Arlington neighborhood statistics at a glance
Arlington is dense, high-income, and still growing, with a housing market and job base that look very different from many neighboring places. The numbers below show a county-sized community that combines a large renter population, strong educational attainment, major employment concentration, and steady population growth.
Fast facts
- Population reached 243,931 on July 1, 2025 and rose from 239,807 in 2024 and 238,643 in the 2020 Census (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Median household income was $142,114 and per capita income was $90,786 in 2020-2024 ACS estimates (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Median gross rent was $2,322 and the median owner-occupied home value was $895,000 in 2020-2024 ACS estimates (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Bachelor’s degree or higher reached 77.1% of adults age 25+ in 2020-2024 ACS estimates (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Arlington had 221,400 total jobs in 2024 and 123,700 housing units in January 2024 (Arlington County Profile 2025).
Table of contents
- Population and growth
- Demographic makeup
- Housing and rent
- Education, income, and work
- Neighborhood-scale infrastructure
- What the numbers suggest
Population and growth
Arlington neighborhood statistics start with a simple fact: this is a place where density and growth matter. The county?s 2025 population estimate was 243,931 (U.S. Census QuickFacts), up from 239,807 in 2024 and 238,643 in the 2020 Census (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
The longer view is just as useful. Arlington had 207,627 people in the 2010 Census and 238,643 in the 2020 Census (U.S. Census QuickFacts), which means the area added more than 30,000 residents over that decade before continuing to grow into 2025.
Big number
Population grew 2.2% from April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
That growth rate may not sound dramatic at first glance, but in a highly built-out jurisdiction, even modest percentage growth can translate into meaningful pressure on housing, transit, schools, and services. The numbers show a community that is not just large, but still actively changing.
Demographic makeup
Arlington?s demographic profile shows a broad mix of ages, races, household types, and origins. The pattern is important because it explains why one-size-fits-all neighborhood assumptions often fail here.
At a glance
- Persons under 5 years: 4.6% of the population (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Persons under 18 years: 17.7% (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Persons age 65 years and over: 12.5% (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Female persons: 49.7% of the population (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Foreign-born persons: 22.4% in 2020-2024 ACS estimates (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Language other than English spoken at home: 29.4% among persons age 5+ (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
These figures point to a community that is both family-relevant and globally connected. The under-18 share indicates a sizable school-age population, while the foreign-born and multilingual shares suggest that local services, communications, and retail environments need to work across many backgrounds.
Racial and ethnic composition
Here is a compact look at the reported population shares:
| Category | Share | Source |
|---|---|---|
| White alone | 72.4% | U.S. Census QuickFacts |
| Black alone | 10.7% | U.S. Census QuickFacts |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone | 0.8% | U.S. Census QuickFacts |
| Asian alone | 11.9% | U.S. Census QuickFacts |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone | 0.2% | U.S. Census QuickFacts |
| Two or More Races | 4.0% | U.S. Census QuickFacts |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.3% | U.S. Census QuickFacts |
| White alone, not Hispanic or Latino | 58.3% | U.S. Census QuickFacts |
Two things stand out from this table. First, Arlington is not a narrow single-profile market; it has several meaningful population groups. Second, the Hispanic or Latino share and the foreign-born share indicate that neighborhood-level outreach and services likely need to be more than English-only and more than generic.
Household stability and mobility
Arlington also shows a relatively stable but mobile population pattern.
- 78.7% of persons age 1 year+ lived in the same house one year ago (2020-2024 ACS estimates, U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Households totaled 112,027 in 2020-2024 ACS estimates (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Persons per household were 2.08 (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Average household size was 2.14 in the 2020 Census (Arlington County Profile 2025).
- Family households were 43.8% of Arlington households in the 2022 ACS (Arlington County Profile 2025).
- Non-family households were 56.2% (Arlington County Profile 2025).
That mix matters. A neighborhood with a smaller household size and a majority of non-family households tends to support different housing formats, retail patterns, and amenity demands than a lower-density suburb dominated by large households.
Housing and rent
Housing is where Arlington neighborhood statistics become especially useful. The county combines high owner values, high rents, and a renter-majority housing profile in the local profile data.
Key housing stats
- Housing units totaled 125,612 on July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Owner-occupied housing unit rate was 41.3% in 2020-2024 ACS estimates (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Median value of owner-occupied housing units was $895,000 (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Median monthly owner costs with a mortgage were $3,649 (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Median monthly owner costs without a mortgage were $1,195 (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Median gross rent was $2,322 (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Building permits totaled 621 in 2024 (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
Those numbers tell a consistent story. Arlington is expensive to buy in, expensive to rent in, and still active enough in construction and permitting to keep changing the housing mix.
Housing snapshot compared
| Housing measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 125,612 | U.S. Census QuickFacts |
| Households | 112,027 | U.S. Census QuickFacts |
| Owner-occupied rate | 41.3% | U.S. Census QuickFacts |
| Median owner value | $895,000 | U.S. Census QuickFacts |
| Median gross rent | $2,322 | U.S. Census QuickFacts |
| Building permits in 2024 | 621 | U.S. Census QuickFacts |
| Total housing units in January 2024 | 123,700 | Arlington County Profile 2025 |
| Multi-family units | 89,100 | Arlington County Profile 2025 |
| Single-family detached units | 27,570 | Arlington County Profile 2025 |
| Single-family attached units | 7,030 | Arlington County Profile 2025 |
The local profile data makes the housing structure even clearer. In January 2024, Arlington had 89,100 multi-family units, which was 72% of total housing units, compared with 27,570 single-family detached units and 7,030 single-family attached units (Arlington County Profile 2025).
That is a strong signal that many neighborhoods are built around apartment or condo living rather than detached-home dominance. It also helps explain why household size, renter share, and transit-oriented patterns matter so much here.
Why housing costs matter for neighborhood decisions
The combination of a $895,000 median home value and $2,322 median rent (U.S. Census QuickFacts) means neighborhood selection is likely to be driven by budget constraints as much as by lifestyle preferences. For residents, that affects whether they prioritize unit type, commute access, building amenities, or proximity to services.
For local businesses and civic planning, it suggests a customer base that can support higher-end services but also needs practical access to everyday goods, repairs, childcare, and transit-friendly shopping.
Education, income, and work
Arlington?s labor and income statistics are among the strongest indicators of how the local neighborhood economy functions. The area looks unusually educated, highly employed, and relatively high earning compared with many U.S. communities.
Core socioeconomic figures
- High school graduate or higher: 95.2% of persons age 25+ (2020-2024 ACS estimates, U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Bachelor’s degree or higher: 77.1% of persons age 25+ (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Median household income: $142,114 (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Per capita income: $90,786 (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Persons in poverty: 8.0% (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Mean travel time to work: 26.2 minutes (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- In civilian labor force: 75.6% of population age 16+ (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- In civilian labor force female: 72.3% of population age 16+ (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
The combination of educational attainment and income is especially notable. A 77.1% bachelor?s-or-higher rate and a $142,114 median household income suggest that many Arlington neighborhoods are part of a premium labor market with strong professional employment and high housing affordability pressure.
Employment base
Arlington is not just a bedroom community. It is a major employment center.
- Total employer establishments: 6,334 in 2023 (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Total employment: 159,716 in 2023 (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Total annual payroll: $18,145,558,000 in 2023 (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Total employment changed 3.4% from 2022 to 2023 (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Total nonemployer establishments: 23,375 in 2023 (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- All employer firms: 4,641 in 2023 (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
A concise breakdown of some major job categories from the county profile helps show how concentrated the economy is:
| Job category | 2024 jobs | Share of Arlington jobs | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional and technical services | 59,400 | 26.8% | Arlington County Profile 2025 |
| Government | 44,300 | 20.0% | Arlington County Profile 2025 |
| Other services | 44,400 | 20.1% | Arlington County Profile 2025 |
| Hospitality and food services | 13,000 | n/a | Arlington County Profile 2025 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 12,300 | n/a | Arlington County Profile 2025 |
| Retail trade | 9,900 | n/a | Arlington County Profile 2025 |
| Finance and insurance | 9,800 | n/a | Arlington County Profile 2025 |
| Real estate and rental/leasing | 9,200 | n/a | Arlington County Profile 2025 |
| Information | 6,900 | n/a | Arlington County Profile 2025 |
| Construction | 4,100 | n/a | Arlington County Profile 2025 |
Professional and technical services alone make up more than a quarter of Arlington jobs. Government also remains a major pillar, which helps explain why daytime population patterns can differ sharply from residential counts.
Businesses and payroll detail
Several business ownership and payroll figures add more texture:
- Male-owned employer firms: 2,381 in 2023 (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Female-owned employer firms: 1,230 in 2023 (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Minority-owned employer firms: 1,069 in 2023 (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- Nonminority-owned employer firms: 2,753 in 2023 (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
Taken together with the payroll total, these numbers indicate a substantial and diversified local business environment, not just a single-sector office market.
Neighborhood-scale infrastructure
Neighborhood statistics are not only about people and income. They also describe the physical and civic systems that shape daily life.
Parks, trails, and public amenities
Arlington County Profile 2025 reports:
- County owned parkland: 939 acres in January 2024.
- NOVA Parks land: 136 acres in January 2024.
- Multi-use off-street trails: 52.3 miles in January 2024.
- County owned parks: 148 in January 2024.
- Tennis and basketball courts: 191 in January 2024.
- Diamond fields: 33 in January 2024.
- Rectangle fields: 44 in January 2024.
- Libraries: 8 in January 2024.
- Nature centers: 3 in January 2024.
- 55+ centers: 5 in January 2024.
- Indoor facilities: 19 in January 2024.
- Fire stations: 9 in January 2024.
That mix is a reminder that Arlington neighborhoods are highly serviced and infrastructure-rich. The combination of trails, libraries, parks, and indoor facilities supports a dense urban-suburban hybrid pattern where amenities are part of the neighborhood product.
Governance and public services
A few civic figures help show how the county operates at the local level:
- The Arlington County Board uses a five-member County Board and five-member School Board structure (Arlington County Profile 2025).
- New voters registered by the Electoral Board: 17,000 in FY 2024 estimate and 12,000 in FY 2025 estimate (Arlington County Profile 2025).
- Fire/EMS/Public Service responses: 74,200 in FY 2024 estimate and 78,000 in FY 2025 estimate (Arlington County Profile 2025).
- Curbside trash tonnage collected: 26,000 in FY 2024 estimate and 27,545 in FY 2025 estimate (Arlington County Profile 2025).
- Curbside recycling tonnage collected: 9,365 in FY 2024 estimate and 9,804 in FY 2025 estimate (Arlington County Profile 2025).
Those operating numbers are useful because they show scale. A dense county with this many residents, jobs, housing units, and public-service demands needs neighborhood systems that work continuously, not occasionally.
What the numbers suggest
Arlington neighborhood statistics point to a place with a few defining traits.
- It is expensive and highly educated. The $142,114 median household income and 77.1% bachelor?s degree-or-higher rate (U.S. Census QuickFacts) put Arlington in a high-opportunity category that is not typical for most U.S. neighborhoods.
- It is built around multifamily living. The local profile shows 72% multi-family housing units in January 2024 (Arlington County Profile 2025), which aligns with the relatively small household size and high renter presence.
- It has a strong daytime economy. With 221,400 jobs in 2024 and major concentrations in professional services and government (Arlington County Profile 2025), Arlington functions as both a residential area and a work destination.
- It is diverse in more than one way. The data show meaningful racial and ethnic diversity, a 22.4% foreign-born share, and 29.4% language other than English spoken at home (U.S. Census QuickFacts).
- It continues to grow and change. Population growth, building permits, and 2024-to-2025 county estimates all indicate a market that is still evolving rather than settling into stasis.
For anyone using Arlington neighborhood statistics to compare areas, the key is to look beyond a single number. Population, housing, income, jobs, and civic infrastructure all reinforce one another here, and the overall profile is more urban, more affluent, and more service-intensive than many people expect.