Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Broadway grades B− overall, ranked 179th of 249 in Virginia, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It reports less crime per resident than 89% of U.S. towns. On the other side, FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 67% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Broadway has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Tunker House and Linville Creek Bridge. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 80% of U.S. towns. Only 3 of the 86 Virginia towns we compare have a lower violent offense rate than Broadway.
Where Broadway beats most towns.
3,691 counted in 2010 and 4,170 in 2020; an estimated 4,463 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 6.8% since 2020, after 13% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Broadway is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 323 in 1880, 4,170 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2011 and 4 maps from 1947 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Broadway, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Broadway.
Broadway sees little violent crime, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Virginia (mostly inland flooding).
Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 residents.
Broadway’s property offense rate is 3.4 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The largest public high school is Broadway High, with 932 students. Of its 3 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason. Its public schools are run by the Rockingham County Public Schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| J. Frank Hillyard MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 726 | C+ |
| Broadway HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 932 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
Broadway’s mean commuting time is 24 minutes, where Virginia’s towns sit at 27 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. For most workers, Broadway is a place to come home to: only 6% work in town. 13% of Broadway residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Harrisonburg (31%), Bridgewater (2%) and Woodstock (2%).
| Broadway | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Among adults in Broadway, 13% have diabetes. Broadway: 16% of adults report frequent physical distress, above both the Virginia town median (12%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). In Broadway, 17% of adults smoke cigarettes, and 19% report frequent mental distress.
| Broadway | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 12% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 22% | 23% |
| What stands out | Broadway | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.7% | 6.2% |
| More smokers | 16.7% | 12.2% |
| More uninsured adults | 11.2% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.2 miles of trail. Broadway’s trail density comes in at 0.5 miles per square mile.
| Broadway | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.5% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
A home in Broadway typically sold within 70 days of listing. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 2.8% in value. Also worth knowing: in Broadway, the typical rent is $1,095 a month.
| Broadway | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,095 a month | $1,764 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expect July afternoons of 86° and January nights of 23°, with about 19 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 95% of Virginia towns; that rating is what its C− for hazard risk is built on.
Of the losses FEMA expects in Broadway, 75% come from inland flooding and 7% from hurricanes. Flood insurance has paid out on 9 claims here since 1996. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2003.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Broadway. Close and well known come first.
13 mi National ParkShenandoah National Park1.7M visitors a year
40 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
18 mi CaveLuray Caverns19 mi Scenic driveSkyline Drive
13 mi National forestGeorge Washington and Jefferson National Forests
38 mi MountainSpruce MountainShenandoah National Park: Image copyright 2005 by user G. Edward Johnson (user Lorax) and released under t, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Luray Caverns: Paulo Ordoveza from Washington, DC, CC BY 2.0 · Skyline Drive: Image copyright 2005 by user G. Edward Johnson (user Lorax) and released under t, CC BY-SA 3.0 · George Washington and Jefferson National Forests: Aneta Kaluzna, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Spruce Mountain: Valerius Tygart, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Broadway
About 3 of every 100 Broadway residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
Where Broadway’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in Broadway on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in Virginia, United States
Broadway is a town in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, Broadway had a population of 4,170. It is included in the Harrisonburg metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Broadway grades B− overall, better than 47% of U.S. towns and #179 of 249 in Virginia. It grades C for health, A for safety and B− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
That is 4.3 years of the area's median household income ($75,065 across the Harrisonburg, VA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
2 notable people were born here, including Jacob K. Shafer and Joe T. May.
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