Harrisonburg, Virginia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Harrisonburg is located in Virginia with a total population of 51,492. It is the 36th most populous county out of 133 in Virginia.

Age Demographics

The median age in Harrisonburg is 25.4 years. This is 35% lower than the state median of 38.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Harrisonburg is $59,752. This is 34% lower than the state median of $90,974. It is also 24% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 25.6%. This is 158% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 7.1%. This is 64% higher than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $278,200. Housing costs are 23% lower than the state median of $360,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.7x. 39.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 41% lower than the state average of 67.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Harrisonburg is White (non-Hispanic), making up 61.4% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 23.1%. The Black or African American population (7.0%) is well below the state average of 18.4%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (23.1% vs 10.7%). The Asian population (3.2%) is well below the state average of 6.8%.

Education

36.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 11% lower than the state rate of 41.5%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 83.3%. Notably, 17.4% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Harrisonburg come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Virginia and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.