Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Luray grades D overall, ranked 231st of 249 in Virginia, mostly because of incomes. The median household income is $50K, and 12% of residents live below the poverty line. It also has a long history, with 16 places on the National Register. Luray’s median age is 54 years, against 38.5 years in Virginia’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Only 19 of Virginia’s 372 towns score lower on hazard risk. Its National Register listings include Aventine Hall and Page County Courthouse.
Where Luray beats most towns.
Census counts: 632 in 1880, 4,831 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 6 maps from 1929 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Luray is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Luray. Close and well known come first.
4 mi National ParkShenandoah National Park1.7M visitors a year
in town CaveLuray Caverns8 mi Scenic driveSkyline Drive
32 mi National forestGeorge Washington and Jefferson National Forests22 mi Zoo & aquariumSmithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
23 mi National Historical ParkCedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical ParkShenandoah National Park: Image copyright 2005 by user G. Edward Johnson (user Lorax) and released under t, CC BY-SA 3.0 · 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 · Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park: APK, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Luray, 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 Luray.
Luray is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Virginia (mostly inland flooding) and has household incomes well below the Virginia norm.
Its public schools are run by the Page County Public Schools. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luray ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 474 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 97% of Virginia towns; that rating is what its C− for hazard risk is built on.
Luray’s FEMA risk score is 70 of 100. Since 1985, 42 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Luray.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
2.3 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. Ralph H. Dean Recreation Park, at 46 acres with 1.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Luray | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.1% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ralph H. Dean Recreation Park | 1.1 mi | 46 |
| 2. Carillon Park | 0.2 mi | 7 |
| 3. Eugene Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The typical Luray home is worth about $323,000, up 4.5% in a year, 22% below the Virginia typical home. The median rent in Luray is $892 a month.
| Luray | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $892 a month | $1,764 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 65% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Luray has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 24° and about 19 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 4 of Luray’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Harrisonburg (4%), Winchester (4%) and Front Royal (2%). Half commute less than 27 miles.
| Luray | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 26% | 4.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $50,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 5,846 U.S. towns with household incomes like Luray’s, it is healthier than 81%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Luray beats the Virginia average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 40% of adults have high blood pressure in Luray.
| Luray | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 23% | 25% |
| What stands out | Luray | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.4% | 76.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.7% | 6.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Within Virginia, it does better than 73% of towns.
| Luray | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.5 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 9.8 per 1,000 residents | 14.6 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Luray; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Luray residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
8 places in Luray on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Luray.
Town in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, United States
Luray is the county seat of Page County, Virginia, United States. It is in the Shenandoah Valley and found within the northwestern part of the Commonwealth. The population was 4,831 at the 2020 census. The town was founded by William Staige Marye in 1812, a descendant of a family native to Luray, France.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Luray grades D overall, better than 10% of U.S. towns and #231 of 249 in Virginia. It grades C+ for health, B− for safety and C+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Within Virginia, it does better than 73% of towns.
Yes. That is 5.7 years of the area's median household income ($57,037 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
8 notable people were born here, including Edward Almond and Thomas Jordan.
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