One in every 280 apartments set for completion in 2025 nationally will be in Arlington, a rate higher than last year, according to new data.
The expected 1,806 new rental units to become available countywide before the end of the year represents 0.36% of the national total of about 506,300 new apartments, according to recent estimates from RentCafe.com’s annual apartment construction report.
Those 1,806 new units represent a year-over-year increase of about 10%, according to the data.
Across the D.C. metro area, Arlington is second only to D.C.’s 4,970 expected units, a RentCafe spokesman told ARLnow. All told, the region is anticipated to add just over 13,900 apartment units this year.
In neighboring Falls Church, the number of units anticipated for completion by the end of the year is 1,044 — smaller than Arlington’s total but far higher on a per-capita basis. Arlington has more than 230,000 residents, while Falls Church has just 15,000.
The increase in Falls Church primarily is due to a number of completed mixed-use properties being leased up. The projected 1,044 new units is up 213% from 2024.
How the increasing housing stock will impact rents in the region remains to be seen. Typically, an increase in units causes overall rents to remain flat or decline.
A monthly analysis from Apartment List in late July pegged Arlington as the fifth most expensive area for renters among the nation’s 100 largest urban areas, and the most expensive outside of California.
The median two-bedroom apartment rent countywide has been at or about $3,000 for most of 2025 in the Apartment List analysis.
A separate monthly report, from Rent.com, uses average rental rates in its analysis. Its August report put the average rental rate countywide at $1,649 for studio apartments, down 22% from a year before; $1,665 for one-bedroom units, down 34%; and and $2,164 for two-bedroom units, down 38%.
Nationally, RentCafe expects about 506,000 apartment units to be constructed in 2025. That’s below the 640,000 of 2024 but still the second highest total in a decade.
Over that 10-year period, the nation on average has added just under 440,000 units per year.
The South, including Virginia, is on track to deliver nearly 53% of all new apartments built this year. Units added in Texas and Florida alone are projected to make up 30% of all new construction nationally.
The New York metro area will emerge as the top builder for the fourth year in a row, with 30,023 expected apartments. Dallas-Fort Worth will be second at 28,958. Austin is projected to be third at 26,715.
All three areas, however, are expected to post year-over-year declines. In fact, only five of the 20 most populous metropolitan areas will show increases: Riverside, Calif.; Phoenix; Charlotte; Salt Lake City; and Los Angeles.
“Many metros are seeing a natural cooldown after years of rapid growth,” RentCafe analysts said.
Options increase for Virginia homebuyers
Increased housing inventory across Virginia means homebuyers “now have more options” than in recent years, the Virginia Realtors trade group says.
“Virginia’s housing market has seen a big jump in listings for much of the past two years, but the trend has accelerated in 2025,” said the organization’s president, Lorraine Arora. “This trend is likely to continue. The market is shifting more into balance.”
Statewide, nearly 14,000 listings came on the market in July, according to figures reported on Aug. 21. That was up about 12% from a year before.
That added inventory has meant homes are staying on the market longer in Virginia.
The statewide median days on market between listing and ratified sales contract was 15 in July 2025. That was five days longer than a year before, and more than double the amount of time homes stayed on the market two years ago.
“The increase in supply is likely keeping homes on the market longer, though 15 days is still relatively fast compared to historical averages,” the trade organization noted.
The median sales price of all homes sold across the commonwealth in July was $435,000, up 2% ($9,000) from a year before.
“Home prices are still rising, but there are some early signs that some local markets are nearing a pivot as active listings surge,” said Ryan Price, chief economist for Virginia Realtors.
“In the months ahead, price growth will likely be modest, and in some local markets, we could even see prices edge down,” he said.
