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The Weldon Cooper Center 2015 Population Estimates show that Harrisonburg and Rockingham County are growing, as usual.

2015 Population Estimates:

    Harrisonburg:  53,875
    Rockingham County:  79,134
    Combined City/County:  133,009 (up 1% from 131,565 last year)

If we take 2000 home sales as a baseline portion of the population to be buying in any given year, and then we project forward based on actual population growth, we can conclude that....

More people than usual bought between 2001 and 2007.  (housing boom)
    
Fewer people than usual bought between 2009 and 2012.  (housing bust, and then recovery)
    
In 2013/2014 we may have finally returned to a "normal" portion of the local population to be buying in a given year.

Based on the data presented above, I believe the new "normal" number of people to be buying per year may be around 1,100.