If you can afford to live here, Arlington is a fabulous place to rent an apartment, a new survey concludes.
The county ranked fifth nationally in the 2026 “Best Cities for Renters” ranking from Apartment List.
Results from 71 urban areas were released Oct. 15. Criteria included affordability (rent prices and trends), housing leverage, overall cost of living, economic opportunity and lifestyle.
Arlington ranked high on economic opportunity (No. 2 in the survey) and lifestyle (No. 6), but lower on housing leverage, affordability and cost of living.
That puts the county in close proximity to Seattle, which ranked No. 4 on the national list.
“Renters who can afford to live in Arlington are treated to some of the most amenity-rich buildings in the country. Lifestyle indicators are also strong, but all of these perks lead to a highly competitive rental market,” the Apartment List analysis said.
Getting near the top of the list comes at a cost — Apartment List earlier this month reported a median Arlington apartment rent at $2,457 monthly for one-bedroom units, $2,970 for two bedrooms.
Austin, Texas, led the ranking in the 2026 national survey. Due to large amounts of new construction, rental rates there have declined after a post-pandemic spike. Austin also tops the economy ranking and is second in the survey in affordability.
Salt Lake City ranked second and Charleston, S.C., third overall. Rounding out the top 10 after Seattle and Arlington are Charlotte, Raleigh, Atlanta, Phoenix and Nashville.
Detroit was at the bottom of the list, followed by Milwaukee; Augusta, Ga.; Baton Rouge, La.; Memphis; and Los Angeles.
Richmond ranked 27th and Virginia Beach 44th in the 2026 survey. D.C. ranked 24th.
