Moving to
Arlington.

All Arlington data Compare Arlington

46,350people live here $150,701median household income▲ 87% above US $2,082median rent per month▲ 47% above US $933,800median home value▲ 181% above US

Arlington is an unincorporated community in Middlesex County, MA. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.

What it's like to live in Arlington

Arlington is an unincorporated community in Massachusetts with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Arlington deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and cold winters.

The good

Higher-than-average incomes
Low crime rates
Clean air
Highly educated workforce
Low student-teacher ratio
Public transit that many commuters use

The not so good

Rent well above the national average
High home prices
Above-average commute times
Cold winters
Heavy snowfall — 64" per year
Above-average rainfall

How Arlington compares

Median household income

Arlington$150,701

Massachusetts avg$103,960

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Arlington$2,082

Massachusetts avg$1,762

US$1,413

Median home value

Arlington$933,800

Massachusetts avg$562,100

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Arlington

Based on Arlington's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$4,164

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $83,280 a year
34% of Arlington renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$186,760

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $93,380
Homes cost 6.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 47% above US

$2,082/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $2,082 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $933,800. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $933,800 · 34% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

4.1% county unemployment

Unemployment in Middlesex County is 4.1%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Middlesex County (county-wide)

Safety▼ 86% below US

45 violent crimes per 100k

Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.

Property crime 453/100k · Arlington Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▲ 24% above US

32 min average commute

Traffic is a real factor here. The 32.2 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 5 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% take public transit; 35% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

44%

Work from home

35%

Public transit

11%

Other

5.9%

Carpool

3.0%

Walk

2.0%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 21°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 111% above US

76% bachelor's degree or higher

This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.

Schools

11 public schools inside the boundary

There are 11 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site (3 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Arlington's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,082/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (35% of workers here already work from home), and people who would rather not drive. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and people who dread long commutes.

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