Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Arlington, Virginia
A $865,000 home here costs
$6,255per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $4,447. The real number is $1,808 higher every month — 41% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Arlington against Arlington County and Virginia
| Measure | Arlington | Arlington County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $864,800 | $864,800 |
| Median property tax | $7,774 | $7,774 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.899% | 0.899% |
| Median gross rent | $2,275 | $2,275 |
| Population | 235,463 | 235,463 |
The weather behind that power bill
Arlington sits in Arlington County, which averages a high of 89.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 30.1°F in its coldest, with 41.82" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,738 cooling and 3,769 heating degree days, which is what sets the $158 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Arlington County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Arlington County
No other places of this size are published in Arlington County.
Full Arlington County cost breakdown · Every county in Virginia
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Arlington?
A $865,000 home in Arlington, Virginia costs approximately $6,255 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $4,447 principal and interest, $648 property tax, $213 homeowners insurance, $226 utilities and $721 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Arlington?
Arlington has an effective property tax rate of 0.899%, based on a median home value of $864,800 and median real estate taxes of $7,774. That is in line with the Arlington County average of 0.899%.
What is the average home price in Arlington?
The median owner-occupied home value in Arlington, Virginia is $864,800, against $864,800 across Arlington County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Arlington?
Median gross rent in Arlington is $2,275 a month, against $6,255 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Arlington — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Virginia.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.