Arlington, VA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2023-11-15

Cost Of Living In Arlington, VA Summary

Cost of living in Arlington research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Arlington is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in Virginia, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:

  • The cost of living index in Arlington is 167, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Arlington is 1.7x higher than the national average.

  • Arlington ranks as the #170 cheapest in Virginia out of 186.

  • Arlington ranks as the #6,093 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.

  • The median home value in Arlington is $755,800.

  • The median income in Arlington is $128,145.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
167
Arlington's Overall Cost Of Living
1.7x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Arlington, VA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Arlington has an overall cost of living index of 167, which is 1.7x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to Virginia, Arlington has a cost of living index that's 1.6x higher than Virginia's index of 102.

The standard of living in Arlington ranks as #170 most affordable out of the 186 places we measured in Virginia. By definition, that implies Arlington ranks as the #16 most expensive place in the Old Dominion.

For more reading on life in Arlington, check out:

170 out of 186
In Virginia
6,093 out of 6,412
In America

Arlington Cost Of Living Vs. Virginia

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Arlington. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Arlington is 115.

  • The Groceries index in Arlington is 123.

  • The Health index in Arlington is 94.

  • The Housing index in Arlington is 295.

  • The Transportation index in Arlington is 103.

  • The Utilities index in Arlington is 96.

Living Expense Arlington Virginia National Average
Overall 167 102 100
Services 115 102 100
Groceries 123 98 100
Health 94 102 100
Housing 295 107 100
Transportation 103 95 100
Utilities 96 102 100
For more reading on cost of living around Virginia, check out:
Arlington Cost of Living Vs. VA

Arlington, VA Housing Cost Breakdown

Housing swings affordability the most between places in Virginia, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Arlington is $755,800.

  • The Median Rent in Arlington is $2,094.

  • The Median Income in Arlington is $128,145.

  • The Home Value To Income in Arlington is 5.9x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Arlington is 0.2x.

Statistic Arlington Virginia United States
Median Home Value $755,800 $295,500 $244,900
Median Rent $2,094 $1,326 $1,163
Median Income $128,145 $80,615 $69,021
Home Value To Income 5.9x 3.7x 3.5x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.2x 0.2x 0.2x
Search Homes For Sale In Arlington, VA
$755,800
Median Home Value
$2,094
Median Rent
$128,145
Median Income

Arlington, VA Costs By Category

Detailed Arlington Services Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Arlington Virginia
Shampoo $1.0 $1.06
Movie $13.15 $10.68
Bowling $22.0 $14.67
Haircut $26.08 $18.62
Beauty Salon $63.44 $39.05

Detailed Arlington Groceries Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Arlington Virginia
Ground Beef $4.79 $4.22
Fried Chicken $1.59 $1.39
Milk $2.61 $2.05
Potatoes $4.46 $3.29
Pizza $11.99 $10.62
Beer $11.41 $9.38
Toothpaste $3.19 $2.34

Detailed Arlington Health Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Arlington Virginia
Optometrist $90.67 $108.57
Doctor $103.89 $116.17
Dentist $99.0 $99.13

Detailed Arlington Transportation Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Arlington Virginia
Gasoline $2.3 $2.22
Tire Balancing $52.0 $50.07

Detailed Arlington Utilities Costs Vs. Virginia

Item Arlington Virginia
All Electricity $160.85 $167.67
Phone $177.97 $175.64

Arlington SnackAbility

7.5
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
9/10
Housing
10
Affordability
5
Diversity
9
Safety
N/A
Amenities
10
Education
9
Commute
5

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Arlington

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Arlington. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Alexandria, VA has a cost of living index of 150, 0.9x Arlington.

  • Olney, MD has a cost of living index of 150, 0.9x Arlington.

  • West Falls Church, VA has a cost of living index of 146, 0.9x Arlington.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Arlington
Alexandria, VA 158,185 150 0.9x
Olney, MD 35,815 150 0.9x
West Falls Church, VA 31,023 146 0.9x
North Potomac, MD 24,449 167 1.0x
Lincolnia, VA 20,704 146 0.9x
Idylwood, VA 17,687 150 0.9x
Kemp Mill, MD 14,509 141 0.8x
Falls Church, VA 14,494 176 1.1x
Colesville, MD 14,468 140 0.8x
Travilah, MD 11,052 227 1.4x

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