Housing Market Overview
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Arlington County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $398,165 | $257,048 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | -2.2% | 4.1% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $2,274 | $1,514 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 2.9% | 4.2% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Arlington County is about 55% higher than in Virginia. Rent is about 50% higher than the Virginia average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Arlington County: home prices fell about 2.2% a year while rent rose about 2.9% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
Median rent in Arlington County rose about 24.6% between 2015 and 2023, from $1,825 to $2,274. Over the same span, rent in Virginia rose about 35.7%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 2.9 yearly household incomes in Arlington County.
Buying the median-priced home in Arlington County costs roughly 14.6 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Arlington County. The price-to-rent ratio in Virginia is about 14.2.
| Metric | Arlington County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $398,165 | $257,048 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $139,236 | $91,409 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Arlington County fell about 27.8%, while median household income rose about 48.1% between 2009 and 2023 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Arlington County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 38.6% | 61.1% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 53.7% | 29.9% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 7.6% | 9.0% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 13.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2013 | 2011 | 2011 |
Arlington County has a homeownership rate of 38.6%, lower than the Virginia average of 61.1%. Its housing vacancy rate is 7.6%, compared with 9.0% in Virginia.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Arlington County | Virginia Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.08 people | 2.53 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1971 | 1981 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 4.0 | 6.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Arlington County was built around 1971. On average, 2.1 people live in a home with about 4.0 rooms, staying for about 13.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Arlington County, Virginia.
What is the median home price in Arlington County, Virginia?
The median home price in Arlington County, Virginia is $398,165, higher than the Virginia average of $257,048.
What is the average home price in Arlington County, Virginia?
The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Arlington County, Virginia?
The median gross rent in Arlington County, Virginia is $2,274 per month, higher than the Virginia average of $1,514.
What was the median gross rent in Arlington County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Arlington County, Virginia was $2,005 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Arlington County, Virginia?
The price-to-rent ratio in Arlington County, Virginia is about 14.6, meaning it would take roughly 14.6 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Arlington County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Arlington County, Virginia?
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Arlington County: home prices fell about 2.2% a year while rent rose about 2.9% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
What is the homeownership rate in Arlington County, Virginia?
38.6% of households in Arlington County, Virginia own their home, lower than the Virginia average of 61.1%.
What is the vacancy rate in Arlington County, Virginia?
The housing vacancy rate in Arlington County, Virginia is 7.6%, lower than the Virginia average of 9.0%.