A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Shenandoah$1,640/mo

Typical home $282K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.68% · or rent about $1,093/mo · Housing →

Mount Jackson$1,870/mo

Typical home $330K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.52% · or rent about $984/mo · Housing →

The difference: $240 a month, about $2,800 a year, between Mount Jackson and Shenandoah.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Virginia ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

A−ShenandoahSafer than 80% of U.S. towns B−Mount JacksonSafer than 54% of U.S. towns

Schools

BShenandoahBetter than 58% of districts in the state B−Mount JacksonBetter than 53% of districts in the state

Health

C−ShenandoahHealthier than 15% of U.S. towns DMount JacksonHealthier than 10% of U.S. towns

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

ShenandoahMount Jackson

Snow a year19″21″

January low23°F 21°F

July high86°F 85°F

Growing season (days)182d 174d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)69th 71st

Outdoors & history

ShenandoahMount Jackson

Trails2 mi 1 mi

Conserved land0%4.3%

Settled1837 —

National Register places4 4

Archive photos12 12

Famous people born here6 2

Community

ShenandoahMount Jackson

Library hours a week17 hrs 17 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

17 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

ShenandoahMount Jackson

Shenandoah ↔ Mount Jackson17 miles apart

Who commutes between them

12 Shenandoah residents work in Mount Jackson (1% of its workers)

Work & commute in Shenandoah →

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Virginia average

ShenandoahMount Jackson

People

Population 2,888Highest 2,000Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.8%Highest VA: +7.9% -1.7%Lowest VA: +7.9%

Median age 37±4.7Lowest 5% below VA 37.2±3.7Highest 5% below VA

Mount Jackson and Shenandoah are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 26.8%±3.4Highest VA: 21.7% 26.6%±5.1Lowest VA: 21.7%

Shenandoah and Mount Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 13.3%±2.5Lowest VA: 16.7% 19%±2.9Highest VA: 16.7%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 7.9%Lowest VA: 42.2% 10.8%Highest VA: 42.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.3%±2Highest VA: 6.9% 2.9%±1.4Lowest VA: 6.9%

Shenandoah and Mount Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $71,458±$8kHighest 23% below VA $52,297±$14kLowest 44% below VA

Shenandoah and Mount Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $212,600±$9kHighest 45% below VA $193,000±$33kLowest 50% below VA

Shenandoah and Mount Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,093±$150Highest 31% below VA $984±$78Lowest 38% below VA

Shenandoah and Mount Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,447Highest 48% below VA $1,011Lowest 64% below VA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 15.1%±10.9Lowest VA: 48.5% 39.4%±15.7Highest VA: 48.5%

Mount Jackson and Shenandoah are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 14.2%Lowest VA: 9.9% 16.3%Highest VA: 9.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 76.4%Highest VA: 67.3% 70.2%Lowest VA: 67.3%

Typical home builtmedian year 1973Lowest 11 yrs older than VA 1975Highest 9 yrs older than VA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 32 minHighest 16% above VA 24 minLowest 11% below VA

Work from home 4.1%±3.1Highest VA: 18.3% 4%±2.5Lowest VA: 18.3%

Shenandoah and Mount Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 4.9%Lowest 16.7%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.8 miHighest 12.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.29Lowest 2.11Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Harrisonburg (14%)Woodstock (11%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 1% work in Mount JacksonFew work in Shenandoah

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 4.3%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 1.7 miHighest 0.5 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 2Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 57.3Highest 23.3Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #165 of 219 in VA—

School district Page County Public SchoolsShenandoah County Public Schools

High school in town None in townNone in town

Virginia average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Shenandoah neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Shenandoah’s Town Square.

Mount Jackson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mount Jackson’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Shenandoah

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Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Virginia towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Shenandoah vs Mount Jackson

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $240 more a month in Mount Jackson

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

17 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Shenandoah and Mount Jackson

Towns like Shenandoah

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