Harrisonburg is a medium-sized city located in the state of Virginia. With a population of 40,468 people and eight constituent neighborhoods, Harrisonburg is the 23rd largest community in Virginia.

Unlike some cities, Harrisonburg isn't mainly white- or blue-collar. Instead, the most prevalent occupations for people in Harrisonburg are a mix of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Harrisonburg is a city of sales and office workers, professionals, and service providers. There are especially a lot of people living in Harrisonburg who work in office and administrative support jobs (13.69%), sales jobs (12.50%), and food service (9.98%).

Harrisonburg is also a major college town with a large number of people who are 18 years or older and attending college. As is often the case in college towns, the many students that live in Harrisonburg have a strong influence on the local culture and entertainment scene, which may seem dormant by comparison in the summer months when much of the student population is away. In the fall, the return of students has a reinvigorating effect on the community. Because colleges are lasting institutions, they have a stabilizing effect on the economy by providing direct local benefits such as jobs for faculty and staff and spending by students. Harrisonburg's economy is one such example of this.

Residents of the city have the good fortune of having one of the shortest daily commutes compared to the rest of the country. On average, they spend only 14.78 minutes getting to work every day.

Although the majority of commuting trips in the city are by private automobile, Harrisonburg is somewhat unusual for a city of its size for having a substantial number of people who use public transportation. The bus helps to get a lot of people to and from their jobs every morning, which benefits everyone in the Harrisonburg area by reducing both traffic and air pollution.

Harrisonburg Information and Demographics

The education level of Harrisonburg citizens is substantially higher than the average US city or town, as 31.22% of adults in Harrisonburg have at least a bachelor's degree.

The per capita income in Harrisonburg in 2000 was $14,898, which is lower middle income relative to Virginia and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $59,592 for a family of four.

Harrisonburg is a somewhat ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Harrisonburg home come from a variety of different races and ancestries. The most prevalent race in Harrisonburg is White, followed by African-American. Important ancestries of people in Harrisonburg include German, Irish, English, and Italian.

The most common language spoken in Harrisonburg is English. Some people also speak Spanish.