Jobs, pay and daily life in Harrisonburg, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Harrisonburg is a city in Virginia with 51,392 residents. The median household earns $62,254 a year and the median rent is $1,184 a month, which is 22.8% of the median household income. It is part of the Harrisonburg, VA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 65,460 jobs.
How Harrisonburg compares. Among the 100 largest places in Virginia, Harrisonburg is #16 by population, #94 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #94 for remote work (#1 = most), #12 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Harrisonburg City, is #77 of 133 counties for average pay ($50,381).
Harrisonburg has 51,392 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.6% of the population of Virginia. It covers 17 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,964 people per square mile. The median age is 25.0, 36% younger than the state median (25.0 against 39.0).
The median gross rent is $1,184 a month (rent plus utilities), 25% below the state median ($1,184 against $1,579). Over a year that is 22.8% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $299,100, which is 4.8 times the median household income ($62,254). 39.5% of households own their home, 41% below the state average (39.5% against 67.3%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Harrisonburg, VA metropolitan area has 65,460 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $46,110 a year, 10% below the national median ($46,110 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are transportation and material moving (7,730 jobs, median $42,960); food preparation and serving related (7,020 jobs, median $31,420); production (6,450 jobs, median $39,860). The area is most specialised in production (1.8 times) and transportation and material moving (1.3 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are office and administrative support ($44,650) and transportation and material moving ($42,960). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Harrisonburg City was 3.8%. 61.8% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Harrisonburg City; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 67.9% drive alone, 1.8% use public transit, 5.2% walk, 9.1% work from home. 6.6% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 62% below the state average (6.6% against 17.6%).
37.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 11% below the state share (37.5% against 42.2%). 17.8% of residents were born outside the United States, 35% above the state share (17.8% against 13.1%). The poverty rate is 25.7%, 160% above the state rate (25.7% against 9.9%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 74°F (23.6°C), and the coolest is Jan at 29°F (-1.4°C). About 1,051 mm (41 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (114 mm) and Jan the driest (60 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Staunton (22 miles, rent 14% lower); Waynesboro (26 miles, rent 14% lower); Charlottesville (35 miles, rent 30% higher); Culpeper (47 miles, rent 20% higher). Rent differences are against Harrisonburg; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Virginia (1,132) →State guide: VirginiaCountry guideHarrisonburg CityVirginia rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,132 federal postings open in Virginia (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Virginia →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,590 | 1.60 | $29,240 | $26,980 | $35,260 | -6% |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,980 | 1.21 | $33,350 | $27,200 | $44,070 | -6% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,650 | 1.39 | $38,130 | $29,980 | $55,240 | +2% |
| Cashiers | 1,460 | 1.12 | $28,980 | $26,710 | $35,380 | -12% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,420 | 1.52 | $34,180 | $29,520 | $44,010 | -7% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,390 | 1.12 | $38,320 | $32,830 | $45,650 | -5% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,290 | 1.49 | $58,660 | $44,150 | $71,920 | +0% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,280 | 0.87 | $94,320 | $46,870 | $202,910 | -11% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,150 | 1.20 | $44,760 | $27,420 | $75,660 | +27% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,060 | 1.03 | $44,060 | $30,100 | $58,710 | -2% |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | 1,040 | 3.20 | $53,440 | $36,850 | $62,590 | +15% |
| Registered Nurses | 980 | 0.69 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Production Workers, All Other | 930 | 8.77 | $36,280 | $36,260 | $36,290 | -10% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 800 | 0.44 | $28,820 | $26,240 | $36,820 | -19% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 780 | 1.21 | $50,350 | $34,830 | $76,360 | +2% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 740 | 1.24 | $35,920 | $28,680 | $43,740 | -4% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 660 | 0.60 | $39,100 | $30,640 | $63,060 | -13% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 660 | 1.13 | $77,340 | $60,510 | $77,340 | +21% |
| Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks | 640 | 1.85 | $43,530 | $35,800 | $57,340 | -4% |
| Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | 600 | 3.79 | $46,150 | $31,200 | $65,430 | +7% |
These figures are for the whole Harrisonburg, VA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $46,110 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.3% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 15.2% |
| Manufacturing | 12.8% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 12.2% |
| Retail trade | 12.0% |
| Construction | 5.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.1% |
| Other services | 4.1% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 2.6% |
| Public administration | 2.2% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.3% |
| Information | 1.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Harrisonburg lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisonburg City | 51,392 | n/a | n/a | 31,039 | 1,754 | $50,381 | -0.2% | 3.8% | 25,760 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 4,966 | 21.5% | $23,226 | 1.76 |
| Retail trade | 4,399 | 19.1% | $36,316 | 1.42 |
| Manufacturing | 3,757 | 16.3% | $58,335 | 1.47 |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,876 | 12.5% | $54,501 | 0.65 |
| Construction | 1,172 | 5.1% | $68,062 | 0.72 |
| Professional and technical services | 976 | 4.2% | $79,804 | 0.45 |
| Wholesale trade | 964 | 4.2% | $64,002 | 0.79 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 774 | 3.4% | $40,704 | 0.83 |
| Finance and insurance | 731 | 3.2% | $86,102 | 0.58 |
| Administrative and waste services | 636 | 2.8% | $45,305 | 0.35 |
| Educational services | 610 | 2.6% | $29,501 | 0.95 |
| Information | 482 | 2.1% | $80,117 | 0.83 |
| Real estate and rental | 334 | 1.4% | $53,341 | 0.69 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 201 | 0.9% | $21,336 | 0.39 |
| Management of companies | 194 | 0.8% | $61,321 | 0.37 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 67.9% |
| Public transit | 1.8% |
| Walk | 5.2% |
| Work from home | 9.1% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 6.6% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,254 |
| Income per person | $28,857 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,184 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 22.8% |
| Median home value | $299,100 |
| Homeowners | 39.5% |
| Poverty rate | 25.7% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 94.9 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $46,110 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 5.75%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 25.0 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 84.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 37.5% |
| Born abroad | 17.8% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 61.8% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -1.4 | 29 | 60 |
| Feb | -0.0 | 32 | 63 |
| Mar | 4.7 | 40 | 74 |
| Apr | 11.0 | 52 | 93 |
| May | 16.4 | 62 | 114 |
| Jun | 21.1 | 70 | 110 |
| Jul | 23.6 | 74 | 101 |
| Aug | 23.0 | 73 | 94 |
| Sep | 19.1 | 66 | 104 |
| Oct | 12.2 | 54 | 87 |
| Nov | 5.8 | 42 | 74 |
| Dec | 0.8 | 33 | 77 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staunton | VA | 22 mi | 25,948 | $65,581 | $1,024 |
| Waynesboro | VA | 26 mi | 22,841 | $59,994 | $1,020 |
| Charlottesville | VA | 35 mi | 45,437 | $74,824 | $1,540 |
| Culpeper | VA | 47 mi | 20,794 | $94,721 | $1,416 |
| Front Royal | VA | 50 mi | 15,296 | $64,838 | $1,135 |
| Elkins | WV | 63 mi | 6,811 | $44,217 | $903 |
| Winchester | VA | 63 mi | 27,913 | $63,974 | $1,315 |
| Keyser | WV | 70 mi | 4,857 | $46,955 | $648 |
| Gainesville | VA | 71 mi | 18,196 | $174,410 | $2,283 |
| Linton Hall | VA | 73 mi | 41,876 | $178,915 | $2,575 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
51,392 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,184 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 22.8% of the median household income.
$62,254 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.8% (BLS county, Harrisonburg City (latest month 2026M09)).
Virginia. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.