What’s the best part of Arlington? It could be where everyone knows their neighbor. Or it could be where home prices are the highest, meaning it’s where everyone wants to live.
Instead of relying on public opinion and speculation, we wanted to get the facts straight and find out which neighborhoods in Arlington are the best based on Saturday Night Science.
Whether you live in the sticks or in an apartment building downtown, you want a little pocket that you can call home. And each neighborhood offers different perks and benefits.
Smaller neighborhoods usually have obvious benefits — less crime, a slower pace of life, and a lower cost of living. But not all Arlington neighborhoods are created equal. Some are better than others. But which ones?
If you’re thinking of moving to Virginia and Arlington is on the top of your list, check out the best neighborhoods for 2026.
$193,072 median income · $966,020 median home value
$244,018 median income · $1,202,800 median home value
$250,001 median income · $1,123,400 median home value
$245,875 median income · $1,202,800 median home value
$153,559 median income · $963,500 median home value
$205,956 median income · $941,800 median home value
$250,001 median income · $1,123,400 median home value
$205,956 median income · $941,800 median home value
$188,526 median income · $878,050 median home value
$175,927 median income · $873,800 median home value
Located in
Arlington County, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,068. In 2014, the population was estimated to be 14,691.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Virginia’s statewide median.
Virginia statewide median: $93,170
Virginia statewide median: $412,467
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best Arlington, VA neighborhoods in 2026
To rank the best neighborhoods in Arlington, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI crime, Census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 54 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index, the “Best City Neighborhood In Arlington.” We’re lookin’ at you, Cherrydale.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best places Arlington, Virginia has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city, from best to worst.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in Arlington.
The full plate
Table: Best Arlington neighborhoods for 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by neighborhood name.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cherrydale | 3,888 | $966,020 | $193,072 |
| 2 | Dover Crystal | 487 | $1,202,800 | $244,018 |
| 3 | Bellevue Forest | 894 | $1,123,400 | $250,001 |
| 4 | Riverwood | 213 | $1,202,800 | $245,875 |
| 5 | Lyon Village | 4,308 | $963,500 | $153,559 |
| 6 | Stafford Albemarle Glebe | 378 | $941,800 | $205,956 |
| 7 | Rivercrest | 251 | $1,123,400 | $250,001 |
| 8 | Chain Bridge Forest | 221 | $941,800 | $205,956 |
| 9 | Yorktown | 3,515 | $878,050 | $188,526 |
| 10 | Williamsburg | 3,536 | $873,800 | $175,927 |
| 11 | Lyon Park | 5,861 | $1,014,283 | $142,776 |
| 12 | Donaldson Run | 2,382 | $1,001,400 | $248,041 |
| 13 | Old Diminion | 1,431 | $930,133 | $213,751 |
| 14 | Arlington-East Falls | 6,264 | $815,625 | $200,448 |
| 15 | Waycroft-Woodlawn | 1,733 | $765,667 | $201,074 |
| 16 | Arlington Heights | 2,985 | $692,333 | $163,857 |
| 17 | Woodmont | 782 | $1,045,150 | $206,375 |
| 18 | Waverly Hills | 3,026 | $781,500 | $129,015 |
| 19 | Arlington Ridge | 5,642 | $762,480 | $140,308 |
| 20 | Maywood | 892 | $887,500 | $166,875 |
| 21 | Leeway | 2,346 | $889,750 | $170,806 |
| 22 | Dominion Hills | 1,989 | $828,400 | $156,072 |
| 23 | Tara-Leeway Heights | 2,486 | $898,333 | $177,947 |
| 24 | Clarendon-Courthouse | 9,742 | $729,067 | $134,527 |
| 25 | Glebewood | 591 | $659,900 | $146,493 |
| 26 | Highland Park-Overlee Knolls | 1,601 | $764,875 | $175,183 |
| 27 | Bluemont | 7,513 | $686,520 | $172,202 |
| 28 | Ballston-Virginia Square | 13,585 | $557,354 | $138,995 |
| 29 | High View Park | 2,061 | $825,620 | $162,203 |
| 30 | Westover Village | 1,868 | $856,100 | $150,277 |
| 31 | Ashton Heights | 5,280 | $718,471 | $138,581 |
| 32 | Arlington Forest | 2,658 | $709,500 | $168,843 |
| 33 | Aurora Highlands | 14,687 | $696,714 | $120,147 |
| 34 | North Rosslyn | 2,808 | $725,280 | $127,447 |
| 35 | North Highland | 3,672 | $619,943 | $107,908 |
| 36 | Boulevard Manor | 2,135 | $787,100 | $157,952 |
| 37 | Buckingham | 6,495 | $695,520 | $85,774 |
| 38 | Arlington View | 1,610 | $629,950 | $131,080 |
| 39 | Nauck | 5,477 | $520,367 | $114,516 |
| 40 | Alcova Heights | 2,470 | $682,533 | $127,157 |
| 41 | Fairlington-Shirlington | 10,634 | $440,233 | $122,000 |
| 42 | Columbia Forest | 6,004 | $383,783 | $103,407 |
| 43 | Radnor-Ft Myer Heights | 11,938 | $507,543 | $111,066 |
| 44 | Colonial Village | 3,244 | $511,000 | $129,188 |
| 45 | Douglas Park | 10,273 | $598,000 | $109,851 |
| 46 | Claremont | 2,599 | $492,783 | $107,823 |
| 47 | Penrose | 4,816 | $573,700 | $106,436 |
| 48 | Long Branch Creek | 4,042 | $530,975 | $91,386 |
| 49 | Barcroft | 3,485 | $641,033 | $109,519 |
| 50 | Columbia Heights West | 7,321 | $270,140 | $71,130 |
| 51 | Columbia Heghts | 6,804 | $315,933 | $88,930 |
| 52 | Glencarlyn | 2,271 | $619,725 | $107,800 |
| 53 | Foxcroft Heights | 1,367 | $590,600 | $97,892 |
| 54 | Forest Glen | 626 | $403,000 | $62,630 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. All 54 Arlington neighborhoods.
Summary
Summary: Putting a bow on our analysis of the best neighborhoods in Arlington
If you’re measuring the neighborhoods in Arlington where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best neighborhoods in Arlington are Cherrydale, Dover Crystal, Bellevue Forest, Riverwood, Lyon Village, Stafford Albemarle Glebe, Rivercrest, Chain Bridge Forest, Yorktown, and Williamsburg.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Arlington aren’t all good. Forest Glen takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in Arlington.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below. Not sold on Virginia? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Neighborhoods In Arlington FAQs
What is the best neighborhood in Arlington?
Cherrydale is the best neighborhood in Arlington for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Dover Crystal and Bellevue Forest are next.
What are the best neighborhoods in Arlington?
The best neighborhoods in Arlington are Cherrydale, Dover Crystal, Bellevue Forest, Riverwood, Lyon Village, Stafford Albemarle Glebe, Rivercrest, Chain Bridge Forest, Yorktown, and Williamsburg. We ranked all 54 neighborhoods in the city.
How expensive is Cherrydale?
The median household income in Cherrydale is $193,072 and the median home costs $966,020. The best blocks in Arlington rarely come at a discount.
How do you rank Arlington neighborhoods?
Each neighborhood is scored on income, home values, population density, unemployment, and crime, using Census tract data. The neighborhood with the best combined score, Cherrydale, takes the top spot.
Which Arlington neighborhood ranked last?
Forest Glen came in last of the 54 neighborhoods we scored. Every city has a bottom of the table; in Arlington the numbers put it there.
