Arlington vs Lexington

4BR house$800k apart

Arlington$1.25M

Lexington$2.05M

Both among the dearest third of Massachusetts towns

Tax billOn each town’s own median 4BR$11,900/yr apart

Arlington$13,300

Lexington$25,200

Both among the highest third of Massachusetts towns

To BostonLevel

Arlington34 min

Lexington38 min

Both among the closest third of Massachusetts towns

SchoolsMCAS percentile, statewide6 percentile points apart

Arlington93rd pct

Lexington99th pct

Both among the top third of Massachusetts districts

marks the Massachusetts median on each scale. The better of the two is picked out where the gap is big enough to call; where neither is, they are level.

You are paying about $800k more for a 4BR in Lexington, and in exchange you get the stronger schools. That is the trade in plain terms: $800k for one tier of schooling.

On tax, look past the rate: Arlington works out roughly $11,900 a year cheaper on its own median 4BR.

Arlington

Choose Arlington if you want the lower price, or the commute matters most.

All Arlington numbers →

Lexington

Choose Lexington if you want the stronger schools of the two.

All Lexington numbers →

Side by side

Some rows have no better. Town character describes a place rather than ranking it, and per-pupil spending tracks need rather than results, so neither is picked out.

SchoolsLexington ahead on 4 of 10, 1 against

	Arlington	Lexington
School tier	strong schoolsT2	top schoolsT1
MCAS achievementState percentile, all grades	93rd	99th
Student growthHow far the district moves children, not who enrolled	58th	60th
Graduation rate	96.8%	98.2%
Niche district rank	28th of 236	3rd of 236
SchoolDigger rank	28th of 361	9th of 361
State accountabilityDESE’s own summary	Meeting or exceeding targets	Meeting or exceeding targets
Spending per pupilHigher is not better — it tracks need, not results	$20,549	$27,831
Schools in the districtElementary and middle buildings the rating averages	10	9
Private schools within 12 miAccredited, the fallback if the district does not fit	69	45

What a home costsArlington ahead on 7 of 8

	Arlington	Lexington
4BR house	$1.25MT3	$2.05MT4
3BR townhouse	$915k	$1.35M
2BR condo	$675k	$1M
3BR homeZillow’s observed median, houses and condos together — measured, not modeled like the rows above	$1.13M	$1.28M
5+ BR homeZillow’s top bedroom bucket — five OR MORE, so it carries the largest houses in the town. Measured, not modeled like the rows above	$1.68M	$2.44M
3BR rent	$3,690/mo	$4,963/mo
Income needed for the 4BRHousehold income at our standard assumptions	$326k	$542k
10-year price growthCompound, 2016–2026	5.3% a year	5.3% a year

What you pay the townArlington ahead on 2 of 4

	Arlington	Lexington
Tax ratePer $1,000 of value — not what you pay	$10.67T2	$12.31T2
Est. tax bill on that 4BRRate times the town’s own median 4BR	≈$13,300	≈$25,200
Town spending per residentFY2025 general fund, per head	$4,627	$8,108
Share of budget on schools	49%	52%

Getting to workArlington ahead on 1 of 3

	Arlington	Lexington
Commute to BostonDoor to door at peak	34 minT2	38 minT2
MBTA rail	No MBTA rail	No MBTA rail
Miles from downtown	7 mi	11 mi

Before kindergartenArlington ahead on 2 of 4

	Arlington	Lexington
Licensed child care programsBefore kindergarten	47	35
Child care placesLicensed capacity, not vacancies	2,656	2,048
Centers vs family programsThe rest are programs in a provider’s home	29 centers	25 centers
Infant places in centersFamily programs report no age split	366	413

What the place is likeDescribes the two, does not rank them

	Arlington	Lexington
Population	46,308	34,454
Energy	8/10	6/10
Compact center	9/10	6/10
Family amenities	8/10	8/10
Culture	8/10	9/10
Gathering places	9/10	9/10

The tax bill is each town’s own rate on its own median 4BR, so a lower rate does not always mean a lower bill. School tiers are editorial, shown beside the state’s own MCAS figures rather than derived from them.

Prices calibrated to Zillow ZHVI and Redfin · FY2026 residential tax rates · rail leg from the MBTA timetable, drive modeled · rents are HUD FY2027 Small Area FMRs · reviewed September 11, 2026 · methodology. Never uses demographics as an input.

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