City profile · Virginia · Census ACS 2023

Arlington, VA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Arlington - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

235,463
Residents
$140,160
Median income
$864,800
Median home
$2,246
Median rent (state)

Arlington - the verdict

Arlington ranks in the 92nd percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

92nd
percentile, household income
96th
percentile, home value
87th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Arlington, VA

235,463 people live in Arlington, Virginia - a mid-sized U.S. city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Arlington brings in $140,160 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 5.0%. Arlington's housing stock carries a median value of $864,800, and the median resident age is 35.5 years. 77.1% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 73.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The city is served by 36 public schools according to NCES Common Core of Data.

Virginia tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 101.1 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $2,246 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Virginia run around $235, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Commute times here average 18.2 minutes, with 39.7% driving alone and 31.5% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 66.8 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Moderate).

Population

235,463 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Virginia

Median Household Income

$140,160 /yr

Poverty 5.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

101.1 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Virginia average

How does Arlington compare to other US cities?

Here's how Arlington stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 92% higher than other cities
Home value 96% pricier than other cities
Median rent 87% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Arlington against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Virginia only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Virginia-relative analysis

Median Home Value is Arlington's strongest outlier among Virginia cities

Among the 567 Virginia cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Arlington ranks #22 - the 96th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Arlington only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#86 of 558
85th percentile in Virginia
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 619
75th percentile in Virginia
Median Home Value
#22 of 567
96th percentile in Virginia
Poverty Rate
#317 of 616
48th percentile in Virginia
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#32 of 618
95th percentile in Virginia

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Virginia only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

92ndIncome percentile

92nd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Arlington's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$864,800 4th percentile more affordable than 4% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Arlington $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Arlington, VA Arlington, VA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Arlington, VA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Arlington, VA median $140,160/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Arlington, VA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Arlington, VA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 77.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 73.8%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
235,463
Median Income
$140,160
Median Home Value
$864,800
Median Age
35.5
Poverty Rate
5.0%
Labor force participation
73.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
77.1%

Schools

Total Schools
36
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
18.2 minutes
Drive Alone
39.7%
Carpool
5.3%
Public Transit
15.9%
Walk
4.3%
Work from Home
31.5%
Other
3.3%

Based on 146,947 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Virginia - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$70
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$50
avg/month
Total Utilities
$235
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Virginia state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Virginia state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Arlington sits in

Cost of Living Index
101.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,246/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
66.8 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Virginia

Norfolk
235,037 people
Richmond
227,595 people
Chesapeake
251,153 people
Newport News
184,774 people
Alexandria
156,788 people
Hampton
137,334 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Arlington's 235,463 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Boise City, ID
235,701 people
Enterprise, NV
232,043 people
Spokane, WA
229,228 people
Santa Clarita, CA
229,021 people
Scottsdale, AZ
242,169 people
Fremont, CA
228,518 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Arlington's $140,160 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

McSwain, CA
$140,173 median income
Leander, TX
$140,180 median income
Jupiter Farms, FL
$140,213 median income
Lake Waconda, NE
$140,221 median income
Seville, FL
$140,222 median income
Monmouth Beach, NJ
$140,074 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Arlington, VA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Arlington, VA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 62.6% 9.4% 10.5% 11.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 15.7% White 62.6% Black or African American 9.4% Asian 10.5% American Indian 0.5% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 5.5% Two or more races 11.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Arlington compares to nearby Virginia cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Arlington (this city) 235,463 $140,160
Norfolk 235,037 $64,017
Richmond 227,595 $62,671
Chesapeake 251,153 $94,189
Census ACS 5-year FIPS VA NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Arlington, VA?

What is the population of Arlington, VA? +

The population of Arlington, VA stands at 235,463 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Arlington, VA? +

In Arlington, the typical household earns $140,160 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Arlington? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Arlington; the closest available measure is the Virginia state average, a cost of living index of 101.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Virginia vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Arlington, VA? +

The median home value in Arlington is $864,800, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.