Charlottesville vs Harrisonburg
Charlottesville, Virginia versus Harrisonburg, Virginia: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Charlottesville and Harrisonburg score about the same overall (51 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Charlottesville | Harrisonburg |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $67k | $56k |
| Cost of Living | $56k | $49k |
| Home Value | $398k | $264k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.85% | 0.71% |
| Income Tax | 5.80% | 5.80% |
| Sales Tax | 5.77% | 5.77% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 12.73% | 11.06% |
| Unemployment | 5.1% | 6.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 37°F | 34°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 77°F | 75°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 48.5 in | 42.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 17.0 in | 19.4 in |
| Sunny Days | 253 days | 191 days |
| Summer Humidity | 66°F | 62°F |
| Comfortable Days | 92 days | 82 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 21.9 | 23.4 |
| Air Quality | 48 AQI | 46 AQI |
| School Quality | 81.3 | 85.3 |
| Violent Crime | 1901/100k | 1193/100k |
| Property Crime | 3424/100k | 1830/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 46,289 | 51,784 |
| Median Age | 32.4 | 25.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.49 | 0.47 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 0.94 |
| Political Leaning | D+74 | D+33 |
| White (%) | 65.3% | 63.8% |
| Black (%) | 17.0% | 7.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.8% | 20.8% |
| Asian (%) | 7.0% | 3.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.9% | 5.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 17 min | 17 min |
| Walkability | 15.0/20 | 15.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 74 mi | 84 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 88.5% | 81.9% |
| Amenities Nearby | 73.88 | 33.41 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Charlottesville or Harrisonburg more affordable?
- Harrisonburg has the lower cost of living: its index is $49k, compared with Charlottesville's $56k and Harrisonburg's $49k. Median rent is $1k in Charlottesville versus $1k in Harrisonburg.
- Is Charlottesville or Harrisonburg safer?
- Harrisonburg has the lower violent crime rate. Charlottesville reports 1901/100k and Harrisonburg reports 1193/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Charlottesville or Harrisonburg?
- The median home value is $398k in Charlottesville and $264k in Harrisonburg, so homes are more affordable in Harrisonburg.