What HUD offices serve Harrisonburg, Virginia?
Public Housing Agencies operate federally assisted affordable housing programs at local levels on behalf of HUD. Notably, housing agencies are responsible for managing Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher waiting lists within their jurisdiction.
Go to the Virginia Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Harrisonburg.
How many renters live in Harrisonburg, Virginia?
The City of Harrisonburg has 51,784 people living in 17,142 households.
There are 27,620 renters living in 10,608 renter households in this City. Renters make up 53.34 percent of the population living in Harrisonburg.
What is the rental market like in Harrisonburg, Virginia?
There are an estimated 18,599 housing units in the Harrisonburg area. Of these, 11,532 units are rental homes, making up 62 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Harrisonburg, Virginia, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Harrisonburg?
The rental vacancy rate in Harrisonburg is 3 percent. This is a lower than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are low there are fewer available units. Rents tend to be higher as more people compete for scarce housing.
How many rental units are in Harrisonburg for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Harrisonburg
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 251 | 1,854 | 3,462 | 2,644 | 2,125 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Harrisonburg
A large number of apartments in Harrisonburg have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.
How many renter households in Harrisonburg are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 44 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 29 percent of households are extremely rent overburdened. When renters pay too much for their housing, it leaves little money for other necessities like food, clothes, or medicine.
The federal government says that renters are cost-burdened if they pay more than a third of their monthly income for rent and utilities.
How Much Is Rent in Harrisonburg
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $921 to $2,041. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $921 |
| One BR | $927 |
| Two BR | $1,203 |
| Three BR | $1,619 |
| Four BR | $2,041 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Harrisonburg, Virginia
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Harrisonburg?
Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.
These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:
| Unit Size | Count of Units Below FMR | Percentage of Total Units Below FMR |
| Studio | 176 | 70 percent |
| One BR | 1,308 | 71 percent |
| Two BR | 2,170 | 63 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Harrisonburg, Virginia
How many affordable rental units are in Harrisonburg?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Harrisonburg, Virginia including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 498 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 423 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Harrisonburg, Virginia
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Harrisonburg, Virginia
Harrisonburg features 423 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.
Low Rent Apartments in Harrisonburg, Virginia
There are 278 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Harrisonburg.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Harrisonburg, Virginia
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Harrisonburg landlords $600 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Harrisonburg.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Harrisonburg, Virginia for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,083 and $1,323.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.