Arlington, Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Arlington, MA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A+
Health Top grade
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A+
Income Top grade
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Arlington | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 46,270 | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 8435.4 | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.53% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.3 | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 19,995 | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Arlington grew by 12.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 46,270 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Arlington is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 25.0% of residents. That is 3.1 points above Massachusetts as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,269 15.7% -5.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 11,573 25.0% +3.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 10,769 23.3% +2.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,791 16.8% -0.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Massachusetts, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 53.6% of the people living in Arlington and men 46.4%.
- Women 53.6% Massachusetts 51.2%
- Men 46.4% Massachusetts 48.8%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Arlington
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Economy
Arlington has a the economy index of A+, which means it is exceptionally prosperous.
| Metric | Arlington | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $151,416 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.47% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Arlington is about 45% higher than in Massachusetts.
Housing
| Metric | Arlington | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,743,589 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,082 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.6% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Arlington is about 69.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,082 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Arlington spend about 63 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 263 hours, about 10.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Arlington | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 31.5 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 63.0 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 263 | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,139 | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 34.5% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 11,619 | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,549 | 2,164 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Arlington is 32 minutes, longer than the 26 minutes in Massachusetts.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Arlington has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Arlington | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 72.6% | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.30 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Arlington has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Arlington | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 83.7 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 7.1% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 8.1% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Arlington, MA Compared With Nearby Cities
Arlington, MA is the 3rd largest of the 6 cities compared here, 46,270 residents against a local median of 35,594. Where Arlington, MA breaks from the cities next to it is median home price, sitting 66% above the local median of $1,053,396 at $1,743,589.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $151,416 against a local median of $131,513, 15% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 15% above the local median it puts Arlington, MA at the better end of the local range. The cities themselves spread $1,679,884 on median home price, so Arlington, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Arlington, MA has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington, MA | 46,270 | $151,416 #3/6 | $1,743,589 #2/6 | 31.5 min #6/6 |
| Belmont, MA | 27,165 | $187,422 | $2,163,043 | 30.7 min |
| Winchester, MA | 23,377 | $205,856 | $1,250,000 | 31.2 min |
| Watertown, MA | 35,594 | $126,987 | $1,053,396 | 26.2 min |
| Medford, MA | 59,237 | $130,524 | $483,160 | 30.1 min |
| Cambridge, MA | 117,266 | $131,513 | $678,104 | 23.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Arlington, Massachusetts.
How big is Arlington, Massachusetts by population?
About 46,270 people live in Arlington, Massachusetts, in 19,995 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 43.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Arlington, Massachusetts mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Arlington, Massachusetts has 8,435 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 98 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Arlington, Massachusetts an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 11.5 times the median household income ($1,743,589 against $151,416), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,082 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Arlington, Massachusetts?
Unemployment in Arlington, Massachusetts is only 2.9%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Arlington, Massachusetts?
72.6% of adults in Arlington, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 7 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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