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.
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:
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 |
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 |
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 |