Arlington is home to 46,350 people in Massachusetts. 76% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $933,800. Households take in $150,701 a year at the median, 83% more than the country as a whole. Few US cities rank higher on income. Households here earn about 45% more than in Massachusetts as a whole.
At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $150,701, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.6
US median: 38.9
More educated
76% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 80%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Arlington
What changed most since 1990
Adults with a bachelor's degree41.9% → 76.1%(+34.2 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Asian share3.0% → 13.0%(+10.0 pts)US over the same years: +3.1 pts
Hispanic share1.5% → 4.9%(+3.4 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Arlington's population equals 2.8% of Middlesex County's. Its number of people who work from home equals 4.2% of the county's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 2.0% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)32.7%(332)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)15%(152)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era31.3%(317)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War11.9%(121)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.9%(29)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,014 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Arlington, decade by decade
Arlington population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
44,630
$103,945
$505,214
41.9%
13.5
2000
42,389
$117,213
$518,990
52.8%
23.8
2010
42,844
$119,072
$707,345
62.3%
36.6
2020
46,308
$138,871
$833,398
72.5%
52.0
2024
46,350
$150,701
$933,800
76.1%
53.9
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
