Arlington is a leafy inner-ring suburb consistently ranked among the best places in the area to raise young children, on the strength of strong schools, safe streets, and three walkable village centers. Housing is older and characterful — Victorians, colonials, and two-families — and inventory is tight and competitive. Its signature amenity is the Minuteman Bikeway, a rail-trail running straight into Cambridge. The catch: Arlington has no subway or commuter rail of its own; you reach the Red Line at Alewife by bus or bike.
The 7-factor RAAM scorecard
Top-tier district; especially strong for young families.
Roughly $1.1M median; condos offer a cheaper entry point.
Tight inner-ring lots; many two-families and smaller parcels.
Older, characterful stock — Victorians, colonials, two-families.
Older homes; condition varies across the market.
Fairly diverse for an inner suburb.
No in-town rail; bus/bikeway to the Red Line at Alewife.
Getting to work
The trade-off town: no rail in Arlington itself, but the Red Line at Alewife is a short bus or bike away.
- No subway/commuter rail in town — MBTA buses (77, 79, 80, 87) along Mass Ave/Broadway
- Nearest rapid transit: Alewife (Red Line) in Cambridge → Kendall ≈15 min, Downtown ≈25 min
- Minuteman Bikeway rail-trail runs directly to Alewife/Cambridge
Schools
Strong public schools; Arlington High and the elementary schools rate highly and the district ranks in the state’s top tier.
Arlington Public Schools ~top 7% of MA districts; ~95% graduation rate.
Source: GreatSchools / US News (traceable to MCAS/DESE)
Best for
Weigh this before you commit
Transit and inventory: there is no train station in Arlington (bus/bike to Alewife), and the older housing stock trades in a tight, competitive market.
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Relocating to Arlington: FAQ
Does Arlington, MA have a subway or commuter rail?
No — Arlington has no rail station of its own. Residents reach the Red Line at Alewife (in Cambridge) by MBTA bus or via the Minuteman Bikeway; from Alewife, Kendall Square is about 15 minutes.
Is Arlington good for families?
Very — it is consistently ranked among the best local towns for raising young children, thanks to strong schools, safe streets, and walkable village centers.
How much are homes in Arlington?
The median sale price was around $1.1M in late 2025 (Redfin). Condos are a cheaper entry point (≈$675K), while single-family homes reach the low-to-mid $1.3M range.
Compare nearby towns
A note on the data. Figures are the most recent we could source at publication and are labeled with their vintage. Population and income come from the U.S. Census / American Community Survey; home prices are volatile monthly medians (Redfin / Zillow) and are dated to the month cited. RAAM factor scores below are equal-weight baselines — re-weight them to your own priorities to get a score that is truly yours.