Comprised of “urban villages,” Arlington, Va., is known for headquartering federal government agencies, its quaint architecture and deep-rooted history.
Situated on the south side of the Potomac River across from Washington, D.C., the city is the home of the Department of Defense at the Pentagon, Drug Enforcement Administration, Transportation Security Administration and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
These departments represent some of the top employers in Arlington. The Department of Defense employs roughly 24,000 people alone. Arlington County, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice and the Department of State employ a combined 25,550 people.
Overall Arlington is an employment hub as at least 18 companies or government agencies employ more than 1,000 people. A significant number of jobs are well paying, as the city’s median household income stands at $105,000. The city of nearly 230,000 is said to be the home of the nation’s largest concentration of wealthy millennials and baby boomers.
Arlington real estate
As of mid-April the median list price of an existing single-family home in Arlington was $575,000, according to Realtor.com, with the median closing price at $569,000.
Existing home sales activity have been relatively unchanged of late, as in February the number of pending sales did not fluctuate on a year-over-year basis. According to this Long & Foster Real Estate data the median sales price of a home in February also did not change in comparison to the same time last year.
When it comes to rental housing, Arlington is among the more affordable markets for millennials in the DC. According to RealtyTrac, rents will only grow by 1.8 percent this year, which means the average millennial renter will contribute 30.9 percent to 32.6 percent of their monthly income toward housing.
Transportation focused in Arlington
The urban villages that comprise Arlington are transit-oriented neighborhoods that are considered very bikeable. The city features 50 miles of connecting bicycle routes, along with 36 miles of multi-use trails.
The most walkable neighborhoods in the city include Ballston-Virginia Square, Clarendon-Courthouse, Lyon Village, North Rosslyn and Colonial Village. These five villages all have walk scores ranging from 87 to 94.
Most new development within Arlington is concentrated around Metro stations. Currently 10 Metro stops exist within the city.
The average commute time for Arlington residents is said to be around 27 minutes. A car ride to downtown DC is roughly five to seven miles via Interstate 66.
Points of interest within the city include the Pentagon, the Arlington National Cemetery and the U.S. Marine Corp War Memorial. Arlington is also home to Marymount University and Arlington County Public Schools, which ranks as the top school district in Virginia.
