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Home | Virginia | Below Average Costs

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Finding the Best Places to Retire Since 2006!

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Harrisonburg, Virginia

Tucked in the Shenandoah Valley, Harrisonburg Has an Artsy, Collegiate Vibe and an Inviting, Walkable Downtown

Harrisonburg sits in north central Virginia's beautiful Shenandoah Valley, about two hours southwest of Washington, D.C. It started out in the late-1700s and today is home to James Madison University and Eastern Mennonite University. It often receives recognition as a great place to live.

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The walkable 40-block downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is dotted with museums, art galleries, bookstores, street paintings and restaurants offering international menus. It has also been designated as Virginia's First Culinary District. The annual Taste of Downtown celebrates this fact with gusto.

The arts community is alive and well, with the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts and other venues offering regular performances, including the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival and the Sing Me High Music Festival. Several art cooperatives and an art community center add to the artistic vibe. Visitors come to town every year for the Shenandoah Mountain Bike Festival, the Alpine Loop Grand Fondo and Rocktown Rambler.

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Neighborhoods are leafy with everything from modest ranch ramblers to beautiful custom homes on acreage. Outside of town, the Valley offers plenty of opportunities to hike, fish, birdwatch and camp. Five wineries are also close at hand.

Population: 53,000 (city proper)

Percentage of Population Age 45 or Better:  25%

Cost of Living: 18% below the national average

Median Home Price: $310,000

Climate: Summer temperatures are in the 80s and 90s.  Winter temperatures in the 30s, 40s and 50s.   On average, the area receives 40 inches of rain and 22 inches of snow each year.

Public Transit:   Yes

Crime Rate:   Well below the national average

At Least One Hospital Accepts Medicare Patients?    Yes

At Least One Hospital Accredited by Joint Commission?  Yes

Political Leanings: Liberal

Is Virginia Considered Tax Friendly for Retirement?     Somewhat

Cons:   None

Notes:  Harrisonburg has maintained its population within the last decade.  Home prices have increased 3% since last year.

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Recommended as a Retirement Spot?   Yes

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Virginia:

The Commonwealth of Virginia is on the southern Atlantic coast. Nicknames include Old Dominion and Mother of Presidents (eight American presidents were born here). The motto for the state is Sic Semper Tyrannis, meaning Thus Always to Tyrants. This motto is on both the state's seal (designed in 1776) and the state's flag (first used in the 1830s).

The Virginia Company established the Colony of Virginia and Jamestown in 1607. The state was one of the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolution and joined the Confederacy during the Civil War. Richmond was even named the Confederate capital. Today, the Virginia General Assembly is the oldest continuous legislative body in the Western world.

Western Virginia has a distictly rural, southern feeling while eastern Virgina is home to military installations and northern Virginia is where many Washington, D.C. lobbyists and government workers live.

The Blue Ridge Mountains, Chesapeake Bay, the Shenandoah Valley and miles of eastern shore beaches are Virginia highlights.

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