Arlington apartment rents declined year-over-year in August but are up 3.5% since the start of 2026, according to new data.
The median rental price for an apartment countywide was $2,460 for one-bedroom units, $2,973 for two bedrooms and $2,612 overall, according to figures reported Aug. 26 by Apartment List.
Arlington’s Tenant-Landlord Commission is seeking more state support in treating and testing for mold, despite protests from some industry representatives.
The commission is recommending legislative approval of a statewide mold-remediation fund and free mold testing for Virginia residents. Members placed the issue atop their recommendations to County Board members in advance of the 2027 General Assembly session.
Arlington apartment rents remain among the most expensive in the nation, but the units themselves are on the smaller end, according to new data.
The average unit in apartment buildings constructed in Arlington between 2016 and 2025 is 815 square feet. That’s down 8% from the previous decade, when the typical new apartment was 859 square feet.
The median cost of renting an apartment in Arlington has likely hit its high point for 2026 after increasing 3.5% since the start of the year.
The county’s $2,611 median rent in July — $2,459 for one-bedroom units, $2,975 for two-bedroom units — was down 1.1% year-over-year but remains among the priciest in the nation.
Despite year-over-year declines, Arlington’s median apartment rent is now up 16% from the immediate pre-Covid era and almost 37% from its pandemic low, according to new data.
The median apartment rent in June was $2,601 — $2,449 for one-bedroom units, $2,959 for two bedrooms — according to data released June 30 by Apartment List.
Those with $1,500 to spend monthly on apartment rent in Arlington can expect either a tight squeeze or, more likely, finding roommates to share the burden.
A new national survey finds that $1,500 will result in an average 478 square feet of rentable apartment space in the county, the equivalent of a studio apartment.
One of Arlington’s advisory panels is considering a push to require local landlords to make their rent increases public annually.
The legislative subcommittee of the county government’s Housing Commission has included the proposal on a list of potential 2027 legislative priorities.
Despite a year-over-year decline, Arlington’s apartment market in May retained its position as most expensive in the region and fifth most expensive urban area nationally.
The county’s median apartment-rental rate of $2,609 — $2,457 for one-bedroom units, $2,969 for two bedrooms — was down 1.4% year over year, according to figures reported May 28 by Apartment List.
Arlington’s median apartment rental rates remain modestly down year-over-year in one new national survey, while posting a slight uptick in another.
In each case, the county’s costs for renters are among the highest in the nation — fifth most expensive in one survey, seventh in the other.
Arlington is still the priciest place to rent in the D.C. metro area, even as local rents continue to trend downward from their 2022 peak.
The median one-bedroom apartment in Arlington costs $2,420 a month, topping all other metro-area cities in Zumper’s monthly Washington D.C. Metro Report, released today (Monday). Washington, D.C. was second at $2,250, followed by Alexandria at $2,230.
The median rent remains down year over year in Arlington, though the local market is showing price upticks as winter transitions to spring.
The county’s median apartment rent of $2,585 in March was up 1.4% month over month, contributing to a cumulative 2.4% from the start of the year, Apartment List said in its monthly report, released earlier this week. Nevertheless, the median rental rate remains down 1.7% from a year before.
Arlington has some of the most expensive three-bedroom apartments in the D.C. area, with a median asking price of $3,700 last month.
That equates to $44,400 on an annual basis — 17% higher than the median cost for a two-bedroom Arlington apartment and 55% higher than renting a one-bedroom unit, according to data provided by Zumper to ARLnow.
