Arlington County, Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Arlington County, Virginia has a population of 236,254 across 26 square miles, up 0.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $49.08 bn in 2024, 6,334 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 196 7(a) approvals worth $85.8 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Arlington County
How many people live in Arlington County
- Population236,254
- Households112,027
- Average household size2.11
- Median household income$142,114
- Median age35.5
- Median gross rent$2,322 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$895,000
- Home value to household income6.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher77.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree41.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over173,940
- Population under 1842,601
- Share under 1818.0 percent
- Population 65 and over28,123
- Share 65 and over11.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64165,530
- Civilian labor force150,026
- Unemployment rate3.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over77.5 percent
- Rank by population among Virginia counties8th of 133
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents298th
Arlington County is the 8th largest of 133 Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 6.3 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 18.0 percent against 11.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Arlington County
Is Arlington County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.49 percent
- Census 2020 base population238,646
- Births, 20242,478
- Deaths, 20241,032
- Natural change, 20241,446
- Net domestic migration, 2024-310
- Net international migration, 20243,482
- Total net migration, 20243,172
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-14,273
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1660th
The county has grown 0.49 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Arlington County
Where people moving to Arlington County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving16,901
- People arriving, from those returns22,707
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.72 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$101,989
- Largest single originArlington County Non-migrants (90,092 households)
- Largest single destination (90,092 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington County Non-migrants | 90,092 | 156,967 | $16.32 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,927 | 4,023 | $245.4 m |
| Fairfax County | 2,575 | 3,485 | $257.6 m |
| District of Columbia | 1,885 | 2,359 | $254.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,260 | 1,778 | $103.6 m |
| Alexandria city | 1,099 | 1,564 | $106.4 m |
| Montgomery County | 723 | 879 | $64.4 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 686 | 830 | $54.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Arlington County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Arlington County
What the Arlington County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$49.08 bn
- County GDP, 2023$46.91 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.6 percent
- GDP change over five years28.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Virginia counties2nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents120th
- GDP per resident$207,733
Output grew 4.6 percent in the latest year and 28.6 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Arlington County
Who employs people in Arlington County
- Covered employment, annual average179,244
- Establishments reporting9,629
- Average annual pay$122,856
- Average weekly wage$2,363
- Sector 54, employment49,208
- Sector 54, average annual pay$158,246
- Sector 72, employment14,900
- Sector 72, average annual pay$37,517
- Sector 62, employment11,043
- Sector 62, average annual pay$83,497
- Sector 81, employment11,014
- Sector 81, average annual pay$118,949
- Sector 48-49, employment10,808
- Sector 44-45, employment7,559
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 54 | 49,208 | 2,710 | $158,246 |
| Sector 72 | 14,900 | 652 | $37,517 |
| Sector 62 | 11,043 | 821 | $83,497 |
| Sector 81 | 11,014 | 2,006 | $118,949 |
| Sector 48-49 | 10,808 | 86 | $123,483 |
| Sector 44-45 | 7,559 | 486 | $50,240 |
| Sector 56 | 6,938 | 452 | $68,398 |
| Sector 51 | 5,652 | 317 | $152,848 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 49,208 jobs, 27.5 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Arlington County
What businesses operate in Arlington County
- Establishments, all industries6,334
- Employment at those establishments159,716
- Annual payroll$18.15 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.8
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Arlington County
What is being built in Arlington County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024621
- Declared construction value permitted$210.8 m
- Single family units authorised190
- Multifamily units authorised431
- Multifamily share of units69.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$339,450
- Units authorised per 1,000 households5.5
Multifamily is 69.4 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Arlington County
How much SBA lending happens in Arlington County
- 7(a) approvals recorded196
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$85.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$437,829
- Median 7(a) approval$210,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,200,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,612
- Jobs per approval13.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active43
- Distinct industries receiving approvals79
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer2.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter173
- Franchise loans26
- Franchise share of approvals13.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (14)
- Most active lenderManufacturers and Traders Trust Company (38)
- 504 approvals recorded24
- 504 gross approval dollars$22.4 m
- Average 504 approval$933,458
- Median 504 approval$681,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval14.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.0
- Most active CDCBusiness Finance Group, Inc. (21)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals89.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$108.2 m
The average approval of $437,829 sits well above the median of $210,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 2.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Arlington County
Do SBA loans in Arlington County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded31
- Paid in full25
- Charged off6
- Charge off rate on resolved loans19.4 percent
- Status: Charged off6
- Status: Paid in full25
- Status: Exempt from disclosure116
- Status: Cancelled35
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed14
Of the 31 loans that have reached a final outcome, 19.4 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Arlington County
Which parts of Arlington County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- ARLINGTON, approvals193
- FAIRFAX, approvals1
- Edgewater, approvals1
- JACKSONVILLE, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| ARLINGTON | 193 | $84,323,000 |
| FAIRFAX | 1 | $25,000 |
| Edgewater | 1 | $678,400 |
| JACKSONVILLE | 1 | $788,000 |
ARLINGTON accounts for 193 approvals against 1 in FAIRFAX. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Arlington County
How big is Arlington County
- Land area26 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Virginia counties106th of 133
- Width, east to west7.6 mi
- Height, north to south7.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land9,087
- Establishments per square mile243.62
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Arlington County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Arlington County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population236,254
- Households112,027
- Average household size2.11
- Median household income$142,114
- Median age35.5
Common questions
Arlington County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Arlington County, Virginia?
236,254, in 112,027 households, ranking 8th of 133 Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Arlington County growing?
The population has grown 0.49 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 2,478 births against 1,032 deaths, with net migration of 3,172. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Arlington County?
$142,114. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $895,000, which is 6.3 times income, and median gross rent is $2,322 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Arlington County?
6,334 establishments, employing 159,716 people with an annual payroll of $18.15 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Arlington County?
Average annual pay is $122,856, or $2,363 a week, across 179,244 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Arlington County?
196 7(a) approvals totalling $85.8 m since FY2020, across 43 lenders, with a median approval of $210,000, plus 24 504 approvals worth $22.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Arlington County get paid back?
Of the 31 loans that have reached a final outcome, 25 were paid in full and 6 charged off, a charge off rate of 19.4 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Arlington County?
621 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $210.8 m. Multifamily was 69.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Arlington County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Arlington County come from?
The largest single origin is Arlington County Non-migrants, with 90,092 households. Arriving households report an average income of $101,989 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Arlington County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Arlington County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.