Living in Arlington, VA
Urban villages across the Potomac
Located just across the Potomac River from downtown Washington, D.C., Arlington is drawing recent graduates, young professionals, and families to its unique, transit-oriented urban villages.
Newcomers exploring options for living in Arlington find variety in the Cape Cods of Waverly Hills Historic District, brick townhouses of Fairlington, high-rise mixed-use developments of Rosslyn, and more. All of these neighborhoods are within eyeshot of the National Mall and connected by Metrorail, Metrobus, and Capital Bikeshare.
Other suburbs of the city of Arlington include Arlington Village, Arlington Forest, Ashton Heights, Buckingham, Cherrydale, Claremont, Colonial Village, Fairlington, Lyon Park, Lyon Village, Maywood, Nauck, Penrose, Waverly Hills, and Westover.
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Walk Score
Walk Score measures the walkability of any address. READ MORE
71 in Walkability
This community is very walkable. Residents can easily access the city center on foot.
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Commute Time to Airport
12 min drive to DCA
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Commute Time to D.C.
20 min drive
Demographics
Arlington County Schools
Top-ranked public and private education options
Arlington Public Schools (APS) brings top-ranked K-12 education to more than 27,000 students enrolled across 39 schools. APS is the 11th largest public school system in Virginia.
In 2022, Niche ranked Arlington Public Schools the No. 2 best school district in Virginia and the No. 1 district with the best teachers in Virginia.
In line with Arlington’s demographics, more than half of the student body in Arlington Public Schools is non-white. Students hail from nearly 150 countries and speak more than 110 languages.
Arlington Public Schools invests an average of $21,000 per pupil, helping the district maintain a 92% graduation rate. In addition, 66% of graduates earn an Advanced Studies Diploma, the state’s most rigorous diploma that paves the way for college admission.
Dozens of private including Bishop O’Connell High School, ranked No. 4 best Catholic high school in Virginia and No. 141 in the U.S. by Niche, and charter schools add to the K-12 education options in Arlington.
Arlington County Transportation
Quick, reliable connection to the D.C. region
Life in Arlington’s central location offers unparalleled access to the Washington, D.C. region. Whether choosing to walk, drive, bike, Metro, bus, or rideshare, convenience is key in Arlington.
- 11 Metrorail stations
- 325 area Metrobus routes
- 16 ART bus routes
- 92 Capital Bikeshare stations
- 100 miles of biking, walking, and jogging trails
- Numerous e-scooter providers
- Uber, Lyft, and numerous taxi companies
- Reagan National Airport
Arlington County Attractions
Honor history, explore today
Rain or shine, summer or winter, Arlington’s attractions provide year-round enjoyment. Residents and visitors alike enjoy Arlington’s outdoor recreation. With options like Theodore Roosevelt Island’s trails and kayaking programs, there are many ways to escape into nature. When you want to embrace city living, Arlington’s world-class shopping centers and independent boutiques, fine dining and global eats, and cultural institutions await — including Signature Theatre, a Tony-Award-winning company producing reimagined classics and originals since 1989.
Arlington is the proud home of important national sites honoring service members. Based on the iconic second flag-raising image from Iwo Jima during World War II, the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial is located on the Arlington Ridge along the axis of the National Mall. Steps away, Arlington National Cemetery is a national shrine to those who have honorably served the U.S. during war.
Arlington County Taxes
Competitive state for taxes
- State Income Tax (VA): 5.75%
- Real Property Tax Rate: $1.013 per $100 Assessed Value
- Sales Tax (Combined State and Local): 6.0%
Arlington, VA Cost of Living
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