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 Washington, 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 134, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Arlington is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Arlington ranks as the #101 cheapest in Washington out of 192.
Arlington ranks as the #5,171 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Arlington is $657,381.
The median income in Arlington is $84,919.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Arlington has an overall cost of living index of 134, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Washington, Arlington has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Washington's index of 118.
The standard of living in Arlington ranks as #101 most affordable out of the 192 places we measured in Washington. By definition, that implies Arlington ranks as the #91 most expensive place in the Evergreen State.
For more reading on life in Arlington, check out:
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 111.
The Health index in Arlington is 119.
The Housing index in Arlington is 178.
The Transportation index in Arlington is 120.
The Utilities index in Arlington is 95.
| Living Expense | Arlington | Washington | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 134 | 118 | 100 | |
| Services | 121 | 111 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 111 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 119 | 122 | 100 | |
| Housing | 178 | 135 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 120 | 124 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 95 | 91 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Washington, 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 $657,381.
The Median Rent in Arlington is $1,764.
The Median Income in Arlington is $84,919.
The Home Value To Income in Arlington is 7.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Arlington is 0.25x.
| Statistic | Arlington | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $657,381 | $595,737 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,764 | $1,682 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $84,919 | $94,952 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 7.7x | 6.3x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.25x | 0.21x | 0.21x |
| Item | Arlington | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.21 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $12.43 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $18.08 | $18 |
| Haircut | $31.33 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $49.67 | $45.56 |
| Item | Arlington | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.18 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.23 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.87 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.43 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $13.35 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.13 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.89 | $3.7 |
| Item | Arlington | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $132.73 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $183.4 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $146.29 | $113.29 |
| Item | Arlington | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.14 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $65.57 | $59.92 |
| Item | Arlington | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $163.64 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $200.1 | $192.25 |
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:
Everett, WA has a cost of living index of 136, 1.0x Arlington.
Marysville, WA has a cost of living index of 135, 1.0x Arlington.
Lake Stevens, WA has a cost of living index of 140, 1.0x Arlington.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Arlington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Everett, WA | 111,083 | 136 | 1.0x |
| Marysville, WA | 71,570 | 135 | 1.0x |
| Lake Stevens, WA | 39,500 | 140 | 1.0x |
| Mount Vernon, WA | 35,312 | 123 | 0.9x |
| Eastmont, WA | 23,486 | 151 | 1.1x |
| Mukilteo, WA | 21,312 | 170 | 1.3x |
| Snohomish, WA | 10,177 | 137 | 1.0x |
| Stanwood, WA | 8,351 | 129 | 1.0x |
| Lake Goodwin, WA | 5,682 | 148 | 1.1x |