Their economic activities are dictated by the changing of the seasons. After planting highland barley, wheat, and a few other crops in the spring, the farmers become herders. They take their sheep, horses, yaks, and camels to the highland pastures for the summer. There, they live in felt tents or mud huts. In the fall, they lead the animals to lower altitudes again and then harvest their crops.
Tajik villages are compact and located at high elevations.
The houses are made of wood, sod, and stone and have very thick walls and flat roofs. The flat roofs ensure that the houses will be covered by snow in the winter, thereby reducing the amount of fuel needed for heating. The inside perimeter of the house is lined with kangs , or raised, heated adobe platforms that are used for sitting and sleeping. Most Tajik families also have a separate animal shed and another separate building for cooking. All of a family's buildings are surrounded by a stone wall.