Harrisonburg city, Virginia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.8 | 51,082 people · 49th most distressed in Virginia
American Default Research

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Harrisonburg city, VA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.8 — 1156th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Virginia, it ranks 49th of 133 counties. It scores higher than all 1 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Harrisonburg city's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 83.5 — worse than roughly 84% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 83.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 68
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 92
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 85
Homeownership Rate 99
Economic Vitality 74.2
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 84
Rent-to-Income Ratio 89
Business Formation Rate 39
House Price Change (YoY) 48
Structural Poverty 54.7
Unemployment Rate 45
Poverty Rate 94
Income vs. State Median 73
Child Poverty Rate 45
Disability Rate 6
Transfer Income Dependency 55
Consumer Credit Distress 46.0
Debt in Collections 34
Medical Debt 18
Auto Loan Delinquency 57
Credit Card Delinquency 41
Uninsured Rate 66
Subprime Credit Population 64
Legal Distress 27.9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 28

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Harrisonburg city
Harrisonburg city, VA 56.8 Elevated —
Rockingham County, VA 32.2 Healthy -24.6

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Harrisonburg city
Otero County, NM 56.9 Elevated +0.1
Canadian County, OK 56.7 Elevated -0.1
Maury County, TN 56.6 Elevated -0.2
Lauderdale County, AL 56.6 Elevated -0.2
Madison County, KY 56.6 Elevated -0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Harrisonburg city as a CSV file.

Find Help in Harrisonburg city

Find an Attorney

Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-552-7977

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Harrisonburg city residents at no cost.

Virginia Legal Aid Society 540-342-3900
Legal Aid Justice Center 434-977-0553
Legal Services of Northern Virginia 703-778-6800
Virginia Poverty Law Center 804-782-9430
Central Virginia Legal Aid Society 804-648-1012
Blue Ridge Legal Services, Inc. (866) 534-5243
Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia (757) 827-5078
Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society, Inc. (888) 201-2772

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Harrisonburg city, Virginia?

    Harrisonburg city has a County Distress Index score of 56.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,156th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 49th in Virginia out of 133 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Harrisonburg city?

    The primary driver of distress in Harrisonburg city is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 83.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Harrisonburg city compare to neighboring counties?

    Harrisonburg city (56.8) can be compared to its 1 neighboring county: Rockingham County, VA (32.2).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Elevated zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Harrisonburg city's score of 56.8 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

  • What data sources power Harrisonburg city's CDI score?

    Harrisonburg city's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Harrisonburg city?

    Harrisonburg city, Virginia has a population of approximately 51,082 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.