DSCR loans in Arlington, VA

Arlington rents, values and tenants

Start with the two numbers every DSCR file turns on. Rent in Arlington runs a median $2,322 a month (well above the Virginia median of $1,579), and the median owner-occupied home is worth $895,000. Put the two medians together and Arlington shows a gross yield of 3.1%, a thin gross ratio, which tells you purchase prices are high relative to rent. Because the rent number covers apartments as well as houses, expect single-family rentals to land above or below it.

A renter-heavy city, Arlington has 58.7% of households renting (well above the Virginia median of 33%), which is good for demand and a reminder to check rent comparables carefully. Household income runs a median $142,114 (well above the Virginia median of $93,170), while 40% of renters spend 30 percent or more of income on housing.

Housing stock and vacancy in Arlington

The housing stock in Arlington leans toward shared walls: 66% of units are in multi-unit buildings, and 5% sit in small two to four unit properties. Homes here date to 1976 at the median, which is old enough to need system replacement but modern enough to avoid the worst surprises.

Roughly 8% of units in Arlington sit vacant, and the share of rentals available for rent is 4.9% at the survey's snapshot.

Reading Arlington as an investor

With only 3.1% gross yield, Arlington buyers often rely on appreciation as part of the plan, and a lender will want the ratio to clear without it. Housing here is neither new nor ancient, so condition varies widely from block to block and the inspection tells you more than the median. A large renter population (59%) supports leasing, though it also means many competing landlords, so condition and price positioning count.

The payment side of the Arlington ratio

Homeowners in Arlington paid a median $8,153 in real estate taxes, well above the Virginia median of $2,790, an effective rate near 0.91% of home value against 0.73% statewide. At the median rent that tax bill takes roughly 29% of a year's rent before insurance, dues or interest.

Arlington County carries a relatively low overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index, where lightning (relatively high), heat waves (relatively moderate) and winter weather (relatively moderate) rank highest.

In Arlington County, as anywhere, the premium is part of PITIA, which means a quote with the roof, age and flood zone of the actual Arlington address belongs in your file early.

The ratio in Arlington dollars

Try the math at the medians. With rent at $2,322 and taxes near $679 a month, a 1.00 DSCR leaves $1,643 for everything else in the payment, a 1.20 ratio leaves $1,256, and a 1.25 ratio leaves $1,178. Any real property will differ, but the exercise shows how little room insurance and dues can take.

Rules a Arlington landlord should check

This page does not claim to list every Arlington rental ordinance. Before you buy, call the city's planning or code office and Arlington County to ask about rental registration, inspections and short-term rental permits, and read any association declaration. Nightly stays carry state tax in Virginia. Virginia applies its retail sales tax to short-term accommodations, and localities may levy a transient occupancy tax on stays of fewer than 30 consecutive days.

After move-out, the Arlington owner has 45 days to return the deposit or account for deductions.

Where Arlington sits among nearby places

Of the cities listed, Alexandria is the most expensive ($735,100 median value) and Gaithersburg the least ($496,500); Arlington sits at $895,000.

Employers and institutions near Arlington rentals

Self-employment accounts for 6.9% of Arlington's workforce, so many local investors earn income that a standard payroll-based mortgage underwrites poorly. Three more data points: government workers are about 25% of employment, 77% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher and 15% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more.

Employers named in Wikipedia's Arlington entry for 2023 include Federal government, Local government & schools, Amazon, Deloitte and Accenture, which is where many tenants earn the income that pays rent. Colleges tied to Arlington include Marymount University, George Mason University, George Washington University and Georgetown University, and campus-adjacent streets often rent to students and staff on a school-year rhythm. Wikipedia's entry for Arlington notes interstate access via I-66 and I-395 and air service through Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, a practical point for tenants and owners alike.

Moving from numbers to a Arlington loan

Before you offer on a Arlington property, test the ratio in the calculator, then apply now or request a DSCR quote.

More Virginia markets

• All Virginia DSCR loans
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• DSCR loans in Gaithersburg, MD
• Every market we cover

Source links

• Deposit statute: Va. Code §§ 55.1-1226(A), 55.1-1208(A)(7)
• For nightly stays in Arlington: Virginia Tax, accommodations
• Virginia tax source: Va. Code 58.1-3819
• 2020 to 2024 ACS data used for Arlington
• Federal hazard index, VA
• Wikipedia article, Arlington County, Virginia

The Arlington statistics are five-year ACS estimates (2020 to 2024), which have sampling error. RedFlagLease (CC BY 4.0) supplies the Virginia landlord-tenant notes, and the statutes are linked. Reviewed in October 2026, with no promise that rules have stayed put.

Before you make an offer

Ask the seller for twelve months of utility bills and any lease on the Arlington property, confirm who pays water, trash and lawn care, and get the insurance quote before the inspection period ends so the ratio is tested on real numbers.

DSCR loan availability varies by property and lender program and is not an offer to lend. See our disclosures.