Median rent is 9% lower in Arlington ($1,470/mo vs $1,619/mo). Buying is cheaper in Arlington, where the median home runs $304,700 versus $315,600. Households earn more in Irving ($81,830 vs $75,171 a year).
City A
Arlington, TX
City B
Irving, TX
How much would you need to earn in Irving, TX to maintain your standard of living from Arlington, TX?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Arlington
Texas
Irving
Texas
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Arlington at $1,470/mo compared to $1,619/mo in Irving (9% gap). Median home values are within 3% of each other: $304,700 in Arlington and $315,600 in Irving.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Arlington
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Irving
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Both cities have similar air quality: Arlington averages 55.0 AQI (Moderate) and Irving averages 55.0 AQI (Moderate).
Pick Irving if you prioritize higher median household income ($81,830/yr).
Is Arlington cheaper than Irving?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Arlington vs Irving?
Median rent is $1,470/mo in Arlington, TX and $1,619/mo in Irving, TX. Arlington, TX has the lower rent by about 9%.
Which has higher salaries — Arlington or Irving?
Median household income is $75,171 in Arlington, TX and $81,830 in Irving, TX. Irving, TX has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Irving, TX has better air quality on average: 55.0 AQI versus 55.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Arlington or Irving?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Irving to match my Arlington income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
