Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Arlington is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C overall, ranked 198th of 285 in Washington, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is health: residents are healthier than 65% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Expect to pay for it: homes are expensive, about $650K for a typical one and 5.6 times the Seattle metro’s $115K median household income. Arlington’s July high is 75°F, below both the Washington town median (77°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). Arlington is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 82% of U.S. towns. Arlington has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Naval Auxiliary Air Station-Arlington.
Where Arlington beats most towns.
17,926 counted in 2010 and 19,868 in 2020; an estimated 22,031 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 10.6% since 2020, after 10.8% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Arlington is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,476 in 1910, 19,868 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1895 and a map from 1941 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
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 Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Arlington.
Arlington fares better on crime within Washington than nationally, has cooler summers than nearly all U.S. towns and trades workers with Everett and other neighbors.
At 34 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 64% of Washington’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 599 to 442 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Arlington is 17.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Arlington | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 17.2 per 1,000 residents | 15 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.4 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Arlington School District. Two of its 12 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle Creek ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 665 | – |
| Arlington High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,650 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 69% of U.S. communities. Since 1990, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Arlington.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
July afternoons average 74.6°, cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns; January nights average 35.5°.
Arlington has mild winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. Arlington’s January low is 36°F. About 6 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Within Washington it is less healthy than 64% of the 285 graded towns: Washington sets a high bar.
29% of Arlington adults have been diagnosed with depression. Arlington beats the Washington average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 71% of Arlington adults had a checkup this year.
| Arlington | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 71% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 31% | 35% |
| What stands out | Arlington | WA |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 12.8% | 10.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 6.2% | 5.1% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 6% | 5.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Arlington has about as many jobs (10,819) as working residents, but only 1,339 people both live and work here. Jobs based here grew from 7,482 in 2013 to 10,819.
Most working residents leave Arlington for work: only 14% work in town. Since 2013, Arlington has added 3,337 jobs, to 10,819 in 2023. 13% of residents live below the poverty line in Arlington.
| Arlington | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 4.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $88,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
3.9 miles of trail in 17 parks and preserves.
| Arlington | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.2% | 4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bill Quake Memorial Park | — | 19 |
| 2. Portage Creek Wildlife Reserve | — | 9 |
| 3. W.E. Evans Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The typical Arlington home is worth about $651,000, about the same as a year ago, 11% above the Washington typical home.
| Arlington | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,905 a month | $1,737 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 62% | 71% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Arlington. Close and well known come first.
Big draw39 mi LookoutSpace Needle
Big draw39 mi Stadium & arenaClimate Pledge Arena
37 mi Stadium & arenaHusky Stadium
38 mi LakeLake Washington
39 mi MuseumMuseum of Pop Culture
14 mi Stadium & arenaAngel of the Winds ArenaSpace Needle: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Climate Pledge Arena: Sea Cow, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Husky Stadium: Atomic Taco, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Lake Washington: Maltesen at da.wikipedia, Public domain · Museum of Pop Culture: EMP|SFM, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Angel of the Winds Arena: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Arlington
About 5 of every 100 Arlington residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Washington.
City in Washington, United States
Arlington is a city in northern Snohomish County, Washington, United States, part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The city lies on the Stillaguamish River in the western foothills of the Cascade Range, adjacent to the city of Marysville. It is approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Everett, the county seat, and 40 miles (64 km) north of Seattle, the state's largest city. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Arlington had a population of 19,868; its estimated population is 21,959 as of 2024. The city lies in the traditional territory of the Stillaguamish people, an indigenous Coast Salish group. Arlington was established in the 1880s by settlers and the area was platted as two towns, Arlington and…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Arlington.
| Town | WA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington | #198 | C | C− | C− | B | B+ |
| Sisco Heights | #175 | C+ | C | — | C+ | A− |
| Marysville | #185 | C | C− | C+ | C | A− |
Sisco Heights reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Arlington with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Arlington grades C overall, better than 28% of U.S. towns and #198 of 285 in Washington. It grades B+ for health, C− for safety and B for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
2 notable people were born here, including Rick Larsen and Celia M. Hunter.
