Living in Arlington, VA
Suburb in Virginia
Arlington is a suburb in Virginia, home to about 235,000 people, with 5.6 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a very fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
In short: An urban-style suburb along Metro lines, highly educated, with good schools. Expensive.
Is Arlington a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 10 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Highly educated: 77% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, and 7 research universities are within 31 mi
- Lots of culture: museums, zoos and attractions nearby
- Big job market: about 5.6 million people live within 31 mi
👎 Cons
- Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $992k, and rent is $2,840 a month
- Cloudier than most places
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Arlington ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Arlington: common questions
What is the cost of living in Arlington?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $992k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,840 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 109, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Arlington?
Virginia collects about $2,198 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.9% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Arlington safe?
Arlington isn't in the FBI's 2019 city crime table, so Best Life Fit Me counts its safety as average.
What is the weather like in Arlington?
Arlington has cool winters: winter days average around 47°F and summer days around 88°F, with roughly 14″ of snow a year.
Does Arlington get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and heat waves: 9 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.26 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Arlington?
The nearest major airport is DCA, about 4 mi away.
How Arlington scores
Each bar compares Arlington with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Nearby
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Is Arlington right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.