Photo: Alma mater · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Harrisonburg is healthier than 79%
Harrisonburg differs from Virginia on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 7 better, 13 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Harrisonburg. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Harrisonburg
Making ends meet is harder in Harrisonburg
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (20.6%), vs 13.1% across Virginia. No reliable transportation (12.5% vs 7.4%) and utility shut-off threats (9.7% vs 7.1%) are higher too. 17.6% of adults receive SNAP, vs 10.7% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Mental distress runs high in Harrisonburg
1 in 5 adults are in frequent mental distress (21.9%), vs 15.9% across Virginia. Depression is above the state too: 27.6%, vs 21.8% across Virginia. Mind & connection ↓
Dental care lags in Harrisonburg
58.9% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 67.9% across Virginia. Among those 65 and older, 16.6% have lost all their teeth (Virginia 11.1%). Checkups ↓
Harrisonburg is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Harrisonburg is healthier than 56%. Against the 9,474 towns with similar household incomes ($47K–$78K), it’s healthier than 79%. Health Grade ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Virginia figure falls outside Harrisonburg’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
What’s behind Harrisonburg’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Harrisonburg is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns, #161 of 253 in Virginia. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 90% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 2%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Harrisonburg’s median household income is $62,254; among the 9,474 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($47K–$78K), it’s healthier than 79%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Most Virginia towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Harrisonburg is healthier than 37% of graded towns, against 56% nationally.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
17.6% of Harrisonburg adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.7% across Virginia.
How Harrisonburg adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Harrisonburg runs above Virginia.
2 in 5 Harrisonburg adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Keeping up with care
Share of Harrisonburg adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Virginia.
Out of every 100 Harrisonburg adults…
Harrisonburg runs below VA on 7 of 12 conditions and above it on 2. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 11% of Harrisonburg residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Virginia. Heart disease, arthritis and stroke run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Harrisonburg
1 community health center in Harrisonburg, plus the nearest just outside it.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Harrisonburg; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Everyday habits, side by side with Virginia
Share of adults, with the Virginia figure marked.
29 miles of trails across 12 parks and preserves
Harrisonburg and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisonburg | B | 33.4% | 9.1% | 12.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Harrisonburg adults live with a disability (Virginia 30%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Harrisonburg
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Harrisonburg is better than Virginia on 7 and worse on 13; on the rest, the Virginia figure falls inside Harrisonburg’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Harrisonburg | VA | U.S. | vs VA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.7%18.2–23.5 | 18.1% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.3%11.7–15 | 12.8% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 21.9%19.5–24.5 | 15.9% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.4%26–41.8 | 34.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.1%8–10.5 | 12.5% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 26.6%23.3–30.2 | 35.4% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 30%26.5–33.9 | 38% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 18.6%16.4–21.1 | 26.2% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 11.3%10–12.8 | 10.4% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 4.9%4.5–5.4 | 7.7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.7%4.2–5.3 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5.9%5.2–6.6 | 6.2% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 2.5%2.3–2.7 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 16.6%13.6–19.9 | 11.1% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.9%11.1–15 | 12.2% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 25.8%21.8–30.4 | 23.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.5%13.5–20 | 14.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.4%31.6–45.9 | 36% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 13.2%11.3–15.3 | 8.7% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 73.8%69.6–77.9 | 79.2% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 58.9%55.2–62.6 | 67.9% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 75.8%72.8–78.5 | 87.5% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 65.6%63–68.1 | 76.8% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 62.8%57.7–67.8 | 67.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74%65.8–81.2 | 78.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 27.6%23.7–31.9 | 21.8% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 38.7%33.3–44.4 | 33.8% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.3%19–25.9 | 21.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 20.6%17.8–23.5 | 13.1% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 14.8%12.7–16.9 | 10.9% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9.7%8.4–11.1 | 7.1% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 12.5%11.1–14.2 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 17.6%15.3–20.2 | 10.7% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.4%31.1–40.1 | 30% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.7%10.3–13.3 | 13.5% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 21.4%19.2–23.8 | 14% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.8%5.1–6.5 | 6.4% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 6.1%5.6–6.7 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11%9.8–12.3 | 7.7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.5%3.2–3.9 | 3.5% | 3.8% | About the same |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Virginia figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Harrisonburg
Is Harrisonburg a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Harrisonburg is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #161 of 253 in Virginia. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Harrisonburg?
CDC estimates 33.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 26% and 41.8%, against 34.5% across Virginia and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Harrisonburg?
Sentara RMH Medical Center in Harrisonburg, 2.2 miles in a straight line from Harrisonburg’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Harrisonburg have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 13.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 11.3–15.3%), against 8.7% across Virginia.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Harrisonburg more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Harrisonburg.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Virginia figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.