Submitted by EgoSumMagistra t3_10xbcqd in arlingtonva
What's the min. salary necessary to live in Arlington for a single person that doesn't need to live high on the hog but doesn't want to be struggling either. Will 50k or 60k cut the mustard? If not, what are some good towns nearby to live in? I would like to be in the DC area but it might be a pipe dream at this point.
Yep. I made around 60k back in 2011 or so and lived in a cheap apartment. I was doing OK while putting some money away in a 401k, but it wasn't amazing. I also had no major debt, which made things easier. But, 12 years later on that salary, that's going to be rough unless you live with multiple roommates or can find a cheap place to live.
60K won't be a happy life in Arlington.
The biggest factor is whether you are ok with living with roommates. If you are, you should be fine. If not, it's going to be tough.
Maybe in some parts of south Arlington and/or if you are willing to have roommates.
May want to look into Annandale or Springfield.
That’s a tight budget for arlington IMO
Mind roommates? Cos that’s the only way 50k will work anywhere near the Beltway.
Do you have a car or need to be near public transit? Costs definitely go down if you are out of the metro corridor in Virginia. Also parts of DC are cheaper and roommates are an option.
I moved here on 62500 and had enough leftover each month for fun. Make a budget and overestimate to see if you can do it. Lived solo btw
Alexandria is just Arlington with a slightly longer metro ride, less walkability, and fewer office buildings. It’s slightly more affordable
What kinda mustard we talm bout?
Really depends on your spending habits. I made less than 45 when I moved here, paid $1400 in rent for a one bedroom, cooked most of my meals, and was quite happy. For fun, I mostly enjoyed my own hobbies like biking and woodworking, etc, which can all be done on the cheap if you are dedicated.
Definitely not a pipe dream if you prioritize walkability and access to interesting things to do over lots of living space and eating out/going out a ton.
I was making $60k/year when I first moved to Arlington in 2015 and I lived pretty comfortably, but I was pretty good about keeping my base expenses in check. My car was fully paid off and I shared a 2br/2ba apartment with a roommate. My rent was $1,314.29/ month including parking and (some) utilities, though it was walking distance to the Orange and silver lines and in a great neighborhood. Rents have gone up since then but not as much as you would think. My wife and I share a larger 2br/2ba apartment now for $3,200/month incl. parking and you can definitely find cheaper options.
The trick is living with a roommate. 2br/2ba situations apartments are often cheaper than 3br or group house situations. If you insist on going at it alone the math goes to shit. It’s not impossible, but you’ll have much less in the way of discretionary income, live in a much older unit (probably without laundry) and live in a much worse part of town. The options get better as you get away from the city, but not enough to be recommended. You’ll also be spending considerably more in gas, mass transit fares and Ubers since everything is so spread out the further you get from the city. I probably wouldn’t recommend solo living in Arlington to anyone making less than $85k/year.
If you’re young and single you really want to be in DC or Arlington. The dating scene in the rest of nova can be pretty brutal.
It all depends on your rent and how many bills you currently have. It is doable in the short term if you're considering doing it as a stepping stone to more money longer term, but you won't have a lot of fun
I was paying $1800 pre-Covid all utilities included except internet. It’ll be tight but doable if you can budget and stick to it
You can do it on 50 but depending on your other expenses (car payment/insurance,etc) you’ll likely have to do a two bedroom with a roommate. No shame in that game! It’ll be a little tight but you’ll still be able to have fun.
60k is fine, provided you have no debt. Half of your net will go to rent (unless you get some roommates); spend/save the other half wisely.
You could do it at an apt that offers subsidies by the county look into that, otherwise roommates!
When I first moved here, I made 40k and living comfortably. I know I have a steal on rent but I pay about 1700 with utilities in a one bedroom with a balcony.
My apartment complex in Arlington is $1470 for a 1 bedroom and utilities are included. The buildings are old, but they’re well kept and there’s a pool and fitness center.
Can you share the name of the complex please?
Thank you very much! I noticed that it's quite far from the metro station (since I don't have a car). How do you access public transport? Do they offer any shuttle service?
Not OP but Columbia Pike MetroBus 16 routes are very regular and pretty reliable (maybe between 10-20 mins, but I never looked up actual times when I have used it and normally on weekends for me..constant buses in the mornings and afternoons). Takes you to Pentagon or Pentagon city Metro.
As the other commenter said, the 16 buses have a stop in front of the apartment complex (very short walk no matter where in the complex you are). If you know where you’ll be working you can use the trip planner on the WMATA website to see what your route would be like.
I've budgeted an annual income of 300K to be comfortable in Arlington.
jfchops2 t1_j7rh9bn wrote
You're going to be spending like 50% of your take home pay on a non-great apartment ($1700-$1800 rent) at that income. It's doable, but it's going to be tough to get ahead and save unless you have really low expenses.