Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 56/100
C−
Median home value$895,000
Washington $579,900
Median rent$2,322/mo
Washington $2,027/mo
Cost-burdened households31%
Washington 31%
Arlington
Arlington County236,254 residentsArlington County Public Schools
73
B
Suburbgrade score
2nd of 60 Washington suburbs. Strong on amenities and employment & income, held back by housing & affordability.
73
Washington median 64
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for Arlington yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 73 is computed on the other six categories, re-normalised to 100%. Answer the poll →
What living here is actually like
Written summary in preparation This page is waiting for its written summary, and for a person to check it. Until then it is excluded from search engines.
What Arlington is like to live in, by category
Bars show Arlington against Washington. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 71/100
B−
Within-state proficiency—
Washington median 78th pct
Student–teacher ratio14.4
Washington median 14.1
Graduation rate87%
Washington median 86%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 74/100
B
Housing cost index121
Washington 100
Eff. tax rate0.85%
Washington 0.85%
Local sales tax5.77%
Washington median 5.77%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 72/100
B−
Mean commute26.2 min
Washington 32.4 min
Under 30 minutes58%
Washington 47%
Transit stops / sq mi45
Washington median 6.4 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 97/100
A+
Restaurants & cafés327
Washington median 87 · within 2 miles
Groceries17
Washington median 8 · within 2 miles
Parks252
Washington median 85 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 76/100
B
Median household income$142,114
Washington $126,684
Unemployment3.3%
Washington 4.8%
Professional occupations75%
Washington 58%
Residents
12% of the score · inactive
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No responses yet. Residents is excluded from the score until eight people answer.
Ask the people who live here
Twelve yes/no questions, one tap each. No dataset knows whether the yards are kept or whether anyone talks to their neighbours. Answers feed the Residents grade, which needs eight responses before it counts.
Nobody has answered for Arlington yet. If you live here, you can be the first.
Is it quiet at night?
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Do you feel safe walking after dark?
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Can you walk to a grocery store?
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Is it good for young children?
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Are yards and streets well kept?
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Tap either button to answer — no account neededAll twelve questions →
Better than Arlington on housing & affordability
Arlington's weakest grade is C−. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.
SuburbHousingOverall
McLean7 mi from ArlingtonA 72 B− Potomac11 mi from ArlingtonB+ 67 C+ Burke11 mi from ArlingtonB 67 C+ South Riding22 mi from ArlingtonB 68 B− Brambleton24 mi from ArlingtonB 66 C+ Bethesda8 mi from ArlingtonB− 73 B Median home value: ACS 2020–24 · Ownership rate: ACS 2020–24
Common questions about living in Arlington
Is Arlington, VA a good place to live?
Arlington scores 73 out of 100, 2nd of 60 Washington suburbs. It is strongest on amenities and weakest on housing & affordability. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.
Is Arlington expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades B. The median home is $895,000, 54% above the Washington median, and the effective property tax rate is 0.85%. $2,322/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in Arlington?
Schools grade B−. The districts serving Arlington sit at the — within-state proficiency percentile, with a 87% graduation rate and a 14.4 student–teacher ratio. Arlington is served by Arlington County Public Schools. Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from Arlington?
The mean commute is 26.2 min, with 58% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 35% working from home. Transit density is 45 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in Arlington?
Within two miles there are 17 groceries, 327 restaurants and cafés and 252 parks, which grades A+ on amenities.
Are the homes in Arlington old or new?
The median home in Arlington was built in 1976 — older than the Washington median of 1983. That is a median, so a town can be half post-war and half new-build and still land there. 34% of homes are houses rather than flats.
Every answer is built from the figures on this page, with their sources and as-of dates on the methodology page.