Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Because it does well by almost any measure. Arlington earns an A+, 29th among Massachusetts's 282 graded towns. On CDC health estimates it is near the top nationally, the median household earns $151K, and its schools rank ahead of 92% of Massachusetts towns. The exception is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $1.1 million for a typical one and 9.1 times the Boston metro’s $116K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 98% of U.S. towns, with 58 places on the National Register. 76% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Arlington, above both the Massachusetts town median (47%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Few places in the country are easier to get around without a car. Its National Register listings include Old Schwamb Mill and Arlington Center Historic District.
Where Arlington beats most towns.
Old Schwamb Mill| Widest gap | Arlington | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.4% | 11.9% |
Census counts: 2,202 in 1850, 46,308 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1639 and 6 maps from 1893 on.
58 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Arlington is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 99% of comparable towns) to D for cost of living (better than 10%), so the A+ overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Arlington. Close and well known come first.
Big draw6 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw23 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw7 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
4 mi Stadium & arenaHarvard Stadium
7 mi AttractionFreedom Trail
9 mi LakeWalden PondFenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Sean Dungan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Harvard Stadium: Nick Allen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Freedom Trail: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Walden Pond: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Arlington, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Arlington.
Arlington has less tooth loss than most of Massachusetts, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Massachusetts (mostly inland flooding) and has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Massachusetts.
Its widest gap with Massachusetts is tooth loss: 5.4% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.9% statewide.
Arlington beats the Massachusetts average on 22 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 9.1% of Arlington adults report frequent physical distress.
| Arlington | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.1% | 12% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 28% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.3% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Arlington | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.4% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.4% | 12.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its A for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $1.06M.
Its public schools are run by the Arlington school district. Three of its 16 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottoson MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 963 | A |
| Arlington HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,677 | A+ |
| BrackettTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 394 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
At 9.1 years of the Boston metro’s $116K median household income, the typical home (about $1.06M) costs more against local pay than in 87% of Massachusetts towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $9,604, against $5,992 across Massachusetts, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The median rent in Arlington is $2,082 a month. The typical Arlington home is worth about $1,058,000, up 2.8% in a year, 61% above the Massachusetts typical home. 35% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent in Arlington.
| Arlington | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,082 a month | $1,682 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 35% | 53% | 48% |
| Households that own their home | 62% | 79% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Reported crimes fell from 253 to 235 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 21 reported in 2025, 0.4 per 1,000 residents.
Arlington’s violent crime rate is 0.4 per 1,000 residents.
| Arlington | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.4 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.5 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
9.4 miles of trail in 31 parks and preserves. Menotomy Rocks Park, at 34 acres with 2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Arlington | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.7 miles per square mile | 1.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 9.2% | 19% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Menotomy Rocks Park | 2 mi | 34 |
| 2. McClennen Park | 0.8 mi | 23 |
| 3. Mt. Gilboa | 0.8 mi | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
34.5% of workers work from home, against 18.6% across Massachusetts.
Most working residents leave Arlington for work: only 7% work in town. Since 2013, Arlington has added 1,482 jobs, to 9,613 in 2023. Only 10 of the 283 Massachusetts towns we compare have a higher share of workers working from home than Arlington.
| Arlington | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 35% | 18% | 11% |
| Median household income | $151,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.4% | 6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Arlington has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 19° and about 64 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 93% of Massachusetts towns, with expected losses of about $258 per resident a year; that rating is what its C for hazard risk is built on. 410 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 39 properties have flooded more than once.
Since 1978, 410 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Arlington.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
51 within 15 miles of the center of Arlington
About 5 of every 100 Arlington residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
Where Arlington’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
58 places in Arlington on the National Register of Historic Places.
51 notable people were born in Arlington.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Arlington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The town is six miles (10 km) northwest of Boston, and its population was 46,308 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Arlington.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington | #29 | A+ | D | A− | A | A+ |
| Belmont | #33 | A+ | D− | A− | A+ | A+ |
| Medford | #182 | B | D− | B− | C+ | A |
| Cambridge | #190 | B− | D− | D | B | A+ |
| Somerville | #204 | B− | D− | C+ | C | A |
| Lexington | #10 | A+ | D | A | A+ | A+ |
| Winchester | #13 | A+ | D | A | A | A+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Arlington grades A+ overall, better than 98% of U.S. towns and #29 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades A+ for health, A− for safety and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
51 notable people were born here, including Miles Robinson and Whitney Smith.
