Photo: Alma mater · CC BY-SA 3.0Harrisonburg spent less per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities
Harrisonburg’s city government spent $231 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $4,516 per resident. Water and other utilities ($75.7 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Harrisonburg is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$3,626 per resident in 2022: less than 89% of them
Harrisonburg’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,626 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Virginia cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,932, and the middle half spent $4,349–$5,540. Harrisonburg spent less than 89% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($13.6 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Virginia cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Harrisonburg itself left out).
About $4,516 per resident a year, or $12.37 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 49% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Harrisonburg runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Virginia cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools.
Day-to-day spending is up 20% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Harrisonburg reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $3,626 · 2023: $4,053 · 2024: $4,516.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,585 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,281 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.76% of the home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Harrisonburg’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Harrisonburg’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Harrisonburg →
Who’s in charge in Harrisonburg
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Harrisonburg’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on harrisonburgva.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 29 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (51,158).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Harrisonburg City Public Schools
Harrisonburg’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Harrisonburg, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $16,625 per pupil, $9,380 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Virginia districts overall: 49% local, 41% state, 10% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Harrisonburg voted in 2024
Official results for Harrisonburg’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat61.4%10,641 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican36.2%6,266 votesOthers: 2.5% (425 votes).
Most votes in Harrisonburg: Kamala D Harris
Harrisonburg city: Harris 61.4%, Trump 36.2% · Virginia: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.1%
of Harrisonburg’s 37,593 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Virginia: 71%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Harrisonburg: Timothy M Kaine
Harrisonburg city: Kaine 64.6%, Cao 35.2% · Virginia: Kaine 54.4%, Cao 45.4%
Most votes in the district: Ben L Cline
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Harrisonburg, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisonburg | 61.4% | 36.2% | 2.5% | 17,332 |
| Harrisonburg city | 61.4% | 36.2% | 2.5% | 17,332 |
| Virginia | 51.8% | 46.1% | 2.1% | 4,503,288 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Harrisonburg.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: harrisonburgva.gov ↗
- 2Virginia House of DelegatesState representatives
- 3Virginia SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Virginia
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Harrisonburg’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Harrisonburg’s government
How much does Harrisonburg spend per resident?
About $4,516 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $3,626 was less than 89% of 18 Virginia cities of 50,000–99,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Harrisonburg?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,281 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.76% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.73% across Virginia. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see harrisonburgva.gov.
Who runs Harrisonburg’s government?
See harrisonburgva.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Harrisonburg yet.
How did Harrisonburg vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 61.4%, Donald J Trump 36.2% (17,332 votes, official results). Harrisonburg city: Harris 61.4%, Trump 36.2%. Virginia: Harris 51.8%, Trump 46.1%.
How many people work for Harrisonburg?
1,763 full-time and 398 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $10.1M (about $120.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Harrisonburg in the state legislature?
State Senate District 2 (Mark Obenshain) and House of Delegates District 34 (Tony Wilt). The House of Delegates district also covers 1 neighboring town. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Harrisonburg’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →