Arlington vs Boston
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $731,700 in Boston and $895,000 in Arlington.
- Households earn more in Arlington ($142,114 vs $97,344 median).
- Arlington has the warmer winter: January highs of 45°F vs 37°F.
- Boston gets far more snow: 49 inches a year vs 14.
- Arlington has more scorching days: 40 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 14.
- Commutes are shorter in Arlington (26 vs 30 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Arlington, VA | Boston, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 236,254 | 672,973 |
| Growth since 2020 | n/a | -0.8% |
| People per square mile | 9,088 | 13,921 |
| Median age | 35.5 | 33.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 77% | 55% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $142,114 | $97,344 |
| Median home value | $895,000 | $731,700 |
| Home value to income | 6.3× | 7.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,322 | $2,147 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 108.9 | 108.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 151.1 | 148.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $81,700 | $81,200 |
| Homeowners | 41% | 36% |
| Top state income tax | 5.75% | 9% |
| Combined sales tax | 5.77% | 6.25% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 26.2 | 30.3 |
| Work from home | 35% | 21% |
| Take public transit | 14% | 23% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.3% | 6.1% |
| Poverty rate | 7.4% | 16.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 45° / 30° | 37° / 23° |
| July high / low | 90° / 72° | 82° / 66° |
| Precipitation per year | 42 in | 44 in |
| Snowfall per year | 14 in | 49 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 40 | 14 |
| Nights below freezing | 60 | 92 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Low | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 66.8 | 93.5 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 59% | 71% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.6% | +3.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +33.9% | +39.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Arlington: April to June and September to October. Boston: May to October.
Full monthly tables: Arlington weather by month and Boston weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $81,700 in Arlington and $81,200 in Boston. Moving from Arlington to Boston, you would need about $74,600 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Arlington and Boston
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Arlington and Boston.
Which would you pick?
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