Median apartment rents in Arlington ended 2025 about 1% lower than they started the year, the first annual decrease in five years.
But according to one analysis, rents in the county remain among the priciest in the nation, about 19% higher than the D.C. area as a whole and 86% more expensive than the national median.
In December, the overall median rent in Arlington was $2,519, according to data reported Dec. 31 by Apartment List. For one-bedroom units, the median rental price was $2,372, while for two-bedroom units it was $2,867.
The 0.9% decline from December 2024 was the first time since 2020 that Arlington rents declined over the course of a year. In 2020, the median rent ended 13% lower in December than in January as Covid fueled an exodus from urban areas.
The Arlington market quickly rebounded from its pandemic slump, however. Median rents rose 18% in 2021 and then saw more typical, single-digit increases of around 3-5% in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
The 2025 Arlington market followed typical cyclical norms. Over the summer, median rents were up about 4% compared to the start of the year, then began a gradual but steady descent — though this one ended a bit lower than the year started.
The national market followed a similar trend, according to Apartment List analysts:
“Earlier this year, it appeared that annual growth was on track to flip positive for the first time since mid-2023. However, that rebound stalled out and reversed course during a particularly slow summer.”
Across the metro area, December’s median rent of $2,519 was down 1.2% from a year ago.
Among nearby localities similar to Arlington, Tysons posted a year-over-year rent decline of 0.1%, with Alexandria down 2.5%. Reston saw an increase of 0.1%, while Silver Spring was down 1.1%
Before the post-summer drop, the median cost of a two-bedroom unit in Arlington topped $3,000 for several months — a number that later became fodder in the County Board campaign.
In December, Arlington retained its place as the fifth most expensive urban area among the 100 surveyed by Apartment List.
Four California communities had higher median apartment costs: $3,076 in San Francisco, $3,053 in Irvine, $2,861 in San Jose and $2,720 in Fremont.
The most affordable urban area for the month was Cleveland, where the median rental rate was $1,004.
Nationally, the median rental rate to close out December was $1,356 — $1,191 for one-bedroom units, and $1,342 for two bedrooms. That median cost was down 0.8% from a year before.
