Is Arlington, Texas a Good Place to Live?

Arlington is the seventh largest city in the state of Texas and the fiftieth largest city in the United States. The city has a population of around 400,000. Arlington is most renowned for its sports and recreational facilities. The city has an amusement park, a baseball team and is home to the world-famous Dallas Cowboys. An expat moving to Arlington will soon discover the city’s love for the sport. The city is an industrial hub and is involved in the manufacture of products like rubber, plastics and electronics. Arlington is a great option for anyone thinking of moving to Texas.

Is Arlington, Texas a good place to live? Living in Arlington reveals that it is a city of diversity with relatively good weather. It has a stable and diversified economy with numerous employment opportunities. The cost of living is lower than the national average but there is a substantial crime in the city. Therefore, Arlington is a good place to live.

Living in Texas affords you a tremendous opportunity for growth. In fact, Arlington has received credit for being one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. Arlington has the atmosphere of a big city despite being relatively small compared to other nearby cities such as Dallas and Fort Worth. It can be argued that the best aspect of Arlington is its diversity. Niche ranks Arlington as the 12th most diverse city among 228 cities analyzed in the United States. The citizens of the city are friendly and most residents report being happy to live in Arlington.

In this article you will find out:

Is Arlington, Texas a good place to live? Prons and Cons.

As is synonymous with Texas, most places have a larger than life appeal. Regardless of how amazing a city appears, there are bound to be certain parts that are better than others. Better, in this case, refers to having better schools, better hospitals, higher household incomes, better air quality and better security among other factors. Therefore good neighborhoods in Arlington include Meadowbrook, Green Oaks, North Arlington, Lamar Boulevard, Fielder, Interlochen, West Park Row, Cooper and areas near Lake Arlington. The worse neighborhoods in Arlington include Abrams, West Division Street, Pioneer Parkway and near Highway 360.

Is Arlington Texas safe? The degree of crime in Arlington is substantially higher than the national average. Arlington, Texas has a safety index of 11 which means that it is safer than only 11% of all cities in the USA. The total crime rate per 1000 residents is 37.66. Arlington experiences 150 crimes per square mile which when compared to Texas’ average crime rate of 29 crimes per square mile are absurdly high. Arlington has one of the highest violent crime rates in the country.

Is Arlington TX safe? You have a 1 in 192 chance of being a victim of violent crime in Arlington. Property crime is also significant in Arlington since you have a 1 in 31 chance of falling victim to property crime in the city. It would be prudent to get insurance if you are thinking of residing in Arlington.

Arlington hosts a significant collection of public and private colleges and universities. The University of Texas, Arlington Campus (UT Arlington) has a diverse student population of about 40,000. The university is precious to the city of Arlington and its economy. The Southeast Campus of Tarrant County College is also situated in Arlington. Other noteworthy institutions of higher education include Kaplan College and Arlington Baptist College. Pertaining to primary and secondary school education, there are five independent school districts in Arlington namely Arlington, Mansfield, Grand Prairie, Hurst-Euless-Bedford, and Kennedale. Moreover, there are scores of private and public charter schools not associated with any ISDs in Arlington.

For many years, Arlington was not served by any public transportation system. As of 2016, only 3.7% of Arlington households lacked a car as opposed to the national average of 8.7% which is a possible explanation for why Arlington residents refused public transportation repeatedly. Arlington is served by two interstate highways, the I-20 and the I-30. The State Highway 360 and Highway 287 can also be used to access Arlington. The Union Pacific Railroad operates a transpacific freight railway service with a rail route passing through Arlington. The city of Arlington owns and operates the Arlington Municipal Airport as a reliever airport for Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

The social life in Texas is vividly dominated by sports. You will find thousands of fans cheering on their teams during weekends. However, there is Parks Mall in Arlington where residents can go shopping, to the cinema or skating. Other social attractions include The Arlington Museum of Art and Six Flags over Texas theme park.

Is Arlington, Texas a good place to work?

Arlington’s economy is able to remain stable and thriving because of its diversity of industries. The tourism sector is the major industry in the city employing numerous residents in its theme parks and hotels. The top employers in Arlington include Texas Health Resources, Arlington Independent School District, University of Texas Arlington, Six Flags over Texas, The Parks at Arlington, General Motors Arlington Assembly, City of Arlington Local Government, JP Morgan Chase, Texas Rangers and GM Financial respectively.

The unemployment rate in Arlington stands at 3.2% and is considerably lower than the national average unemployment rate of 5%. Such a high employment rate means that Arlington has a low poverty level of 9% as compared to the national average of 12%. The average income of an Arlington employee is $25, 236 and is just slightly better than the US average annual income of $28,555.

Is Arlington, Texas a good place to buy a house?

The American Dream is to own the house you live in and Arlington was ranked the 44th best city to own a house among 228 cities as analyzed by Niche. The above ranking is further supported by the fact that 56% of houses in Arlington are owned as opposed to 44% of houses which are rented. Most houses are owned by a mortgage. Good neighborhoods in Arlington include Meadowbrook, Green Oaks, North Arlington, Lamar Boulevard, Fielder, Interlochen, West Park Row, Cooper and areas near Lake Arlington. The worse neighborhoods in Arlington include Abrams, West Division Street, Pioneer Parkway and near Highway 360.

The average monthly rent for an unfurnished one bedroom apartment in Arlington is $900. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $1130 a month. The average rent for a three bedroom apartment is $1550 a month. The average monthly rent for a four-bedroom apartment is $1840 and the average rent for a five-bedroom apartment is $2110 a month.

The average buying price of a single bedroom apartment in Arlington is $132,000. The average price of an apartment with double bedrooms is $165,300. The average price of an apartment with triple bedrooms is $197,600. The average price of a quadruple bedroom apartment is $244,400. The average price of an apartment with quintuple bedrooms is $289,000.

Is Arlington, Texas a good place to retire?

If you are moving to Arlington TX for retirement, then Arlington is one of the best cities to do so in the state. You will have all the necessary amenities you require as a retiree in Arlington and if you cannot find them Dallas and Fort Worth are bigger cities only a short drive away. The cost of living in Arlington TX is low particularly when you compare it with the rest of the country. Housing, groceries, health care and transportation cost significantly lower than the national average. You will have to take extra measures to assure your security such as owning a firearm. Having insurance is also a good idea.

Good neighborhoods in Arlington include Meadowbrook, Green Oaks, North Arlington, Lamar Boulevard, Fielder, Interlochen, West Park Row, Cooper and areas near Lake Arlington. The worse neighborhoods in Arlington include Abrams, West Division Street, Pioneer Parkway and near Highway 360.

You can use the above monthly rental rates and average house prices as a reference when searching for retirement properties.

Is Arlington, Texas a good place to visit?

Arlington does not offer as many attractions as its neighboring cities. However, there is still much to see and plenty to do on a visit to Arlington. Places you can visit include Six Flags Over Texas, Hawaiian Falls Mansfield, AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Park, River Legacy Parks, Joe Pool Lake and NRH2O Family Water Park

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Arlington, Texas?

The cost of living in this city is 3.9% higher than the state average but 5.6% higher than the national average. Housing, groceries, health care and transportation cost significantly lower than the national average

Is Arlington, Texas a good place to invest in property?

Yes, Arlington is a worthy destination for real estate investment. As said previously, it is one of the best places to own a house. The prices are good and the rents high. Occupancy rates are also about 90%. Investors are assured of consistently excellent returns.

Is Arlington, Texas a good place to raise a family?

Yes, you can raise a family in Arlington. There are 5 independent school districts all with impressive graduation rates. The cost of living is low which means you can raise a family well with a relatively lower income. The only thing that would hold you back from raising a family in Arlington is insecurity which is relatively high.