the three categories. The most affordable category is rents at 82.3, 17.7% below average.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Harrisonburg, VA?
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Glens Falls, Kalamazoo-Portage, Lansing-East Lansing. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Harrisonburg, VA's 94.9.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.