Arlington, MA Cost Of Living
Cost Of Living In Arlington, MA Summary
Cost of living in Arlington research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Arlington is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Massachusetts, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Arlington is 179, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Arlington is 1.8x higher than the national average.
Arlington ranks as the #96 cheapest in Massachusetts out of 112.
Arlington ranks as the #6,177 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Arlington is $1,049,522.
The median income in Arlington is $141,440.
Table Of Contents
Arlington's Overall Cost Of Living
Higher Than The National Average
What is the cost of living in Arlington, MA?
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Arlington has an overall cost of living index of 179, which is 1.8x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Massachusetts, Arlington has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than Massachusetts's index of 134.
The standard of living in Arlington ranks as #96 most affordable out of the 112 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Arlington ranks as the #16 most expensive place in the Bay State.
For more reading on life in Arlington, check out:
In Massachusetts
In America
Arlington Cost Of Living Vs. Massachusetts
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Arlington. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Arlington is 121.
The Groceries index in Arlington is 104.
The Health index in Arlington is 113.
The Housing index in Arlington is 316.
The Transportation index in Arlington is 119.
The Utilities index in Arlington is 136.
| Living Expense | Arlington | Massachusetts | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 179 | 134 | 100 | |
| Services | 121 | 121 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 104 | 106 | 100 | |
| Health | 113 | 112 | 100 | |
| Housing | 316 | 164 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 119 | 120 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 136 | 136 | 100 | |
Arlington, MA Housing Cost Breakdown
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Massachusetts, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Arlington is $1,049,522.
The Median Rent in Arlington is $2,043.
The Median Income in Arlington is $141,440.
The Home Value To Income in Arlington is 7.4x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Arlington is 0.17x.
| Statistic | Arlington | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,049,522 | $649,115 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,043 | $1,687 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $141,440 | $101,341 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 7.4x | 6.4x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.17x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Income
Arlington, MA Costs By Category
Detailed Arlington Services Costs Vs. Massachusetts
| Item | Arlington | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.49 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $15.49 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $29.33 | $18 |
| Haircut | $43.72 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $65.56 | $45.56 |
Detailed Arlington Groceries Costs Vs. Massachusetts
| Item | Arlington | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.48 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.45 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.76 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.99 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.52 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.21 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.53 | $3.7 |
Detailed Arlington Health Costs Vs. Massachusetts
| Item | Arlington | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $123.17 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $157.89 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $149.22 | $113.29 |
Detailed Arlington Transportation Costs Vs. Massachusetts
| Item | Arlington | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.43 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $97.39 | $59.92 |
Detailed Arlington Utilities Costs Vs. Massachusetts
| Item | Arlington | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $302.72 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $187.85 | $192.25 |
Arlington SnackAbility
/10
Cost Of Living In Cities Around Arlington
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Arlington. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Cambridge, MA has a cost of living index of 201, 1.1x Arlington.
Newton, MA has a cost of living index of 208, 1.2x Arlington.
Somerville, MA has a cost of living index of 184, 1.0x Arlington.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Arlington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge, MA | 117,794 | 201 | 1.1x |
| Newton, MA | 88,504 | 208 | 1.2x |
| Somerville, MA | 80,549 | 184 | 1.0x |
| Waltham, MA | 64,723 | 167 | 0.9x |
| Brookline, MA | 62,822 | 221 | 1.2x |
| Medford, MA | 59,062 | 163 | 0.9x |
| Woburn, MA | 41,205 | 154 | 0.9x |
| Lexington, MA | 34,085 | 211 | 1.2x |
| Needham, MA | 32,059 | 202 | 1.1x |
| Wellesley, MA | 29,906 | 243 | 1.4x |
