Arlington vs Medford
You are paying about $350k more for a 4BR in Arlington, and in exchange you get the stronger schools. That is the trade in plain terms: $350k for one tier of schooling.
Medford is about 18 minutes closer to downtown Boston at peak, and it has MBTA rail while Arlington does not. Over a decade of commuting that gap is worth more than most people price it at.
On tax, look past the rate: Medford works out roughly $5,500 a year cheaper on its own median 4BR.
Choose Arlington if you want the stronger schools of the two.
All Arlington numbers →Choose Medford if you want the lower price, or the commute matters most, or you want a train.
All Medford numbers →Side by side
The better of the two is highlighted on each row. Where a row is not highlighted, the two are close enough that calling a winner would be false precision.
| Arlington | Medford | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | strong schoolsT2 | solid schoolsT3 |
| MCAS percentile | 93rd | 41st |
| Niche district rank | 28th of 236 | 129th of 236 |
| 4BR house | $1.25MT3 | $900kT3 |
| 2BR condo | $675k | $535k |
| Commute to Boston | 34 minT2 | 16 minT1 |
| MBTA rail | No MBTA rail | Rapid transit (T) · ~8 min to downtown |
| Tax rate | $10.67T2 | $8.63T1 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$13,300 | ≈$7,800 |
| 3BR rent | $3,603/mo | $3,993/mo |
Prices are estimates calibrated to the Zillow Home Value Index and Redfin; tax rates are FY2026 residential rates and the bill applies that rate to the town’s own median 4BR estimate; commutes take the rail leg from the MBTA timetable and still model the drive; rents are HUD FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rents. School tiers are editorial and shown next to the state’s own MCAS figures. Data last reviewed — see the methodology. This comparison never uses demographics as an input.
