Arlington housing market statistics at a glance
Arlington’s housing market is easier to read when you separate the population and job base from the housing stock itself.
The county combines high density, a large renter share, strong educational attainment, and some of the region’s highest housing costs. The numbers below show why the market behaves differently from many suburban places and why the gap between income, affordability, and supply keeps showing up in county data.
Table of contents
- The big picture
- Population, jobs, and demand
- Housing stock and tenure
- Affordability, rents, and cost burden
- Affordable housing inventory and assistance
- Property values and tax base
- What the data suggests
The big picture
A few statistics capture the shape of Arlington’s market better than any narrative summary.
- Arlington County’s 2025 population reached 243,760 people (Arlington County Profile).
- Arlington County had 214,600 estimated jobs as of January 1, 2023 (FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
- Arlington had 121,200 total housing units as of January 2023 (FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
- Owners occupied 38.3% of occupied housing units, while renters occupied 61.7% (FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
- Arlington’s median value of owner-occupied housing units was $864,800 for 2019-2023 (Census QuickFacts).
- Arlington’s median gross rent was $2,275 for 2019-2023 (Census QuickFacts).
Those figures point to a market where rental demand is structurally important, ownership is relatively limited, and both purchase and rental costs sit well above what many households can absorb comfortably.
Fast facts table
| Metric | Value | Source label |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 243,760 | Arlington County Profile |
| Jobs | 214,600 | FY2024 Arlington County Profile |
| Housing units | 121,200 | FY2024 Arlington County Profile |
| Owner-occupied share | 38.3% | FY2024 Arlington County Profile |
| Renter-occupied share | 61.7% | FY2024 Arlington County Profile |
| Median home value | $864,800 | Census QuickFacts |
| Median gross rent | $2,275 | Census QuickFacts |
Population, jobs, and demand
Arlington’s housing market is shaped by a dense mix of residents and jobs.
The county’s 2025 population of 243,760 (Arlington County Profile) sits alongside 214,600 jobs (FY2024 Arlington County Profile). That means the local market is not just serving a residential base; it is also absorbing workers, commuters, and people whose housing choices are influenced by access to employment centers.
The job mix matters as much as the total count.
- 20.8% of Arlington jobs, or about 44,600 jobs, are in government (FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
- Professional and technical services account for 27.6% of jobs and 59,300 jobs (FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
- Other services account for 21.3% of jobs and 45,800 jobs (FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
That structure helps explain why housing demand can stay strong even when supply expands. A market with a large professional workforce and a substantial government presence tends to generate steady demand for both rentals and ownership options near transit, offices, and commercial corridors.
Demand signals that matter
- Population is large enough to support a deep housing market.
- Job concentration keeps daily inflow and outflow high.
- The county’s employment base is broad enough to support multiple housing tiers, not just one segment.
Housing stock and tenure
The county’s housing stock is heavily weighted toward multifamily homes, which is a defining feature of the market.
Arlington had 121,200 total housing units as of January 2023 (FY2024 Arlington County Profile). Of that stock:
- 71.5% was multifamily housing, or 86,600 units (FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
- 22.7% was single-family detached housing, or 27,550 units (FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
- 5.8% was single-family attached housing, or 7,050 units (FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
That split is important because it tells you what kind of supply can grow fastest. A multifamily-heavy market can absorb more units per acre, which is one reason Arlington can add housing while staying relatively compact.
Arlington also changed its stock between January 2020 and January 2023:
- 4,800 new multifamily units were added (FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
- That growth represented a 5.9% increase over the prior base (FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
- The county recorded a net gain of 85 single-family attached units (FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
- The county recorded a net loss of 32 single-family detached units (FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
Housing mix by type
| Housing type | Units | Share of stock | Source label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multifamily | 86,600 | 71.5% | FY2024 Arlington County Profile |
| Single-family detached | 27,550 | 22.7% | FY2024 Arlington County Profile |
| Single-family attached | 7,050 | 5.8% | FY2024 Arlington County Profile |
The tenure split reinforces the same story.
- Owners occupied 38.3% of occupied housing units (FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
- Renters occupied 61.7% of occupied housing units (FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
- Arlington had 114,300 households as of January 2023 (FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
- Average household size was 2.14 persons (FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
- Family households represented 46% of households and non-family households 54% (FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
A renter-majority county with a small average household size usually needs a wide range of unit sizes and price points, especially where job access is a major driver of location choice.
Affordability, rents, and cost burden
Arlington’s affordability story is not just about headline prices. It is about the gap between what housing costs and what households can support.
The Census QuickFacts figures show the county’s typical housing costs are high:
- Median value of owner-occupied housing units: $864,800 for 2019-2023 (Census QuickFacts).
- Median selected monthly owner costs with a mortgage: $3,528 for 2019-2023 (Census QuickFacts).
- Median selected monthly owner costs without a mortgage: $1,159 for 2019-2023 (Census QuickFacts).
- Median gross rent: $2,275 for 2019-2023 (Census QuickFacts).
The county also issued 621 building permits in 2024 (Census QuickFacts), which shows continued construction activity, but the cost level remains high enough that supply growth alone does not automatically solve affordability for middle-income households.
Arlington’s race and ethnicity dashboard adds another layer to the picture.
- 7.4% of residents were below the poverty level (Arlington Race and Ethnicity Dashboard).
- 35% of Arlington residents overall worked from home (Arlington Race and Ethnicity Dashboard).
- 77% of Arlington residents had a bachelor’s degree or higher (Arlington Race and Ethnicity Dashboard).
Education attainment and remote work rates can shape housing choices. Households with more flexible work arrangements may be able to trade commute time for home size or neighborhood preferences, but that flexibility does not remove the pressure of high rent or high ownership costs.
Poverty and education by group
| Group or measure | Value | Source label |
|---|---|---|
| Residents below poverty level | 7.4% | Arlington Race and Ethnicity Dashboard |
| Black residents with bachelor’s degree or higher | 54% | Arlington Race and Ethnicity Dashboard |
| Hispanic or Latino residents with bachelor’s degree or higher | 49% | Arlington Race and Ethnicity Dashboard |
| White residents with bachelor’s degree or higher | 87% | Arlington Race and Ethnicity Dashboard |
| Asian residents with bachelor’s degree or higher | 77% | Arlington Race and Ethnicity Dashboard |
| Overall work-from-home rate | 35% | Arlington Race and Ethnicity Dashboard |
The dashboard also shows variation in mobility and poverty rates:
- Black residents had a 15% poverty rate (Arlington Race and Ethnicity Dashboard).
- Asian residents had a 14% poverty rate (Arlington Race and Ethnicity Dashboard).
- White residents had a 5% poverty rate (Arlington Race and Ethnicity Dashboard).
- Asian residents had a 25% mobility rate meaning they moved to a different home in the past year (Arlington Race and Ethnicity Dashboard).
- Black residents had a 25% mobility rate on the same measure (Arlington Race and Ethnicity Dashboard).
- Hispanic or Latino residents worked from home at a 23% rate (Arlington Race and Ethnicity Dashboard).
These gaps matter because affordability pressure is not evenly distributed. A single countywide median can hide very different experiences across groups and household types.
Affordable housing inventory and assistance
Arlington’s housing response is not limited to market-rate supply. The county also tracks committed affordable housing and direct assistance.
The Affordable Housing Dashboard reports that Arlington County added 132 committed affordable housing units in FY2024, bringing the total to 11,355 (Affordable Housing Dashboard). The same dashboard places total housing supply at 124,712 units in FY2024 (Affordable Housing Dashboard).
That means committed affordable units represent a meaningful but still limited slice of the total stock.
Key affordable housing measures
- 1,379 households were served through eviction prevention in FY2024 (Affordable Housing Dashboard).
- 405 persons were served through shelters in FY2024 (Affordable Housing Dashboard).
- 1,568 households received Housing Grants in FY2024 (Affordable Housing Dashboard).
- 1,535 households received Housing Choice Vouchers in FY2024 (Affordable Housing Dashboard).
- 485 persons were supported through Permanent Supportive Housing in FY2024 (Affordable Housing Dashboard).
- 92% of Permanent Supportive Housing participants remained in PSH or exited to permanent housing (Affordable Housing Dashboard).
The dashboard also shows a supply-side benchmark.
- Rental housing stock affordable up to 60% AMI was 17.7% of all housing, versus a 2040 target shown at 12.3% in the dashboard (Affordable Housing Dashboard).
That comparison is useful because it shows the county measuring current affordable supply against a long-term target, rather than treating affordability as a static number.
The rent levels in the dashboard underline the challenge:
- Studio average asking rent: $2,041, up 6.3% (Affordable Housing Dashboard).
- Two-bedroom average asking rent: $3,068, up 10.0% (Affordable Housing Dashboard).
- Three-bedroom average asking rent: $4,074, up 14.3% (Affordable Housing Dashboard).
The affordable-housing study FAQ provides another lens on burden.
- Over 13,000 renters and 4,800 homeowners spent more than 40% of income on housing (Affordable Housing Study FAQ).
- The median rent for a 2-bedroom apartment was $2,255 (Affordable Housing Study FAQ).
- That rent implied affordability only for households earning at least $90,200 (Affordable Housing Study FAQ).
What the affordability numbers imply
- The county has a large market-rate segment and a meaningful affordable-housing pipeline.
- Assistance and preservation programs are active, but the burden remains widespread.
- Moderate-income households can still be priced out of the middle of the market.
Homeownership context and access
The housing-market story is not only about rent. Ownership in Arlington is also constrained by price and product mix.
The homeownership study reports that:
- Arlington’s homeownership rate was 43.9% (The Context for Homeownership in Arlington).
- The U.S. homeownership rate used for comparison was 65.4% (The Context for Homeownership in Arlington).
- Alexandria’s homeownership rate was 43.2% (The Context for Homeownership in Arlington).
- The District of Columbia’s homeownership rate was 41.6% (The Context for Homeownership in Arlington).
The same source notes that Arlington’s upper affordability limit under current County homeownership programs was $500,000 (The Context for Homeownership in Arlington). It also says condos comprised 99% of Arlington property sales up to $500,000 (The Context for Homeownership in Arlington).
That combination matters because it shows how tightly the affordable ownership market is concentrated in a single product type.
The income distribution among renters also shows why some households may be strong candidates for ownership support even if they are not low-income by traditional definitions:
- 47% of renter households had incomes over $100,000 (The Context for Homeownership in Arlington).
- An additional 8,900 renter households, or 14%, had incomes between $75,000 and $100,000 (The Context for Homeownership in Arlington).
- One fifth of mortgages originated in 2021 for home purchases went to households with incomes under $100,000 (The Context for Homeownership in Arlington).
This is the core Arlington puzzle: many households earn enough to be above classic subsidy thresholds, but not enough to comfortably buy into a high-cost ownership market without help.
Property values and tax base
Housing also affects county finances, because property assessments and the tax base shape the public side of the market.
The 2026 property values article reported that the county’s average residential property value rose from $854,900 to $882,900 (2026 Property Values article). It also reported that:
- Overall Arlington property assessments increased 1.1% in calendar year 2026 (2026 Property Values article).
- Residential property values increased 3.2% overall in 2026 (2026 Property Values article).
- 78% of residential property owners saw assessed values increase in 2026 (2026 Property Values article).
- Real estate taxes provide almost 60% of Arlington County’s total revenues (2026 Property Values article).
- Arlington’s tax base was split 57% residential and 43% commercial in 2026 (2026 Property Values article).
Commercial segments moved differently:
- Commercial property assessments fell 1.5% in 2026 (2026 Property Values article).
- Existing office property values fell 19% (2026 Property Values article).
- General commercial property values rose 3.7% (2026 Property Values article).
- Hotel property values fell 3.8% (2026 Property Values article).
- Apartment property values rose 6.2% (2026 Property Values article).
Property assessment snapshot
| Category | 2026 change or value | Source label |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential property value | $882,900 | 2026 Property Values article |
| Overall property assessments | +1.1% | 2026 Property Values article |
| Residential property values | +3.2% | 2026 Property Values article |
| Commercial property assessments | -1.5% | 2026 Property Values article |
| Existing office property values | -19% | 2026 Property Values article |
| Apartment property values | +6.2% | 2026 Property Values article |
These assessment trends matter because they feed back into affordability, tax policy, and the fiscal room the county has to support housing programs.
What the data suggests
Arlington’s housing market is best understood as a high-demand, high-cost, renter-heavy system with a large multifamily base and a persistent affordability gap.
The strongest signals are consistent across the sources:
- Population and employment are both large enough to sustain strong housing demand (Arlington County Profile; FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
- Multifamily housing is the dominant stock type, and it has added units in recent years (FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
- Renter occupancy is the majority tenure, which means rent levels matter to a large share of households (FY2024 Arlington County Profile).
- Home values and rents are high enough that middle-income households can still struggle to enter or stay in the market comfortably (Census QuickFacts; Affordable Housing Study FAQ).
- The county is actively preserving and funding affordable housing, but the burden indicators remain sizable (Affordable Housing Dashboard; Affordable Housing Study FAQ).
If you are tracking Arlington housing market statistics for planning, investing, or policy analysis, the most important takeaway is that the county is not short on housing activity. It is short on deeply affordable, broadly accessible housing relative to demand and income mix. That tension is visible in the rental data, ownership data, assistance data, and assessment trends all at once.