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An editorial illustration of Arlington, Washington
Snohomish County · Washington

Arlington, WA

Arlington’s airport and industrial center are turning an edge city into a northern job hub.

Population
23,390
13% more from 2021 to 2026
Family households
66.3%
±5 points at 90% confidence
Local jobs
11,500
18% more from 2018 to 2023
Median income
$88,231
±$8,852 at 90% confidence
City overview

The forces shaping Arlington now.

01
The employers behind the economy

Arlington’s airport and industrial center are turning an edge city into a northern job hub.

Arlington contains 11,500 workplace jobs. Manufacturing accounts for 20% of them. Construction / Real Estate is next at 14%.

The municipal airport hosts more than 170 businesses, while Smokey Point combines Amazon, Walmart, Safeway, and Lowe’s and the medical district is anchored by Cascade Valley Hospital. The story is not one dominant company; it is several employment districts growing along different transportation corridors.

Workplace jobs: 2023
02
The trajectory

Arlington added residents and jobs; employment moved faster.

Arlington’s population rose 13% from 2021–2026; its workplace job count rose 18% from 2018–2023. The source periods differ because the two series are released on different schedules.

Growth on both sides of Arlington’s workday can support a fuller local economy, provided new homes and transportation keep workers within reach of the 11,500 jobs already located there.

Population: 2021–2026 · jobs: 2018–2023
03
The commute that shapes the city

Everett matters more to Arlington’s workday than its own city line does.

22% of observed resident job destinations are in Everett, followed by Seattle at 14%. Only 18% are inside Arlington.

Current GTFS schedules 1,873 weekday stop departures at 67 stops inside Arlington; that supply still needs to be tested against the route to Everett, the largest outside job destination. Schedule supply is not ridership.

Workplace flows: 2023 · commute modes: ACS 2024
04
The commercial pulse

Arlington’s taxable sales fell 11% to $804.7M.

Taxable sales totaled $804.7M, 11% lower than the previous year. Retail trade produced 49% of that total.

That decline can touch both merchants and city revenue. The useful next check is whether it came from fewer purchases, lost businesses, or the end of a one-time project.

Washington taxable sales, 2024
People

Who lives here—and which households shape demand?

The typical household estimate is 2.7 people. 66% are estimated to be family households, while 26% are estimated to be people living alone.

Average household size
2.7

±0.1 people at 90% confidence

Median age
36.6

±1.7 years at 90% confidence

Living alone
26%

±5 points at 90% confidence

Bachelor’s degree+
21%

Among residents age 25 and older. ±3 points at 90% confidence

Population composition

Who lives here

Estimated share of all Arlington residents. Each percentage uses the city’s total population as its denominator.

White, non-Hispanic71% ±4 pts
Hispanic / Latino, any race16% ±4 pts
Two or more races, non-Hispanic4.9% ±2 pts
Filipino2.8% ±2 pts
Black, non-Hispanic1.4% ±0.9 pts
Vietnamese1.4% ±1 pts
Another race, non-Hispanic0.6% ±0.5 pts
Chinese, except Taiwanese0.4% ±0.5 pts
Korean0.4% ±0.3 pts
American Indian / Alaska Native, non-Hispanic0.2% ±0.2 pts
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic0.2% ±0.2 pts
Two or more Asian groups0.1% ±0.2 pts
Asian Indian0.1% ±0.1 pts
Japanese<0.1% ±0.1 pts
Indonesian<0.1% ±0.1 pts

0% published estimate: Hmong, Mongolian, Okinawan, Taiwanese, Other East Asian, Burmese, Cambodian, Laotian, Malaysian, Mien, Singaporean, Thai, Other Southeast Asian, Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Nepalese, Pakistani, Sikh, Sri Lankan, Other South Asian, Afghan, Kazakh, Uzbek, Other Central Asian, Other Asian, specified, Other Asian, not specified. Zero is not proof that no residents identify with that group.

ACS 2020–2024 · 5-year estimates
Dataset
U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates · tables B03002 and B02015
Period
2020–2024
Geography
Arlington Census place
Definition
Race and Hispanic/Latino origin are self-reported Census concepts. Hispanic/Latino may be of any race; the broad display uses non-Hispanic race categories plus Hispanic/Latino of any race.
Method
Every percentage is shown with its 90% margin of error. Detailed Asian estimates use the Asian-alone universe and are divided by the city population for display.
Open the official source ↗
Work

What powers the local economy—and how dependent is it?

Manufacturing (includes, but is not limited to, aerospace) accounts for 20% of jobs located in Arlington. The city’s job base changed +63% between 2010 and 2023.

Jobs by sector

Workplace jobs inside the city—not the industries of residents who commute elsewhere.

Manufacturing (includes, but is not limited to, aerospace)20%
Construction / Real Estate14%
Logistics / Industrial13%
Retail11%
Healthcare & Social Assistance11%

Verified employer anchors

Employment anchors and commercial districts identified by the City of Arlington; local headcounts were not published · Current or recent profile · Current city profile and 2024 comprehensive plan. The stated employer vintage is within the current two-year publication window.

The municipal airport hosts more than 170 businesses, while Smokey Point combines Amazon, Walmart, Safeway, and Lowe’s and the medical district is anchored by Cascade Valley Hospital. The story is not one dominant company; it is several employment districts growing along different transportation corridors.

Cascade Valley Hospital and ClinicsHeadcount not published
AmazonHeadcount not published
WalmartHeadcount not published
SafewayHeadcount not published
Lowe’sHeadcount not published
Arlington Municipal Airport businesses171+ businesses; not one employer

City of Arlington comprehensive-plan and mayoral community profiles ↗. Headcounts change faster than Census employment totals.

Housing

What kinds of homes exist—and where is pressure showing?

62% of occupied homes are estimated to be owner-occupied and 38% rented. The firmer current signal is construction intent: 74 homes were authorized in 2025, versus a recent pace of about 75 per year.

Home value profile

What owner-occupied homes are worth

Owner estimates from the 2020–2024 American Community Survey—not listings, recorded sales, or appraisals. The final Census band is open-ended: $2 million and above.

Median estimate$539k±24649.0 at 90% confidence
Middle half of homes$410k–$670kLower to upper quartile of owner estimates
Luxury-home concentration0%≈0 homes · estimated at $2M+
Under $500k43%
$500–749k48%
$750–999k9%
$1–1.49M0%
$1.5–1.99M0%
$2M+0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year tables B25075–B25078. Values cover owner-occupied homes only and do not measure current asking prices or recent purchase prices.

The housing mix we can estimate confidently

This describes the existing stock. It does not imply that one building type is preferable.

Detached houses61%
Attached houses7%
2–4 unit buildings6%
5+ unit buildings20%
Other5%
Owner-occupied
62%

±6 points at 90% confidence

Owner cost-burdened
29%

Spending 30% or more on selected owner costs. ±8 points at 90% confidence

Homes authorized, 2025
74

Permit authorizations—not construction starts or completed homes.

Residential buildings, 2025
6

One building can contain one home or many housing units.

Permit activity: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, final annual estimate for 2025. Housing units authorized are not starts or completions.

Mobility

Where do residents need to go—and who has a real alternative to driving?

Current transit schedules include 67 stops and 1,873 weekday stop departures inside Arlington. The 2020–2024 ACS separately estimates how workers usually commuted; it does not count every transit trip or describe today's schedule.

Weekday departures
1,873

Scheduled stop departures in the current covered-feed snapshot—not riders.

Transit stops
67

Matched inside city limits; nearby cross-border stops are separate.

Top outside workplace
Everett

22% of observed resident job destinations in 2023 LODES.

Work inside the city
18%

Share of observed resident job destinations located in the same city in 2023 LODES.

Where resident workers go

Top observed workplace destinations. 18% work inside Arlington.

Everett22%
Peak drive: 35–70 min
Seattle14%
Peak drive: 80–150 min
Marysville9%
Peak drive: 25–50 min
Bellevue4%

The strongest outside connection is Everett. Employer or corridor changes there can alter everyday life in Arlington, even when nothing changes inside the city boundary.

How residents usually get to work

Citywide ACS 2020–2024 estimates describe workers’ usual commute—not every trip made today.

Drive alone
74%

Share of workers usually driving alone. ±7 points at 90% confidence

Work from home
12%

Share of workers usually working from home. ±3 points at 90% confidence

Use public transit
1.2%

Usual commute mode—not all transit trips. ±0.9 points at 90% confidence

Commute 45+ minutes
22%

Share of workers with a one-way commute of at least 45 minutes. ±4 points at 90% confidence

For someone choosing a home in Arlington, the practical test is the trip to Everett, the leading outside workplace destination in the published flows. These citywide shares cannot show whether that trip works from a particular address.

Typical drive times

About how long does it take to get where people go?

Work destinations are selected from observed resident job flows. These are broad, reviewed planning ranges from representative parts of Arlington—not live-traffic or door-to-door predictions.

Starting area
Everett employment area

Everett is a LODES-selected resident workplace destination for Arlington, representing 17% of matched resident jobs from this city.

40–80 minWeekday morning peak
Details

Highway-dominant corridor: distance converted with a reviewed 1.25x circuity factor and an assumed 45 km/h peak-effective / 70 km/h off-peak effective speed, then widened and rounded to a broad band. The morning inbound peak is shown; the evening outbound return is assumed to fall within the same broad band.

Arlington employment area

Arlington is a LODES-selected resident workplace destination for Arlington, representing 14% of matched resident jobs from this city.

5–20 minWeekday morning peak
Details

Local arterial-dominant corridor: distance converted with a reviewed 1.40x circuity factor and an assumed 28 km/h peak-effective / 42 km/h off-peak effective speed, then widened and rounded to a broad band. The morning inbound peak is shown; the evening outbound return is assumed to fall within the same broad band.

Downtown Seattle employment core

Seattle is a LODES-selected resident workplace destination for Arlington, representing 11% of matched resident jobs from this city.

85–150 minWeekday morning peak
Details

Highway-dominant corridor: distance converted with a reviewed 1.25x circuity factor and an assumed 45 km/h peak-effective / 70 km/h off-peak effective speed, then widened and rounded to a broad band. The morning inbound peak is shown; the evening outbound return is assumed to fall within the same broad band.

Marysville employment area

Marysville is a LODES-selected resident workplace destination for Arlington, representing 7% of matched resident jobs from this city.

30–60 minWeekday morning peak
Details

Local arterial-dominant corridor: distance converted with a reviewed 1.40x circuity factor and an assumed 28 km/h peak-effective / 42 km/h off-peak effective speed, then widened and rounded to a broad band. The morning inbound peak is shown; the evening outbound return is assumed to fall within the same broad band.

Method, review date, and sources

Planning estimate; actual time varies by departure time, route, traffic, weather, incidents, and closures.

Estimates are derived from reviewed origin/destination coordinates using a documented distance-to-time heuristic (circuity factor and assumed effective speed by corridor type and period), then deliberately widened and rounded to a broad band. No live routing or traffic API was called.

Estimates reviewed 2026-09-10. Starting point: selected representative area.

City boundary and regional context● nearby   ● work destinations
Daily life

Community institutions and local activity

Public schools, libraries, pharmacies, and listed everyday places show part of the local inventory inside Arlington; taxable sales show the scale and direction of local commercial activity. Residents also use places across city lines, so a boundary count is not the same as access.

Local field guide

Places for everyday needs in Arlington

Care, errands, food, fitness, and personal services gathered into one browsable directory.

Hospitals1 in cityView all
Cascade Valley Hospital330 S STILLAGUAMISH AVE · ARLINGTON, WA 98223 · Acute Care Hospitals · Emergency servicesMapExplore all hospitals nearby in MapsOpen
Clinics and urgent care16 listedView 8 places
Airrosti Smokey PointMapArlington Covid-19 Testing SiteMapArlington Family MedicineMapCommunity Health Center Of Snohomish County - Arlington ClinicMapEverett J. De Leon, MdMapHyma RamanMapJennifer J CrewMapKaren S. Myren, MD - Western Washington Medical Group: Whitehorse Family MedicineMapExplore all clinics and urgent care in MapsOpen
Pharmacies9 listedView 8 places
Arlington Pharmacy540 N WEST AVE · ARLINGTON, WA 98223-1251MapArlington Pharmacy Located At Smokey Point3823 172ND ST NE · ARLINGTON, WA 98223-7735MapBartell Drugs #747423 204TH ST NE · ARLINGTON, WA 98223-8204MapCascade Medical Center Phcy326 S STILLAGUAMISH AVE · ARLINGTON, WA 98223-1652MapCvs Pharmacy #1167117226 SMOKEY POINT BOULEVARD · ARLINGTON, WA 98223-8718MapHaggen Food & Pharmacy, Top Food & Drug20115 74TH AVE NE · ARLINGTON, WA 98223-4679MapSafeway Pharmacy #05343532 172ND ST NE · ARLINGTON, WA 98223-8758MapSafeway Pharmacy #152220500 OLYMPIC PL NE · ARLINGTON, WA 98223-5094MapExplore all pharmacies in MapsOpen
Coffee27 listedView 8 places
A-Town CoffeeMapAddicted Espresso ArlingtonMapAmerican Dream Coffee CoMapBonaventure Coffee RoastersMapCaffe ItalianoMapCaffe ProntoMapClover Coffee Cafe and GiftsMapEricksen's EspressoMapExplore all coffee in MapsOpen
Fitness15 listedView 8 places
Anytime FitnessMapArlington,WA CrossFit Kids & TeensMapAzul Sup & YogaMapBody Temple FitnessMapCrossFit OrendaMapCurves of ArlingtonMapFitness1440MapHOTWORX- Arlington, WA - Smokey PointMapExplore all fitness in MapsOpen
Groceries6 listedView all
Arlington Food PavilionMapCountry Charm DairyMapDarrington ChuckwagonMapKismet Grocers IncMapSafewayMapSmokey Point EspressoMapExplore all groceries in MapsOpen
Convenience10 listedView 8 places
7-ElevenMapampmMapArlington ShellMapBPMapCheepersMapQuick StopMapRite AidMapRiver Rock Smoke ShopMapExplore all convenience in MapsOpen
Restaurants60 listedView 8 places
Alfy's PizzaMapThe Alley Bar & GrillMapBistro San MartinMapBlue Bird CafeMapBob's Burger & BrewMapBourbon CreekMapBurger KingMapBuzz Inn Steak HouseMapExplore all restaurants in MapsOpen
Salons and barbers62 listedView 8 places
A Shear ObsessionMapThe Arlington Beauty BarnMapAshley Allen StylingMapAshton’s AestheticsMapBeauty and Grace EstheticsMapBelle’s BeautyMapBeyond Skin Deep BeautyMapBlended by Rachel MMapExplore all salons and barbers in MapsOpen

Counts reflect current directory records associated with the city, not a complete business census or a measure of access. Large categories show a sample.

Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), snapshot 2026-08-13; Overture Maps Foundation, release 2026-08-19.0; U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (NPPES NPI Registry), snapshot 2026-09-09.

Public library footprint

2 public-library branches inside Arlington

Floor area shows the scale of the physical branches. Physical circulation is 2024 checkouts—not visits, unique users, or digital borrowing—and people routinely use libraries across city lines.

Branch floor area
9,218 sq ft

All matched branches must report floor area before a city total is shown.

Physical checkouts
273,696

Annual branch activity; not limited to city residents. All matched branches must report before a city total is shown.

Arlington LibrarySno-Isle Libraries
5,055 sq ft194,389 physical checkouts56 scheduled hours/week
Lakewood/Smokey Point LibrarySno-Isle Libraries
4,163 sq ft79,307 physical checkouts39 scheduled hours/week

Source: Washington State Library public-library statistics, 2024. System-wide visits, digital circulation, and program attendance cannot be assigned honestly to one branch, so they are not folded into these city totals.

Education footprint

The schools inside Arlington.

Institution counts and enrollment will remain separate. A school can serve students from outside the city, and residents may attend a school across the boundary or elsewhere in their district.

Public elementary4
  • Eagle Creek Elementary SchoolArlington School District
  • Kent Prairie Elementary SchoolArlington School District
  • Pioneer Elementary School (Arlington)Arlington School District
  • Presidents Elementary SchoolArlington School District
Public middle2
  • Haller Middle SchoolArlington School District
  • Post Middle SchoolArlington School District
Public high3
  • Arlington High SchoolArlington School District
  • Arlington Open DoorsArlington School District
  • Weston High SchoolArlington School District
Other public programs2
  • Arlington Special Educ SchoolArlington School District
  • Stillaguamish Valley Learning CenterArlington School District

Public-school names and levels come from OSPI. Private schools, complete IPEDS college coverage, enrollment by level, and graduate destinations are active additions; absence here should not yet be read as “none.”

Retail role

Arlington supports more retail activity per resident than most regional cities.

Retail sales per resident rank among the 77% highest of the cities tracked by Metroscope. The city appears to play more than a purely neighborhood retail role, but the sales records cannot identify who made the purchases.

Retail sales per resident, 2024
$16,860

Higher than 77% of 82 tracked cities.

Change from 2023
−6%

Nominal retail-sales change; inflation can account for some or all of an increase.

See the underlying sales totals
Retail trade, 2024
$394.4M

Sales reported by businesses classified in retail trade.

All taxable sales
$804.7M

Includes taxable activity outside retail trade.

Retail share
49%

Retailing industries’ share of all taxable sales.

Tracked-city median
$10,670

Median retail sales per resident across cities with comparable data.

Civic life

In Arlington, voters directly choose who runs City Hall.

Arlington voters elect the mayor separately from the council. The mayor leads city administration, while the council adopts laws, policy, and the budget—so executive accountability sits directly with an elected office.

Government form
Mayor–Council

The mayor is separately elected to lead administration.

Mayor listed
Don Vanney

The separately elected chief executive.

Council representatives listed
7

Current directory entries; vacancies or updates can make this differ from authorized seats.

Incorporated
1903

Code city under Washington law.

Where decisions happen

When does the Arlington council meet?

Regular meeting schedule listed in the current municipal directory:

1st & 3rd Mon - 6:00pm2nd & 4th Mon - 6:00pm Workshops

Schedules change and special meetings are separate. Check the city site for the live agenda, staff reports, public-comment rules, and video.

Official city site ↗Current officials directory ↗
Election record

Where to check Arlington election results.

Regular municipal offices generally return in 2027. Special measures can appear earlier, and charter provisions can differ.

The next data step is city-specific turnout, contested-seat share, ballot measures, and campaign money. Until those are normalized, Metroscope links the official record instead of guessing from partisan elections.

Structure, meetings, and current officials: Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington (MRSC), checked 2026-09-08. Election administration and certified results: the county election offices listed above. Confirm live agendas and officeholders at the source.

Change

What is changing the city’s trajectory?

Population and jobs do not always move together. Reading both helps distinguish a growing employment center from a city whose households are increasingly tied to opportunities elsewhere.

Residents
23,390

13% more from 2021 to 2026

Local jobs
11,500

18% more from 2018 to 2023

Retail trade, 2023–2024
−6%

Nominal taxable-sales change; not adjusted for inflation.

Data & details — selected comparable metrics across 82 places
Local jobs
LODES
11,500
1,506656,821
Higher than only 49% of places
Long-run job change
LODES
+63%
−3%+166%
Higher than 79% of places
Weekday transit departures
GTFS snapshot
1,873
19256,385
Higher than only 37% of places
Multifamily permitting
Census BPS
Near its usual pace
Recent annual pace compared with this city's own 2010–2025 record
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD, county-level
$2,549
FY2027 HUD program benchmark; chart shows FY2020–FY2027 history. Shared across this HUD metro area—not a place-specific market rent.
Work — sector breakdown
Share of local jobs by sector · LODES · workplace location, not resident industry
Manufacturing (includes, but is not limited to, aerospace)20% (2,356)
Construction / Real Estate14% (1,554)
Logistics / Industrial13% (1,512)
Retail11% (1,247)
Healthcare & Social Assistance11% (1,239)
Hospitality9% (1,091)
Education (includes academia/research)9% (1,061)
Other6% (707)
Professional Services (partial technology proxy)3% (300)
Administrative & Support Services1% (151)
Finance1% (146)
Government (Public Administration)1% (127)
Information (partial technology proxy)0% (9)
Where Arlington's workforce lives (inbound)
LODES OD — commuting flows into local jobs
Marysville
27.6%
Arlington
25.6%
Everett
10.5%
Lake Stevens
6.6%
Seattle
4.1%