Arlington is one of DFW’s most dynamic and centrally located cities, offering big-city amenities with convenient access to both Dallas and Fort Worth. Learn why commuters, young families, corporate relocaters and long-term homeowners are all finding their place in Arlington.
Arlington is a city of about 400,000 between Dallas and Fort Worth, and the address alone tells you less than anywhere else on this site. The school district, the special district and even the city on your tax bill depend on exactly where you buy.
$390K–$900K+
Two thousand acres beside River Legacy Park, with five lakes, a sailing centre, resort pools and an on-site elementary — and an Audubon Gold Signature Sanctuary certification.
HEB ISD, HOA around $297 a quarter — and a management district levy that makes it the highest-taxed neighbourhood in the city. See the note below.
$200K–$2M
Two markets around one lake. Waterfront custom homes with docks and pools run roughly $500,000 to $2 million across Enchanted Lake Estates, Shorewood and McKamy Lakes.
A street or two back, interior brick ranches sit around $200,000 to $400,000. Boat ramps, no swimming.
Wide range
Historic bungalows, a revitalised dining core along Abram and Division, and a university of more than 42,000 students.
That means heavy student rental demand — an investor’s market as much as an owner’s, and the most walkable part of the city.
$380K–$700K
South Arlington toward the Mansfield line is the newer, larger-lot side of the city. Fannin Farm runs from about $380,000 to the mid $500s; established Wimbledon, from the late 1970s, about $400,000 to $700,000.
Much of this area is Mansfield ISD — a higher school rate, and a draw for families.
Entry level
Older 1950s to 1970s housing near the Grand Prairie line and the stadiums, with some of the lowest price points in the city.
Closest to the entertainment district — convenient on a Tuesday, congested on a game day.
Mid range
The 1980s to 2000s suburbs — established neighbourhoods, mature trees and Martin High School attendance, which families here seek out.
The far southwest corner falls in Kennedale ISD, so check the district street by street.
Lots from $300K
Two separate towns entirely surrounded by Arlington, with Arlington addresses and Arlington ISD schools — and their own mayors, police, permits and tax rates.
Dalworthington Gardens began as a New Deal homestead colony in the 1930s on half-acre-plus lots; the gated Roosevelt Estates offers custom lots from the $300,000s.
Swipe or drag sideways to see them all.
A typical Arlington ISD home carries about 2.186 percent: city 0.6298, Arlington ISD 1.0929, Tarrant County 0.1862, Tarrant County College 0.1123 and the JPS hospital district 0.1650.
That is about $8,745 a year on a $400,000 home before exemptions — just above Ennis, below Kennedale and Lancaster. The college and hospital lines apply across Tarrant County, so every Tarrant city on this site pays them too.
One helping hand: stadium and hotel revenue from the entertainment district funds part of the city budget, which is part of why the city rate is not higher. The city did raise it by three cents for 2026.
Most of Arlington is Arlington ISD — but not all of it, and the district changes the bill as well as the schools.
On a $400,000 home: HEB ISD in the far north about $8,489, Arlington ISD about $8,745, Kennedale ISD in the southwest about $8,914, and Mansfield ISD in the south about $8,961.
That is roughly $472 a year between the cheapest and the dearest, from the district alone. Verify by parcel on the Tarrant Appraisal District, not by the Arlington address.
Viridian sits in a municipal management district that funds its lakes, parks, sailing centre and a fire station — levying 0.5152 on top of everything else.
That takes the total to about 2.637 percent, the highest residential burden in the city — roughly $10,550 a year on a $400,000 home before exemptions, against about $8,500 for the same house elsewhere in HEB ISD.
The amenities are genuinely exceptional. Just budget for them as part of the tax bill, not only the HOA.
Dalworthington Gardens and Pantego are independent towns completely surrounded by Arlington. They use Arlington mailing addresses and 760 postcodes, and their children attend Arlington ISD.
But they have their own city councils, police, permitting and city tax rates — so a buyer can close on what they believe is an Arlington house and find a different city on the tax bill.
Nothing wrong with either town. Just know which one you are in before you sign.
Neighborhood names, price ranges and builder details come from the City of Arlington, the Tarrant Appraisal District, developer materials and listing portals as observed; price ranges are indicative and move constantly, so ask for a current comparative market analysis. Arlington, with roughly 400,000 residents, is far larger than any other city covered on this site; the areas shown here are a curated guide to how the city divides rather than a complete list of subdivisions. Tax figures use tax year 2025 adopted rates, are shown before exemptions and are illustrations rather than quotes; rates reset annually. The components used are the City of Arlington at 0.629800, Arlington Independent School District at 1.092900, Tarrant County at 0.186200, the Tarrant County College District at 0.112280 and the Tarrant County Hospital District at 0.165000, giving a combined figure of approximately 2.186 percent for a home in Arlington ISD. Tarrant County College and hospital district levies apply throughout Tarrant County, including the other Tarrant County cities covered on this site. Arlington is served by at least four school districts: Arlington Independent School District across most of the city, Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD in the far north including Viridian, Kennedale ISD in the southwest corner and Mansfield ISD in the south. Rates used are 1.0929, 1.0289, 1.1352 and 1.1469 respectively; Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD voters approved a tax ratification election in November 2025. School district must be confirmed by parcel. Viridian lies within the Viridian Municipal Management District, a special district created by the Texas Legislature, which levied approximately 0.5152 per $100 for 2025 in addition to other taxing units, giving a combined rate of approximately 2.637 percent; the district also levies special assessments, and homeowners association dues of approximately $297 a quarter are separate. Buyers should obtain the current rate and any assessment for a specific lot. Dalworthington Gardens and Pantego are separately incorporated towns entirely surrounded by Arlington; they use Arlington mailing addresses and are served by Arlington Independent School District, but levy their own municipal taxes and provide their own services. Jurisdiction must be confirmed by parcel. Electricity in Arlington is delivered by a transmission utility within the deregulated retail market, where residents choose a retail provider; water and sewer are provided by the city. The state school homestead exemption rose to $140,000 in November 2025, and Tarrant County introduced a 10 percent homestead exemption on its county and hospital district levies for 2025; local exemption amounts should be verified with the appraisal district. Population, income and home value figures vary between sources and vintages, and Viridian price floors differ between builders and phases. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Arlington is too big for a complete list, so this is a curated guide to the independents worth knowing — centred on the walkable downtown around UTA, with the standouts elsewhere in the city.
5904 S Cooper St #110 · 817-987-7715
The only Arlington restaurant in the Michelin Guide Texas, and a James Beard “Best Chef: Texas” semifinalist in both 2025 and 2026.
Husband and wife Patrick and Fasicka Hicks marry Texas barbecue with Ethiopian cooking: brisket seared in awaze, berbere shipped from Ethiopia, in a strip centre off South Cooper. Started as pop-ups in 2012.
400 E Abram St · 817-274-8561
A UTA alumnus opened it in July 1979, and in 1980 it is credited with inventing Irish Nachos — later featured by the Travel Channel and Food Network. It still runs shuttles to AT&T Stadium.
205 E Front St · 682-323-5141
The official barbecue of the Texas Rangers, with a stand at Globe Life Field — and a home in a roughly 120-year-old former railway station building downtown. The birria tacos get named first.
502 W Randol Mill Rd · 817-469-1811
Family owned since 1989, featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and named the city’s Small Business of the Year for 2024. The rice is the thing regulars talk about.
506 E Main St
Arlington’s first locally owned brewery, started by home brewers: fruited sours, IPAs, smash burgers — and a record shop called The Growl on site, with live music at weekends.
301 E Front St · 817-962-0304
A gravel patio, live music and a brisket quesadilla — consistently near the top of the city’s local restaurant rankings, and the easy answer for a downtown evening.
2221 E Lamar Blvd #910 · 817-381-1157
Arlington’s first prime steakhouse, on the ninth floor with views across the stadiums — and founded by the man who is now mayor, Jim Ross. Closed Sundays.
2735 W Division St · 817-275-9631
A family catfish house with a long local following, known for its green-tomato relish tray, hushpuppies and yeast rolls. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Abram & Division streets
Three independents inside a few blocks: Inclusion Coffee, a community-mission shop; Arlington Coffee Roasters, roasting on site; and Arwa Yemeni Coffee, for something you will not find at a chain.
Abram, Mesquite & Front streets
Downtown has quietly become a vintage shopping district: Deep Dive Vintage for clothing across every decade, STASH VHS for retro tapes and collectibles, and Wondrous Works for true antiques and Oaxacan folk art.
4905 S Cooper St
Arlington’s largest antique mall, at around 53,000 square feet. Fuffiz Antique Mall on West Lamar adds more than a hundred vendor booths.
100 W Abram St · 817-543-4301
More than fifty free concerts a year in Founders Plaza, run by a nonprofit since 2008 — the anchor of downtown’s state-designated cultural district.
305 W Main St · 224 N Center St
Theatre Arlington, founded in 1973, is among the oldest in Tarrant County. The Arlington Music Hall, in a building from 1949, once hosted George Jones, Willie Nelson and Loretta Lynn and is home to Symphony Arlington.
1861 AT&T Way
A $270 million museum by architect Rafael Viñoly that opened in March 2025 after Arlington beat Denver, New York, San Diego and Washington for the site. Not a local business — but now one of the city’s signature places.
1200 Ballpark Way
Rooted in 1952 and moved into the entertainment district in 2024, with around 48,000 square feet. Past exhibitions have included Ansel Adams, Dalí and Pompeii.
700 Planetarium Place
One of the three largest planetariums in Texas, under a sixty-foot dome — and the media hub for the April 2024 total eclipse.
703 NW Green Oaks Blvd · 817-860-6752
The gateway to 1,300 acres of parkland along the Trinity River in north Arlington — a nature centre, trails and a Discovery Room. Closed Sundays.
Arlington has hundreds of independent restaurants and shops, so this is a curated selection of about three dozen, not a directory. The downtown blocks around UTA are the walkable core; the rest is spread across a car-oriented city.
Two things worth saying plainly. There is no independent bookshop inside Arlington city limits — the nearest sit in Pantego and nearby. And downtown dining turns over quickly: two longtime favourites near UTA, J.R. Bentley’s and Legal Draft Brewing, have already closed.
What stands out for a buyer is range. A Michelin-listed barbecue in a strip centre, a 1979 pub, a record shop inside a brewery, and a national museum — in one city.
Verified September 2026. This is a curated selection of approximately 34 locally owned independent businesses and institutions in a city of roughly 400,000 people, not an exhaustive directory; national and regional chains are excluded, including several with Arlington locations. The National Medal of Honor Museum is a national nonprofit rather than a locally owned business and is included as a signature institution. Several businesses have closed or lie outside Arlington city limits and are deliberately not listed: Legal Draft Beer Company closed in March 2022; J.R. Bentley’s English Pub, opened in 1979, closed in 2023; listings for Cafe Pulido’s and Urban Alchemy Coffee and Wine Bar indicate closure and should be verified; and certain well-known businesses associated with Arlington are located in the enclave town of Pantego or elsewhere. No independent bookshop was identified within Arlington city limits. Claims about origin and longevity, including the invention of Irish Nachos and the age of Catfish Sam’s, reflect the businesses’ own accounts and regional reporting; Catfish Sam’s continuous operation at its current address was not independently confirmed. Michelin Guide and James Beard recognition reflect the most recent published lists. Addresses, hours and operating status change frequently, particularly downtown; verify before making a special journey. Search results for Arlington, Virginia and the Arlington Heights neighbourhood of Fort Worth were excluded; every listing was verified as Arlington, Tarrant County, Texas. Businesses listed are for general local reference and are not endorsements; I receive no compensation from any business named. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
From a Railway Stop Named for a Virginia House to the Seventh-Largest City in Texas
Long before Arlington, the Village Creek area near today's Lake Arlington was one of the largest Native American settlements in the region — home at various times to Caddo, Cherokee, Tonkawa and Comanche peoples.
On 24 May 1841, General Edward Tarrant led about seventy militia against the villages. Captain John B. Denton was killed; around a dozen Native people died. When Tarrant returned that July with 400 men, the villages were empty.
The battle opened the area to Anglo settlement — some historians call it a massacre — and much of the site now lies beneath Lake Arlington.
Rangers built Bird's Fort on the north side of present Arlington in 1841 — the first attempt at Anglo settlement in what became Tarrant County. Hunger drove them out.
Two years later, on 29 September 1843, the Republic of Texas and the chiefs of nine tribes signed the Bird's Fort Treaty, drawing a line between Native land and territory open to settlement.
Two details are disputed: a 1936 marker dates the fort to 1840, and historians still differ on exactly where the treaty was signed.
Marrow Bone Spring on Johnson Creek had been a camp for generations. In 1845 the Republic licensed a trading post beside it.
Colonel Middleton Tate Johnson — later called the father of Tarrant County — settled nearby, and Johnson Station grew into a stagecoach stop. The county's first post office opened there in October 1851.
Then the railway was routed a few miles north, and Johnson Station faded. The spring is on the National Register today.
The Texas and Pacific Railway laid track between Fort Worth and Dallas, and a Presbyterian minister, Andrew Hayter, platted a town along it. The first train arrived on 19 July 1876.
The post office opened in 1875 as “Hayter.” In 1877 it was renamed Arlington, after Robert E. Lee's home in Virginia — sources agree on the namesake but not on who chose it.
The town was incorporated in 1884, and in 2026 marked its 150th anniversary.
Arlington grew as a farm market for cotton, grain and dairy — and in 1892 drilled a well at Main and Center streets for drinking water.
It struck mineral water — undrinkable, so the town bottled and sold it as medicinal. An increasingly ornate fountain stood over it for decades.
In 1951 it was judged a traffic hazard and paved over. The town's first newspaper, the Arlington Journal, dated from 1897.
UTA began in 1895 as Arlington College, a small private school — and changed identity repeatedly on the way to becoming a university of more than 42,000 students.
It became the Carlisle Military Academy, then in 1917 Grubbs Vocational College within Texas A&M, then North Texas Agricultural College, then Arlington State College in 1949. It joined the UT System in 1965 and took its present name in 1967.
In September 1962 it admitted its first Black students — the first school in the A&M System to integrate — after three students threatened to sue. Its Confederate “Rebel” theme lasted until 1971.
Oilman W.T. Waggoner opened Arlington Downs in 1929 — a $3 million racetrack with a 6,000-seat grandstand — and lobbied until Texas legalised betting in 1933.
In its first legal year it drew over 6,700 people a day. The legislature outlawed betting again in 1937, and the track was demolished in 1958 for an industrial district.
Nearby, Top O' Hill Terrace ran an illegal casino until a 1947 Texas Rangers raid. A Baptist college bought the land in 1956.
Arlington's historic Black community, The Hill, grew in the late 1800s northwest of the original town, around what was then Ish Street.
A school for Black children stood there by 1890. Arlington ISD provided no high school for Black students, who travelled to I.M. Terrell in Fort Worth.
The last segregated school, Booker T. Washington, opened in 1954 — the year of Brown v. Board — and stayed segregated until 1965. The building still stands at 500 Houston Street with a state marker. The GM plant was among the first local employers to offer Black men well-paid work.
Tom Vandergriff became mayor in 1951 at 25, and in 26 years turned a town of 7,700 into a city of about 90,000.
He helped land General Motors in 1954. The turnpike to Dallas opened in 1957, and Six Flags Over Texas followed on 5 August 1961, inspired by Disneyland.
Then baseball: the Washington Senators moved and became the Texas Rangers, playing their first Arlington game on 21 April 1972. Population went from 7,692 in 1950 to 89,723 in 1970 — nearly twelvefold.
The Ballpark in Arlington opened in 1994. The $1.2 billion Cowboys stadium followed in 2009, and Globe Life Field in 2020.
Super Bowl XLV was played here in 2011 — 766 short of the attendance record because temporary seats were not finished.
The old ballpark became Choctaw Stadium. And in 2023 the Rangers won the World Series.
Arlington voters rejected public transit three times — in 1980, 1995 and 2002. It is widely described as the largest US city without fixed-route transit.
A single express bus ran from 2013 to 2017 and was dropped for low ridership. In December 2017 the city switched to on-demand rideshare, now Arlington On-Demand.
Part of the reason it cannot simply join a regional system: sales tax already committed to stadium debt.
394,266 people at the 2020 census — the seventh-largest city in Texas.
Downtown, which had “practically vanished” by 1972, came back with the Levitt Pavilion, UTA's arena and a new library.
The Arlington Museum of Art moved into the entertainment district in 2024; the National Medal of Honor Museum opened in March 2025; and in 2026 AT&T Stadium hosts nine FIFA World Cup matches, more than any other venue, including a semifinal.
It has had hard days too: an F3 tornado through south Arlington in March 2000 left about 80 people homeless, and Tropical Storm Hermine flooded low-lying areas in 2010.
Compiled from the Texas State Historical Association Handbook of Texas, the Arlington Historical Society, the City of Arlington, University of Texas at Arlington Libraries, the Historical Marker Database, United States Census counts and regional reporting. Where sources conflict both versions are reported rather than resolved. The founding date of Bird's Fort is given as 1840 on a 1936 marker and as 1841 by the state historical association; historians differ on the exact site of the 1843 treaty signing; and most sources name nine signatory tribes while one city account refers to ten. Sources agree that Arlington was named for Robert E. Lee's home in Virginia but do not identify the individual who chose the name. The characterisation of the 1841 Village Creek engagement varies, with some historians describing it as a massacre. The 1956 Mansfield school desegregation crisis took place in neighbouring Mansfield; no Arlington Independent School District involvement was documented. The account of segregated education is drawn from city, university and historical society sources; additional documented history of racial violence in Arlington was not established in the sources reviewed and is not presented here. Employment at the General Motors plant is reported as approximately 5,200 in some sources and more than 5,400 in others. Population figures are United States Census counts. Search results relating to Arlington, Virginia, including Arlington National Cemetery and Arlington County, were excluded; every item here was verified as Arlington, Tarrant County, Texas. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Texas’s Biggest Fourth of July Parade — and Nine World Cup Matches Down the Road
The largest Fourth of July parade in Texas — around 150 entries and almost 75,000 people in 2026, through downtown and the UTA campus.
It began in 1965 as a children's bicycle parade around Randol Mill Park, started by a resident named Dottie Lynn and a church women's group. Every Arlington ISD high school band now marches.
A Firecracker 5K runs at 7am before the 9am start, and Light Up Arlington brings downtown music and fireworks the night before. The 2026 parade doubled as the city's 150th birthday.
More than fifty free concerts a year in Founders Plaza downtown — Texas country, Tejano, blues, R&B and tribute nights. The 2026 season was its nineteenth.
The city's Juneteenth celebration and Hispanic Heritage celebration are held at the Levitt, alongside other heritage nights across the season.
A monthly downtown evening of art and live music — the easiest way to see whether downtown Arlington suits you.
A downtown tree lighting and holiday lights anchor the season — with Six Flags' Holiday in the Park for the bigger spectacle.
AT&T Stadium hosts nine matches — more than any other venue in the tournament — ending with a semifinal on 14 July. The biggest single match ever held in North Texas.
Group matches included England against Croatia and two Argentina games, followed by two round-of-32 matches and a round-of-16 match.
For residents near the district, it meant a month of the heaviest traffic Arlington has seen. Buyers weighing homes near Collins, Division or 360 should expect event weeks like it.
About ten Cowboys home dates drawing 80,000 to 100,000 each, and 81 Rangers home games under Globe Life Field's roof. Lots open five hours before Cowboys kickoff.
At AT&T Stadium since 2010, and often a College Football Playoff game — recent crowds of 55,000 to 76,000.
A 2.73-mile street circuit around the two stadiums. The first race ran on 15 March 2026, won by Kyle Kirkwood; the second is set for 19–21 March 2027. Expect multi-day street closures.
Fright Fest from mid-September through Halloween and Holiday in the Park from late November. The park turned 65 in 2026; Hurricane Harbor runs through summer.
Arlington sits between both. The Stockyards and the Fort Worth museums to the west; the State Fair, Deep Ellum and the Arts District to the east.
Every other city on this site has one calendar. Arlington has two — a genuinely civic one built around a parade that started with children on bicycles, and an international one that brought nine World Cup matches, a Super Bowl and an IndyCar race.
For a buyer the second calendar is both a perk and a cost. Tickets are a short drive away; so is the traffic. Homes near Collins Street, Division and Highway 360 feel event days in a way the rest of the city does not.
Named plainly: founding years and attendance for the Christmas tree lighting, Martin Luther King Day, Cinco de Mayo and Diwali events, farmers markets and car shows could not be confirmed. They exist; ring the city for current details.
Dates, times and details shift annually and should be confirmed with organisers; the City of Arlington, Downtown Arlington Management Corporation, the Arlington 4th of July Association and venue operators publish current information. The 2026 Independence Day Parade figures of about 150 entries and almost 75,000 attendees are as reported by regional television; the parade was founded in 1965 and describes itself as the largest Fourth of July parade in Texas. The 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule at AT&T Stadium comprised nine matches including a semifinal on 14 July 2026; group-stage matches were completed at the time of writing, while later rounds were scheduled. The first IndyCar Grand Prix of Arlington took place on 15 March 2026 and a second is scheduled for 19 to 21 March 2027. Attendance figures for past stadium events vary by source. Statements that details could not be confirmed mean no reliable source was found for founding year or attendance, not that the event does not take place. Traffic descriptions are general and vary by event. Events in Fort Worth and Dallas are included for regional context. Search results relating to Arlington, Virginia were excluded; every item was verified as Arlington, Tarrant County, Texas. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
What to know about Arlington schools:
The bond: Arlington ISD voters approved about $469.7 million in May 2026, funded by roughly a one-cent rate increase.
The perk: Arlington residents pay the Tarrant County College tax, so TCC tuition is $74 an hour instead of $136.
Want the full breakdown? Read our complete Arlington schools guide →
Most of Arlington is Arlington ISD — but not Viridian, not the Mansfield line, and not a southwest corner. Which district you land in changes your schools and your tax bill, so this starts with the map rather than the campuses.
690 E Lamar Blvd
The thirteenth-largest district in Texas, covering most of Arlington plus the enclave towns of Pantego and Dalworthington Gardens. Its strength is breadth: early college, P-TECH, IB and career centres no smaller district can match.
Students are about 49 percent Hispanic, 26 percent Black, 16 percent white and 5 percent Asian; around three-quarters are economically disadvantaged and a third are learning English.
The four-year graduation rate is 86.9 percent against 90.3 statewide.
Zoned by address
Martin in the southwest is the largest, at around 3,700 students with a STEM academy. Arlington High, founded 1904, carries the fine arts and dual-language academy and the district’s winningest football.
Arlington High — 818 W Park Row, central and west, Colts. Sam Houston — east Arlington, Texans. Lamar — north-central, Vikings, with P-TECH.
Bowie — southeast, Volunteers, with P-TECH. Martin — southwest, Warriors. Seguin — south and southeast, Cougars, with P-TECH.
IB runs at Arlington, Bowie, Lamar and Sam Houston.
TCC Southeast campus
The best-kept secret in the district. Students earn a high school diploma and up to 60 college hours — an associate degree — free, with tuition, fees and textbooks paid by the district.
It runs on the Tarrant County College Southeast campus. Open to any AISD student, by application, starting in ninth grade.
Bowie, Lamar, Seguin · Browning Dr
P-TECH runs at Bowie, Lamar and Seguin. The Dan Dipert Career and Technical Center teaches welding, construction and culinary, and an Agricultural Science Center in Dalworthington Gardens anchors FFA.
District-wide
A dedicated centre for visual and performing arts, a fine arts and dual-language academy at Arlington High, and district bands and orchestras among the strongest in the metro.
Viridian Elementary · Harwood · Trinity
Viridian is not in Arlington ISD. Its children attend the on-site Viridian Elementary, then Harwood Junior High and Trinity High School in Euless.
HEB ISD carries the lowest school tax of the four and among the strongest ratings — the genuine value story in north Arlington.
The catch is Viridian’s own management district levy, and a longer run north to Trinity. Families can apply to transfer into Arlington ISD.
Arlington 76001 & 76002
Far-south Arlington — including Fannin Farm and Estates Above Wimbledon — is Mansfield ISD. Two of its high schools carry Arlington addresses: Mansfield Summit and Mansfield Timberview.
Strong programmes and a high B rating — at the highest school tax rate of the four, about $216 a year more than Arlington ISD on a $400,000 home.
R.F. Patterson Elementary
A small corner of southwest Arlington is Kennedale ISD, with R.F. Patterson Elementary on Kelly Elliott Road physically inside Arlington. Older students go to Kennedale.
Arlington ISD
Voters approved two of three propositions, about $469.7 million, with 59 percent, funded by a one-cent rate increase — roughly $18 a year for the average homeowner. The athletics proposition failed.
It replaces ageing schools — some date from the 1950s — and builds a special-education vocational centre. No increase for homestead owners over 65.
Arlington ISD
Unusually for this site, Arlington ISD is losing students, not gaining them. The board voted 7–0 to close Blanton Elementary in 2026, and at least 14 elementaries sit under 70 percent full.
A demographer projected enrollment could fall below 50,000 by 2032, driven largely by charters — one charter network alone drew 1,839 AISD students in a year.
For a buyer: the school down the street could be consolidated or rezoned. Check before relying on it.
Across the city
The Oakridge School (PK–12, about $30,250) and Pantego Christian Academy (PK–12, about $17,000) lead the private options. Charters include ILTexas, Uplift Summit International, Harmony and Great Hearts.
Arlington
UTA enrolled a record 42,710 students in fall 2025. And because every Arlington resident pays the Tarrant County College tax, TCC charges them $74 an hour against $136 for out-of-county students.
The Hill
Arlington ISD opened this school for Black children in 1954 — the year of Brown v. Board — and kept it segregated until 1965. The district offered Black students no high school; they travelled to Fort Worth. The building still stands.
On a $400,000 home, all taxes combined before exemptions: HEB ISD about $8,489, Arlington ISD $8,745, Kennedale ISD $8,914, Mansfield ISD $8,961.
That is $472 a year from the school district alone. And the cheapest, HEB, is also among the best rated — which is rarely how it works.
Arlington ISD adds about one cent from its 2026 bond. HEB voters approved about three cents in November 2025.
Viridian is HEB ISD. Fannin Farm and Wimbledon are Mansfield ISD. A southwest sliver is Kennedale ISD. Pantego and Dalworthington Gardens, meanwhile, are separate towns that are Arlington ISD.
Check the district on the Tarrant Appraisal District record, then the campus with the district itself — and recheck before closing, because Arlington ISD is actively consolidating.
Arlington ISD rates C — 77 after an appeal, having paid to have thousands of machine-scored tests rescored by people. HEB ISD rates B at 88, Mansfield ISD a high B, and Kennedale ISD C with a B-rated high school.
For most families in Arlington ISD, the case rests on choice: a free associate degree, P-TECH, IB and strong arts. For families chasing ratings, north and south Arlington offer different districts — at different prices.
Arlington ISD plays varsity football at Choctaw Stadium — the Rangers’ former ballpark, seating 25,000 for football — under an agreement with the team.
Few school districts anywhere play Friday nights in a former major league stadium. It is one of the more unusual things about growing up here.
Accountability ratings are intentionally not shown on the campus cards. State ratings change annually and are described above for context only; use TXschools.gov for current ratings. Ratings referenced are from the 2025 release: Arlington Independent School District C, scored 77 following an appeal, with the state acknowledging that multiple Arlington ISD campuses had received inaccurate ratings; Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD B, scored 88; Mansfield ISD a high B; Kennedale ISD C, with Kennedale High School rated B. No history of state conservatorship was found for Arlington ISD. Arlington, with roughly 400,000 residents, is served by four public school districts, and Arlington ISD alone operates about 73 campuses; this widget therefore presents the district structure, high schools and specialty programmes rather than every campus. District assignment must be confirmed by parcel: Viridian is served by Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD; Fannin Farm and Estates Above Wimbledon by Mansfield ISD; a small southwest area by Kennedale ISD; and the separately incorporated towns of Pantego and Dalworthington Gardens by Arlington ISD. District boundaries near Lake Arlington should be verified parcel by parcel. Combined tax figures use tax year 2025 adopted rates before exemptions: City of Arlington 0.6298, Tarrant County 0.1862, Tarrant County College 0.11228, hospital district 0.1650, and school district rates of 1.0929 for Arlington ISD, 1.0289 for HEB ISD, 1.1352 for Kennedale ISD and 1.1469 for Mansfield ISD. Arlington ISD voters approved Bond 2026 Propositions A and B, totalling approximately $469.7 million, on 2 May 2026, funded by an approximately one-cent rate increase; Proposition C failed. Mansfield ISD voters approved $588.5 million in May 2024 with its debt-service rate held at $0.3600. HEB ISD voters approved a tax ratification election in November 2025. Arlington ISD enrollment is declining; the board voted on 20 January 2026 to close Blanton Elementary at the end of the 2025-26 year, and district leaders have indicated further consolidation is under consideration. Campus assignments may change. Enrollment figures vary between sources; approximately 53,309 students across 73 schools for 2024-25 is used. Tuition figures for private schools are published figures for recent years. Tarrant County College in-district tuition applies to Tarrant County residents. Two private schools sometimes associated with Arlington could not be verified as existing under the names searched and are not listed. Search results for Arlington Public Schools in Virginia and other states were excluded; every item was verified as Arlington, Tarrant County, Texas. School information is provided for general reference only and is not a recommendation regarding any school, district, neighbourhood or property. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Median Sales Price
What Arlington homes actually sold for each month. With volume at this scale the line is a steady read, but it still moves with the mix of homes that sell, so read the notes beside it.
Arlington closes far more homes each month than the small cities around it, so its median is a steadier signal. It still shifts with the season and with which homes happen to sell.
Arlington runs from older homes near downtown to new construction on the far south side, and each part prices differently. The citywide median is almost certainly not your comp.
Texas is a non-disclosure state, so portal prices are models. This is MLS. And Pantego and Dalworthington Gardens homes carry Arlington addresses, so make sure your comps are true Arlington sales.
Days on market is the clearest read on the balance between buyers and sellers. Rising days mean buyers have more time and more room to negotiate; falling days mean sellers do.
The first two weeks bring the most traffic a listing will ever get. If they pass without an offer, that is pricing information. Acting in week three beats acting in week ten.
Anything well past the median is worth a look. In a market this size there is always a seller who has waited two months, and those are usually the ones willing to negotiate.
Under 10 showings means buyers are deciding quickly. Rising counts mean people are walking through and walking away, which is a different problem from nobody looking at all.
This separates a pricing problem from a presentation problem. Plenty of showings and no offer usually means something specific is putting people off, and that is fixable without dropping the price.
High showings-to-pending means you can be selective without losing homes. Read it against days on market: low on both is a hot market, high on both means the leverage is yours.
This chart is the key to the other three. At Arlington’s volume, a shift in closings is a real signal of demand, not noise. Compare the same month year over year, because spring and summer always run higher.
Volume tells you how many buyers are active, but also how many listings you are competing with. In a slower month, pricing and presentation matter more.
A city this size brings steady new inventory every week. The advantage goes to buyers who are pre-approved and ready to move when the right house appears.
Charts supplied by NTREIS via 10K Research and Marketing and update automatically. Data reflects residential activity reported to the MLS for the City of Arlington and may be revised as late-reported sales come in. Arlington is a large and varied market, and a citywide median blends older homes, established neighborhoods and new construction that price very differently. These charts do not separate new construction from resale. The Town of Pantego and the City of Dalworthington Gardens are separate cities whose homes carry Arlington mailing addresses; some of their listings appear in the MLS under the city name Arlington. Monthly figures follow a seasonal pattern, so compare the same month year over year. Market statistics describe the area as a whole and are not a substitute for a comparative market analysis on a specific property. Texas is a non-disclosure state, so publicly available sale prices elsewhere are estimates rather than recorded figures. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Pick a purchase year and the price fills in. If you own here, type over it with what you actually paid. This calculator runs on the Tarrant County index — and Tarrant is the one county on this site that has not had a down year since 2020.
Bought here? Tap the number and enter what you paid.
Federal house price index growth, indexed to the purchase year, where the purchase year equals 100.
Arlington runs on Tarrant County's own federal index, and it has something the other counties on this site do not.
Tarrant has risen every single year since 2020 — including 2025, when both Ellis and Navarro counties dipped. It is up about 141 percent since 2009 and 106 percent since 2015.
The 2025 gain was small, about half a percent. A plateau, but not a fall — the resilience of a large, diversified economy.
The anchor is the leading value index for Arlington: about $309,891 at the end of August 2026, down 0.8 percent on the year — mild cooling, not a correction.
It covers all homes, which matters here: condos and townhomes near UTA pull the typical value down, while Viridian and Lake Arlington pull it up. Recent median sales have run about $320,000 to $335,000.
Own on the water or in Viridian? Type in what you paid — the growth rate still applies.
Palmer sold about seven homes a month; Corsicana about 24. Arlington closes several hundred, so its monthly median is genuinely reliable.
And the signals agree: sale prices and price per square foot have moved together, so the recent softness is real price movement rather than a quirk of which homes happened to sell. Homes have gone under contract in about 26 days.
No USDA zero-down loans anywhere in Arlington — it is far too large and urban. That is why the options above stop at 3.5 percent FHA.
The 2026 conforming limit of $832,750 only comes into play for a few Viridian and waterfront homes.
And in Viridian, remember the management district levy — it does not change your equity, but it does change your monthly payment.
Growth rates are the FHFA All-Transactions House Price Index, annual values 2009 through 2025: Tarrant County, Texas (FRED series ATNHPIUS48439A, base 2000 equals 100, last updated 31 March 2026), the State of Texas (TXSTHPI) and the United States (USSTHPI). State and national figures are annual averages of published quarters. The Tarrant County series recorded 125.50 in 2009 and 301.99 in 2025, a rise of about 141 percent, and 146.87 in 2015, a rise of about 106 percent to 2025. It has increased in every year since 2020, including 2025, whereas the Ellis County and Navarro County series used elsewhere on this site each recorded a small decline in 2025. FHFA describes county indices as developmental and subject to revision; the next release is scheduled for 29 September 2026. The prefilled dollar figures are derived, not published: they apply the Tarrant County index to an anchor of $310,000, rounded from a Zillow Home Value Index reading of $309,891 for all homes at the end of August 2026, down 0.8 percent year on year. A second Zillow region page reports approximately $316,890, and recent median sale prices from other portals range from approximately $320,000 to $335,000; Census survey medians range from $276,400 (2019–2023 five-year) to $337,800 (2024 one-year). Entering your own purchase price replaces the estimate entirely. Arlington records several hundred closings a month, sufficient for monthly medians to be statistically reliable; median sale price and median price per square foot, approximately $175, have moved in the same direction in recent periods. The index is built from conforming loans and excludes jumbo lending and all-cash purchases; the 2026 conforming limit of $832,750 applies to all Texas counties. Equity figures assume a 30-year fixed mortgage at that year's Freddie Mac annual average rate, held to today, with no refinancing, no extra principal and no additional borrowing, and exclude closing costs, property taxes, insurance, maintenance, improvements and selling costs. USDA Rural Development financing is not available within Arlington. Property tax in Arlington depends on school district and, in Viridian, a municipal management district levy; this affects carrying cost rather than the equity figures shown. Search results for Arlington, Virginia were excluded; every figure was verified as Arlington, Tarrant County, Texas. This is an illustration for general reference, not an appraisal, a comparative market analysis, a valuation or investment advice. Past appreciation does not predict future appreciation. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Arlington sits almost exactly in the middle of the Metroplex: about 20 minutes to downtown Dallas or Fort Worth and to DFW Airport. It is also the largest city in America without fixed-route buses or rail. Both matter.
Typical Off-Peak Drive Time
Around the Metroplex
Minutes off-peak from City Hall downtown.
This is Arlington's real selling point. Downtown Dallas and downtown Fort Worth are each roughly 20 to 25 minutes off-peak along Interstate 30, and DFW Airport about the same up Highway 360.
Almost nowhere else in the Metroplex lets a two-income household work in both cities without one partner drawing the short straw.
Rush hour is the honest counterweight: allow 40 minutes or more to Dallas and 30 to 35 to Fort Worth at peak.
Arlington residents average 27.2 minutes to work — almost exactly the national average, just under the metro's 27.9, well below Palmer's 32.9 and well above Corsicana's 20.3.
But the pattern is different from Corsicana's. Arlington is a net exporter of workers: its daytime population falls by about 28,000 as people head to Dallas, Fort Worth and Irving, and only about 42 percent of working residents work in the city.
That is despite serious local employers — GM's plant with more than 5,000 workers, UTA, Texas Health, Arlington ISD and D.R. Horton's headquarters.
Voters rejected transit in 1980, 1995 and 2002. Instead the city runs Arlington On-Demand: shared rides anywhere in the city for $3 to $5, a flat $3 to the CentrePort rail station, or $25 a week.
It runs weekdays 6am to 9pm and Saturdays 9am to 9pm — no Sunday service. About 72 percent of residents drive alone to work; under 1 percent use transit.
For rail, you ride to CentrePort for the Trinity Railway Express. In 2026 the city opened talks about a technology-based regional transit authority, but nothing has been agreed.
Cowboys, Rangers and Six Flags crowds converge on I-30, Highway 360 and Collins Street, and locals plan around game days.
In summer 2026 AT&T Stadium hosted nine World Cup matches, including a semifinal — more than any other venue. Homes near the entertainment district feel days like that; the rest of the city mostly does not.
Relief is coming slowly: a roughly $264 million rebuild of the I-30 and 360 interchange, years behind schedule, and a planned I-30 widening from Cooper Street to the Dallas County line.
Arlington has its own hospitals, including Medical City Arlington, a Level II trauma centre near downtown, and Texas Health Arlington Memorial.
For Level I trauma, the nearest are in Fort Worth — JPS Health Network and Texas Health Harris Methodist, roughly 25 to 30 minutes west.
Drive times are off-peak estimates measured from Arlington City Hall at 101 West Abram Street, drawn from distance and routing services rather than a single live traffic source, and should be treated as accurate to within about five minutes; verify against a live map before relying on any figure. Rush hour figures are informed estimates rather than timed observations. The mean travel time to work of 27.2 minutes is from the 2024 American Community Survey one-year estimate for Arlington city; another source reports 26.6 minutes, reflecting a different vintage. Mode share figures of approximately 72.4 percent driving alone, 10.9 percent carpooling, 13.1 percent working from home and 0.9 percent using public transport are survey estimates. The characterisation of Arlington as a net exporter of workers rests on published daytime population estimates showing a decrease of approximately 28,433 people, or 7.0 percent, with approximately 42 percent of resident workers employed in the city; an older vintage shows a larger decrease, and both confirm the direction. Arlington On-Demand is operated by Via under a city contract; fares, hours and service areas are as published and may change. A related autonomous vehicle pilot near UTA concluded in May 2025. In February 2026 the city proposed exploratory discussions about a technology-based regional transit authority; no membership has been agreed. The I-30 and State Highway 360 interchange reconstruction cost is reported at approximately $264 million; the I-30 widening is included in the state's 2026 Unified Transportation Program and its timing is subject to funding. Trauma designations reflect published state designations and may change. Employer figures reflect company and press statements. Search results for Arlington, Virginia, including commuting data to Washington, were excluded; every figure was verified as Arlington, Tarrant County, Texas. This information is provided for general reference and is not a representation about any specific property, commute, employer or future infrastructure outcome. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Answered with verified specifics — including the short-term rental rule that went to the Texas Supreme Court, the four school districts, and what living without a bus route really means.
Most of the city is Arlington ISD — but not all of it, and this is the most expensive thing to get wrong.
Viridian in the far north is HEB ISD. Parts of the south, including Fannin Farm and Wimbledon, are Mansfield ISD. A small southwest corner is Kennedale ISD.
On a $400,000 home that is about $472 a year between the cheapest district and the dearest. Check the parcel on the Tarrant Appraisal District record, then confirm the campus with the district itself.
About 2.186 percent for a home in Arlington ISD — city 0.6298, school 1.0929, county 0.1862, Tarrant County College 0.1123 and the JPS hospital district 0.1650.
Two things moved recently. The city added three cents for the 2026 budget year, and Arlington ISD's May 2026 bond adds about another cent.
Budget on the higher figure rather than last year's.
No residential public improvement districts in Arlington — with one significant exception.
Viridian sits in a municipal management district that levies its own tax on top of everything else, funding its lakes, parks and amenities. Published combined rates there run roughly 2.46 to 2.64 percent.
The amenities are real. Just get the current rate for the specific lot, and budget it alongside the HOA rather than instead of it.
Worth checking. Both are separate incorporated towns completely surrounded by Arlington, with Arlington mailing addresses and Arlington ISD schools.
But they have their own councils, police, permits and city tax rates. Nothing wrong with either — just know which city you are actually in before you sign.
Yes. Arlington is fully in the deregulated market, so you shop for a retail provider — Power to Choose is the state comparison site.
Oncor owns the poles and wires and handles outages regardless of who you buy from: 888-313-4747. There is no city aggregation programme.
The city runs its own water utility, from City Hall on West Abram Street. Expect a $160 deposit plus a $47 activation fee, with the deposit refundable after twelve months of good payment history.
Rates are tiered, starting around $2.02 per thousand gallons and climbing with use. A recent annual adjustment added about $3.65 a month for a typical household.
Wastewater treatment is handled by the Trinity River Authority.
Surface water from four reservoirs through the Tarrant Regional Water District — Cedar Creek, Richland-Chambers, Lake Arlington and Lake Benbrook — treated at two city plants using ozone.
Arlington has repeatedly won the state's best-tasting surface water award. More recently, sampling has detected PFAS compounds, so read the current consumer confidence report if that matters to you.
Stage 1 watering restrictions apply all year: two days a week, never between 10am and 6pm.
Republic Services collects under city contract. Trash, brush and bulk weekly; recycling every other week on the same day.
Bulk goes out on your recycling day, one item per collection — anything larger needs a call to schedule. Find your day on the city's website by address.
Natural gas is Atmos Energy — customer service 888-286-6700, and the 24-hour leak line is 866-322-8667.
For internet, Spectrum covers the most ground, AT&T Fiber serves much of the city, and Frontier fibre is limited to part of north Arlington. There is no Google Fiber and no municipal broadband. Check the exact address on the FCC map.
Honestly? Barely. Arlington is the largest city in America with no fixed-route buses or trains — voters said no three times.
What exists is Arlington On-Demand: shared rides anywhere in the city, priced by distance from $3 up to $8, with a flat $3 to the CentrePort rail station.
It runs weekdays 6am to 9pm and Saturdays 9am to 9pm. There is no Sunday service. Plan on owning a car.
Medical City Arlington is a Level II trauma centre and comprehensive stroke centre — the highest level in the city. Texas Health Arlington Memorial is Level III.
For Level I trauma you go to Fort Worth.
One detail people miss: ambulance transport is run by a private contractor, not the fire department, and it is billed to you. The fire service provides advanced life support first response from 17 stations.
Seven library locations, anchored by the George W. Hawkes Downtown Library — three storeys, opened 2018, with a makerspace and genealogy centre.
Outdoors: River Legacy Parks runs to 1,300 acres along the Trinity with miles of paved and mountain-bike trails, and Lake Arlington has three boat ramps and the area's first paddling trail. Four public golf courses, including the Texas Rangers Golf Club.
In most of Arlington, no — and this one has been to court.
Ordinances adopted in 2019 restrict short-term rentals to a mapped zone around the entertainment district and a few other zoning categories. Permits run $500 a year with inspection, insurance and hotel tax registration.
Owners sued. The Fort Worth court of appeals upheld the city in 2021, and the Texas Supreme Court declined to hear it in January 2022. The restrictions stand.
Never buy an Arlington property for short-term rental without confirming the zoning first.
Chickens are allowed — four on up to half an acre, more on larger lots, with coop setbacks. No roosters.
Accessory dwelling units are allowed in single-family zones, one per lot, size-limited and permitted through Development Services. Fences, golf carts and burning follow the city code — check before you build.
In places, yes, and Arlington is honest about it. Rush Creek, Village Creek and Johnson Creek run through the city, and there are documented repetitive loss areas.
After Tropical Storm Hermine the city bought out flood-prone homes in the Woodland Park area, where some had flooded three times since 2004, and turned the land into parkland.
The city takes part in the federal rating programme that discounts flood insurance, and has revised its flood maps — which can newly require insurance on a home that never needed it. Order a determination on any parcel near a creek.
Expansive clay, same as the rest of North Texas. It swells and shrinks with moisture, and drought plus watering restrictions is exactly the cycle that moves a slab.
Budget for a foundation inspection, particularly on older slab homes, and keep watering consistent once you are in.
The trend is genuinely good. Per the police department's 2025 annual report, overall crime fell 12 percent — the fourth consecutive annual decline, with crimes against persons down 14 percent and property crime down 18 percent. Homicides fell from 17 to 15.
Crime is down roughly 19 percent since 2022. As in any city of 400,000, it varies a great deal by neighbourhood — ask about the specific street. Non-emergency: 817-274-4444.
It depends how close and how often you leave the house. Cowboys games, Rangers games, Six Flags and concerts mean recurring traffic, parking restrictions and noise along I-30, Highway 360 and Collins Street.
In summer 2026 the stadium hosted nine World Cup matches, including a semifinal.
Most of Arlington barely notices. Homes within a mile or two plan their weekends around the schedule.
It varies enormously across a city this size. Older established neighbourhoods often have none; Viridian and newer developments do — and in Viridian the HOA sits alongside that management district tax. Verify per subdivision.
Arlington has a mayor elected citywide and eight council members — five by district and three at large.
Above that, the city is split among several congressional and legislative districts, and the maps were redrawn in 2025. Check your specific address rather than assuming your neighbour's district.
Answers were verified as at September 2026 from the City of Arlington and its code of ordinances, Arlington Water Utilities, Arlington Police and Fire Departments, the school districts, the Tarrant Appraisal District, Tarrant County, Oncor, Atmos Energy, Republic Services, Via, the hospitals, the Arlington Public Library, federal flood and broadband mapping and regional reporting. Rates, fees, hours, providers and ordinances change; verify anything you intend to rely on. Arlington addresses are served by four school districts and district assignment must be confirmed by parcel: Arlington Independent School District serves most of the city and both enclave towns, Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD serves Viridian, Mansfield ISD serves parts of the south and Kennedale ISD a small southwestern area. Combined property tax of approximately 2.186 percent uses tax year 2025 adopted rates before exemptions for a home in Arlington ISD. The City of Arlington increased its rate by three cents for the 2026 financial year. Arlington ISD voters approved a bond in May 2026 adding approximately one cent; reported totals for the approved propositions differ between sources, ranging from approximately $438.8 million to approximately $469.7 million, with a further athletics proposition failing. Confirm the current adopted rates with the appraisal district. Viridian lies within a municipal management district which levies its own tax in addition to all other taxing units; published combined rates for Viridian range from approximately 2.46 to approximately 2.64 percent depending on year and source, and the current rate and any assessment should be obtained for a specific lot. Dalworthington Gardens and Pantego are separately incorporated towns entirely surrounded by Arlington, with their own municipal taxes, police and permitting, although both are served by Arlington Independent School District. Short-term rental regulation: ordinances adopted on 23 April 2019 restrict short-term rentals to a mapped area and certain zoning districts and establish a permit process with annual fees, insurance and inspection requirements and penalties. A challenge by property owners was rejected by the Second Court of Appeals in Fort Worth in July 2021 and the Supreme Court of Texas denied review in January 2022. Zoning eligibility must be confirmed for a specific address before any purchase intended for short-term rental use. Water is supplied by the city from Tarrant Regional Water District surface water and treated at two municipal plants; recent sampling has detected per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and buyers should read the current consumer confidence report. Year-round Stage 1 watering restrictions apply. Ambulance transport is provided by a private contractor rather than the fire department and is billed to the patient; Arlington is not served by the regional authority that covers some neighbouring cities. Crime figures are from the police department's 2025 annual report as reported regionally and describe the city as a whole; conditions vary by neighbourhood. Flood risk is parcel-specific: Rush Creek, Village Creek and Johnson Creek run through the city, documented repetitive loss areas exist, buyouts have taken place, and flood insurance rate maps have been revised, which can newly require insurance. Order a floodplain determination. Congressional, legislative and county precinct boundaries were redrawn in 2025 and must be confirmed by address. Items that could not be confirmed and should be checked directly: direct telephone numbers and fee schedules for municipal court, animal services, code compliance and permits, the fire department's insurance rating, and the current status and hours of individual post office locations. Statements that something does not exist mean no reliable source was found confirming it; specifically, Arlington has no fixed-route bus or rail service, no rail station within the city, no residential public improvement district, no municipal electricity aggregation, no municipal broadband or Google Fiber, and no Level I trauma centre. USDA financing is not available in Arlington. Search results relating to Arlington, Virginia, including Arlington County government services, were excluded; every item was verified as Arlington, Tarrant County, Texas. This is general information, not legal, tax, lending, insurance, environmental or engineering advice. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
A city of 400,000 runs a great deal itself — its own water utility, police, seven libraries and 17 fire stations. Three things work differently from what buyers expect, and they are flagged in red.
101 West Abram Street
817-459-6777
Mayor Jim Ross and City Manager Trey Yelverton, with eight council members — five by district, three at large.
Report a pothole, a code issue or a missed collection through the Ask Arlington app or the online Action Center.
101 West Abram Street, ground floor
817-459-6777
$160 deposit plus a $47 activation fee; the deposit comes back after twelve months of good payment history.
Tiered rates from about $2.02 per thousand gallons. Water comes from four reservoirs via the regional water district. Stage 1 watering rules apply all year — two days a week, never 10am to 6pm.
Deregulated market
Outages 888-313-4747
Pick any retail provider you like at powertochoose.org — and unlike some towns on this site, everyone here gets that choice.
Oncor owns the wires and handles outages no matter who bills you.
Natural gas citywide
888-286-6700 · leaks 866-322-8667
Smell gas? Leave first, then call — the emergency line runs 24 hours. Ring 811 before digging.
Weekly, by address
817-317-2000
Trash, brush and bulk weekly; recycling every other week, all on the same day.
Bulk goes out on your recycling day — one item. Look up your day at arlingtontx.gov/My-area.
Ott Cribbs Public Safety Building · 620 West Division Street
Non-emergency 817-274-4444
Chief Al Jones. The department reported overall crime down 12 percent in 2025, a fourth straight annual decline.
It runs a real-time crime centre, drone response and a behavioural health unit.
17 stations across three battalions
911
Firefighters are trained to advanced life support and respond first.
But note: ambulance transport is provided by a private contractor, not the fire department, and it is billed to you. A subscription plan is available to reduce the cost.
Two hospitals in the city
911
Medical City Arlington is a Level II trauma centre and comprehensive stroke centre — the highest level in Arlington. Texas Health Arlington Memorial is Level III.
For Level I trauma, it is Fort Worth.
Citywide, plus the CentrePort rail station
817-784-7382
Shared rides from $3 to $8 by distance, or a flat $3 to CentrePort for the Trinity Railway Express.
Weekdays 6am–9pm, Saturdays 9am–9pm, nothing on Sunday. There is no bus, no train and no station inside Arlington.
George W. Hawkes Downtown Library · 100 South Center Street
817-459-6900
Three storeys, opened 2018, with a makerspace and genealogy centre — open Monday to Thursday 9 to 9, Friday and Saturday 9 to 6, Sunday afternoons.
Six branches follow: Northeast, East, Southeast, Ron Wright Lake Arlington, Southwest and Woodland West.
701 NW Green Oaks Blvd · Lake Arlington
817-459-6777
River Legacy Parks runs along the Trinity with eight miles of paved trail, ten of mountain-bike trail and a science centre.
Lake Arlington has boat ramps at Bowman Springs, Eugene McCray and Richard Simpson. Four public golf courses, including the Texas Rangers Golf Club.
Permits at ArlingtonPermits.com
817-459-6777
Short-term rentals are restricted to a mapped zone, with a $500 annual permit — confirm zoning before buying to rent.
Chickens yes, roosters no. Accessory dwellings are allowed in single-family zones, one per lot.
2500 Handley-Ederville Road, Fort Worth
817-284-0024
The first stop on any Arlington address. It tells you the school district, every taxing unit, whether a management district applies — and whether you are in Arlington, Pantego or Dalworthington Gardens.
700 East Abram Street, Arlington
Tax office 817-884-1100
You do not have to drive to Fort Worth — property tax payments and vehicle registration are handled here in Arlington.
County Clerk 817-884-1195. Commissioner precincts and election districts were redrawn in 2025; confirm yours by address.
About twenty minutes
One, the appraisal district — school district, taxing units, and which city you are actually in. Two, the management district if you are looking at Viridian.
Three, the flood map, especially near Rush, Village or Johnson Creek. Four, short-term rental zoning if that is the plan. Five, the event calendar if you are near the stadiums.
Verified September 2026 against the City of Arlington, Arlington Water Utilities, the Arlington Police and Fire Departments, the Arlington Public Library, Tarrant County, the Tarrant Appraisal District, Oncor, Atmos Energy, Republic Services, Via and the hospitals. Phone numbers, addresses, hours, fees and providers change; confirm anything you intend to rely on. Water service requires a deposit of $160 and a non-refundable activation fee of $47; volumetric rates are tiered from approximately $2.02 per thousand gallons and are adjusted annually. Water is drawn from Tarrant Regional Water District reservoirs and treated at two municipal plants; recent sampling has detected per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and the current consumer confidence report should be consulted. Stage 1 watering restrictions apply year round. Electric service is in the deregulated retail market; residents select a competitive retail provider while the transmission and distribution utility maintains the lines and handles outages. Ambulance transport is provided under contract by a private ambulance company rather than the fire department and is billed to the patient; Arlington is not a member of the regional emergency medical services authority serving some neighbouring cities. Medical City Arlington is designated a Level II trauma centre and Texas Health Arlington Memorial a Level III; the nearest Level I trauma centre is in Fort Worth. Crime figures are from the police department's 2025 annual report as reported regionally and describe the city as a whole. Short-term rentals are permitted only within a mapped area and certain zoning districts under ordinances adopted in April 2019, which were upheld by the Second Court of Appeals in 2021 with review denied by the Supreme Court of Texas in January 2022; permit fees, insurance, inspection and hotel occupancy tax registration apply. Zoning eligibility must be confirmed for a specific address. Arlington On-Demand is operated by Via under city contract; fares are distance-based, service runs Monday to Saturday with no Sunday service, and there is no fixed-route bus or rail service and no rail station within the city. Items that could not be confirmed and should be checked directly: direct telephone numbers and fee schedules for municipal court, animal services, code compliance and permits, the fire department's insurance rating, and the current status and hours of individual post office locations. Statements that a service does not exist mean no reliable source could be found confirming it. Specifically, Arlington has no fixed-route public transit, no rail station, no residential public improvement district, no municipal electricity aggregation, no municipal broadband or Google Fiber service, and no Level I trauma centre; USDA financing is not available. Congressional, legislative and county commissioner boundaries were redrawn in 2025 and must be confirmed by address. Search results relating to Arlington, Virginia, including Arlington County government services, were excluded; every listing was verified as Arlington, Tarrant County, Texas. Listings are for general local reference and are not endorsements; I receive no compensation from any organisation named. Bobby Franklin, REALTOR®, TREC #0805459, Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team.
Arlington is the largest city I cover, and the one where an address tells you the least. Four school districts, two towns hiding inside the city, a neighbourhood that taxes itself, a short-term rental ban that went to the Texas Supreme Court, and stadium traffic that reshapes certain streets. Everything on this page was researched, verified, and the awkward parts named.
In a city of 400,000, four school districts, two hidden towns and one special tax district all hide behind the same Arlington postcode. Viridian is HEB ISD. Fannin Farm and Wimbledon are Mansfield ISD. A southwest corner is Kennedale. And Pantego and Dalworthington Gardens are separate cities entirely. On a $400,000 home the district alone swings the bill about $472 a year. I verify every one of those by parcel before you write an offer.
Viridian is genuinely exceptional — lakes, a sailing centre, resort pools, an on-site elementary and the lowest-taxed and best-rated school district of the four. But it sits in a municipal management district that levies its own tax, pushing the total toward 2.6 percent, the highest residential burden in Arlington — roughly $10,500 a year on a $400,000 home. That is on top of the HOA, not instead of it. Nobody puts that in the listing. I do.
This is the mistake I see investors make in Arlington. Short-term rentals are banned outside a mapped zone around the entertainment district, with a $500 annual permit, inspection and insurance inside it. Owners sued. The city won at the court of appeals in 2021, and the Texas Supreme Court declined to hear it in January 2022. The ban stands. Confirm the zoning before you write the offer, not after.
Tarrant County has done something neither Ellis nor Navarro managed: it has risen every single year since 2020, including 2025, when both of those counties slipped. Up about 141 percent since 2009. And unlike the small towns I cover, Arlington closes several hundred homes a month, so the numbers I price with are real rather than a handful of sales pretending to be a trend.
Arlington sits in the middle: about 20 to 25 minutes to downtown Dallas, downtown Fort Worth and DFW Airport. Almost nowhere else lets two people work in different cities without one of them losing. The honest other half: it is the largest city in America with no buses or trains, on-demand rides stop entirely on Sundays, and near the stadiums game days and the World Cup summer reshape your week. I will tell you which streets feel that and which do not.
Arlington rewards honesty. Arlington ISD rates C and is closing schools as enrollment falls. Creeks flood — the city has bought out repeatedly flooded homes. There is no USDA financing, no Level I trauma centre in the city, and ambulance transport is private and billed to you. Crime is falling — down 12 percent last year, a fourth straight decline — but it varies street by street. If any of that is a dealbreaker for your household, you will hear it from me before you fall in love with the house.
Check the school district by parcel — four of them serve Arlington addresses, and the difference is about $472 a year. Second, find out whether you are in Arlington, Pantego or Dalworthington Gardens, because the city on your tax bill may not be the one in your address. Third, in Viridian, ask for the management district rate before you compare payments. Fourth, confirm short-term rental zoning if that is any part of the plan. And fifth, order a floodplain determination on anything near Rush, Village or Johnson Creek — the maps have been revised, and revisions create new insurance requirements.
Three Arlington-specific things to raise with all three. Make sure your escrow uses the right school district — a Mansfield ISD address escrowed at Arlington ISD rates is short from day one. In Viridian, confirm the management district levy is in the escrow figure, not just the HOA. And there is no USDA financing here, so compare FHA and conventional. I recommend these lenders based on their expertise and service. I do not receive compensation for referrals.
Either is fine. I answer my own phone, and there is no version of this where you get routed to a call centre or handed to a junior agent. Send me an address and I will tell you which of the four school districts it is really in, which city it is really in, whether a management district applies, what the flood map says, and whether it can legally be rented short term.
Bobby Franklin, REALTOR® · Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team · 214-228-0003 · northtexasmarketinsider.com
Information on this page is provided for general reference and is not legal, tax, insurance, environmental or lending advice. Tax figures use tax year 2025 adopted rates, are shown before exemptions and are illustrations rather than quotes; rates reset annually. Arlington is served by four school districts and district assignment must be confirmed by parcel: Arlington Independent School District serves most of the city and both enclave towns, Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD serves Viridian, Mansfield ISD parts of the south and Kennedale ISD a small southwestern area; the combined rates used are approximately 2.186 percent in Arlington ISD, 2.122 in HEB ISD, 2.228 in Kennedale ISD and 2.240 in Mansfield ISD. The City of Arlington increased its rate by three cents for the 2026 financial year and Arlington ISD voters approved a bond in May 2026 adding approximately one cent; reported totals for the approved propositions range between approximately $438.8 million and approximately $469.7 million across sources. Viridian lies within a municipal management district which levies its own tax in addition to all other taxing units; published combined rates range from approximately 2.46 to approximately 2.64 percent depending on year and source, homeowners association dues are separate, and the current rate and any assessment should be obtained for a specific lot. Dalworthington Gardens and Pantego are separately incorporated towns entirely surrounded by Arlington, with their own municipal taxes, police and permitting, though both are served by Arlington Independent School District. Short-term rentals are permitted only within a mapped area and certain zoning districts under ordinances adopted in April 2019; those ordinances were upheld by the Second Court of Appeals in Fort Worth in 2021 and the Supreme Court of Texas denied review in January 2022. Permit fees, inspection, insurance and hotel occupancy tax registration apply. Zoning eligibility must be confirmed for a specific address, and nothing here is a representation that any property may lawfully be used as a short-term rental. Appreciation figures refer to the FHFA All-Transactions House Price Index for Tarrant County, series ATNHPIUS48439A, which rose from 125.50 in 2009 to 301.99 in 2025 and increased in every year since 2020; FHFA describes county indices as developmental and subject to revision. Past appreciation does not predict future appreciation. Arlington Independent School District was rated C in the most recent state release and is consolidating campuses amid declining enrollment; accountability ratings change annually and school information is not a recommendation regarding any school, district, neighbourhood or property. Flood risk is parcel-specific; Rush Creek, Village Creek and Johnson Creek run through the city, documented repetitive loss areas exist, buyouts have taken place and flood insurance rate maps have been revised. Order a floodplain determination. Crime figures are from the police department's 2025 annual report as reported regionally and describe the city as a whole. Ambulance transport is provided by a private contractor and billed to the patient. The highest trauma designation within Arlington is Level II; the nearest Level I centre is in Fort Worth. USDA Rural Development financing is not available in Arlington, and there is no fixed-route public transit or rail station within the city. Drive times are off-peak estimates and vary with traffic and events. Search results relating to Arlington, Virginia were excluded; every figure was verified as Arlington, Tarrant County, Texas. All real estate services are provided through Legacy Realty Group. Equal Housing Opportunity.
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Waxahachie, TX 75165
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