Home to roughly 400,316 residents, Arlington ranks in at one of the largest cities in Texas—7th to be exact. Not to be confused with the Arlington Heights neighborhood in Fort Worth, the city of Arlington lies right in the center of the the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan area.
Over the years, Arlington has continued to grow and thrive with many attractions that draw people in to visit every year. Among the attractions are amazing restaurants, retail centers, museums, theatres, art galleries, and live music venues such as the Arlington Music Hall in downtown Arlington.
Arlington likes to portray itself as “The American Dream City.” It is home to American pastimes, American-made automobiles, and has pride in its culturally-diverse citizens. The city has a competitive spirit that strives to make dreams a reality.
Living in Arlington
The median household income in Arlington is around $60,000. A family of four can expect to spend considerably less than in other cities in the US or North Texas. Arlington is also below the national average in costs of healthcare, groceries, and transportation. The cost of living is cheaper in Arlington versus Fort Worth or Dallas, making it a very affordable choice to move to Arlington when relocating to DFW.
The median home price in Arlington, TX, is around $220,000 which is 19% lower than the national average. The median cost renters pay in rent in Arlington is $1,550. Due to the college scene, almost half of the population are renters living in an apartment, condo or duplex. Some of the best neighborhoods are found in the West Arlington area, Southwest, and North parts of Arlington. A popular neighborhood is Dalworthington Garden, which has high real estate value and upscale homes for sale.
Housing in Arlington consists mostly of single family homes, however about a third of the available housing is apartment complexes with affordable housing due to the number of renters.
Arlington also is a great place for retirement as there are many activities for residents of all ages to take part in. Public transportation is even available for seniors who no longer drive. If you call Dallas home, but are looking to relocate to somewhere a little more relaxed, Arlington is the place to retire!
Over the last 10 years, Arlington has experienced some of the highest home appreciation rates of all other communities throughout the nation. The real estate in Arlington has appreciated more than 79% since 2000. If you are a home buyer or just want to invest in real estate, Arlington is an excellent spot for long-term investments.
As you can see, we have made this Arlington Texas Relocation guide which covers education, career opportunities, fun things to do, and tips to make your move go as smoothly as possible.
If you need an Arlington moving company or even a Dallas mover, contact Great White Movers for all your relocation needs. We’d love to help take away the stress of your relocation to the Dallas Fort Worth area so you can get situated and start enjoying yourself!
Working in Arlington
Arlington’s diverse economy offers jobs for all occupations. The city is home to 12,188 well-respected businesses that would make great employers for all demographics of people right in your very neighborhood.
Along with the projected 38.9% job growth expected in Arlington in the coming years, there is also only a 5% unemployment rate which makes the outlook of having a successful job in Arlington quite sunny. Arlington is a great job market for young professionals who are looking to get their start in a lifelong career.
Some of the most rapidly expanding job prospects are in education, hospitality, and healthcare. Texas Instrument also supplies many jobs in the city of Arlington. There are also many medical centers providing jobs such as Texas Health Resources which provides a majority of the medical care in most North Texas communities.
Some residents also choose to commute to Downtown Dallas or the Downtown Fort Worth area for work, which is not too bad of a commute as Arlington is not very far from these metropolitan areas.
Education in Arlington
Arlington ISD has 62,085 students enrolled, 48 schools in the district, and 14.7 students per classroom. Its home to some really great schools that have a low student-to-teacher ratio, which is also great for your kids. Arlington Schools rank very well, Nationally falling into an A category.
Arlington TX has 99 public schools serving about 75,489 students in the area. Arlington is considered to have one of the highest concentrations of top-ranked public schools in all of Texas. Public schools in Arlington rank in the top 50% percentile in reading and math proficiency.
Primary and Secondary Education
Ditto Elementary School is one of the Highest Rated Elementary Schools in the city, placing in the top 10% of all schools in Texas for overall test scores.
Arlington Classics Academy Middle School is one of the great schools in Arlington, ranking in the top 10% of schools in the city.
Arlington Collegiate High School is ranked as one of the best High Schools in Arlington. They placed in the top 1% of all schools in Texas for overall test scores.
Higher Education
Arlington is also home to many colleges including the University of Texas, Arlington, which boasts the largest amount of college graduates in all the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. UT Arlington also has a shuttle system to serve as public transportation for students so they don’t need to hunt for parking around campus.
12,747 degrees were awarded in the 2016-2017 school year at the University of Texas Arlington, with the majority of young professionals earning Bachelor’s degrees with concentrations in Nursing.
Arlington is also home to Arlington Baptist College. Arlington Baptist College is a private Christian university. The acceptance rate at Arlington Baptist College is 100%. Some popular majors include Liberal Arts and Humanities, and Education.
Things to Do in Arlington
Restaurants
Seafood
Red Claw Crab Shack serves all different types of crab – snow crab, king crab, you name it! The atmosphere is casual, and the food is delicious creole/Cajun comfort food. Great restaurant to take the whole family to.
Italian
Saviano’s Italian Kitchen is an upscale Italian food restaurant serving up traditional pasta dishes such as penne a la vodka and oven-roasted pizzas. They also have a great cocktail menu. Great for a date night!
Mexican
Papaya Mexican Grill has amazing margaritas, a beautiful shrimp cocktail, and serves up Tex-Mex style food that is absolutely delicious. A must-visit spot in Arlington!
Burgers
Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar is a burger joint with style. They have all kinds of things on their menu-just to name a few: crispy deviled eggs, candied bacon, pizza sticks, and TV Dinner Bison Meatloaf. This place serves the ultimate comfort food, and you need to see this menu to believe it!
Dessert
Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop is the ultimate dessert destination. This local favorite has all kinds of pies ranging from full size to mini size treats. They also sell thumbprint cookies by the dozen! Stop by and appease your sweet tooth with a slice of coconut cream or any of their amazing flavors of pie.
Grocery Stores
If your more of a home body and prefer cooking your own meals, worry not, Arlington is home to many great grocery stores such as Kroger, Whole Foods, Aldi, Sprouts, and Market Street.
Events
There is something for everyone to do in Arlington Tx. Sports fans can catch a Dallas Cowboys or Texas Rangers game, thrill seekers could ride a rollercoaster at one of the Six Flags theme parks, or the whole family could check out a live band under the stars. Here are some of the best things to do in the city:
ATT Stadium
Home of the Dallas Cowboys. Come see a football game under the stars in the amazing ATT Stadium. This stadium features a retractable roof and is home of the Cotton Bowl Classic and the Big 12 Championship Game.
Globe Life Field
The Texas Rangers ballpark. Come see a game in the brand new Texas Rangers ballpark that features a retractable roof and climate control as well as a classic design and state-of-the-art facilities.
Top O’ Hill Terrace
Known as the ‘Las Vegas before Las Vegas’. A famous Texas gambling ground from the 1930s and 1940s destination where rich, famous and even infamous people went to place their bets and try and win big. Features a beautiful outdoor gardens.
Six Flags over Texas
212-acre theme park with an attraction for everyone! Seasonal activities such as Fright Fest.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
50-acre water theme park featuring Banzai Pipeline, a thrilling, rushing water slide tower featuring three unique slides that twist, turn and spin guests down more than three stories
Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts
Live music and theatre under the stars in downtown Arlington. This is a great place to go and see a live show or theatre performance. Experience the intricacies of artistic performance under the stars!
International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame
With an exhibit of the History of Bowling and many other great exhibits, this can be a great place to come for bowling enthusiasts and hobbyists or even just a great museum to learn something new!
Esports Stadium Arlington & Expo Center
Come check out Esports competitions and other events at the largest dedicated esports facility in North America.
Planetarium at the University of Arlington
Discover new planets at the Planetarium! With all kinds of public events such as Texas Stargazing, this is the perfect place to have a fun outing while also learning about our universe! Admission is relatively inexpensive making this a perfect outing to bring the whole family to!
Golf Courses
Arlington is also home to many golf courses including the Golf Center of Arlington. They host all kinds of events and have all kinds of refreshments available! A couple more to check out are Waterchase Golf Club and Mansfield National Golf Club.
Within Driving Distance to other Fun Cities
Another perk of living in Arlington is that it is within driving distance of many different cities. About 15 minutes away is the City of Grand Prairie Texas which offers amazing parks and recreational areas. Arlington is also not far from Central Dallas and West Dallas. Frisco Texas is only about a 45-minute drive from Arlington as well and making a day trip to see the National Video Game Museum could be fun idea! Highland Park is 45 minutes driving distance and has an amazing shopping district as well as a Famous Music Festival known as the Ravina Festival.
Parks & Trails
Lake Arlington
A great place to visit if you want to fish for bass, catfish or crappie just to name a few!
River Legacy Park
Hiking & Biking Trails and Playgrounds. This part follows along the line of the Trinity River and offers beautiful scenic views. Tons of wildlife. There have even been small bobcats spotted here!
Knapp Heritage Park
Learn more about pioneer life and see three of the oldest structures in Tarrant County. The Jopling-Melear and Watson cabins, which have been standing since the 1800s, along with a schoolhouse that dates back to 1910.
Bowman Springs Park
Known as the best kept secret park in Arlington. You can go fishing or even canoeing in the lake and the grounds are clean and family friendly.
Centennial Park
Beautiful Christmas Light feature in December, close to the water. Lots of cute ducks swimming nearby. Great family park for residents to visit.
Veterans Park
This park has lots of activities! With a Disc Gold course, duck and goose ponds, as well as basketball courts, there is plenty of fun things to do. There is also a large grassy area perfect for picnics.
Other Activities
Out of all these listed activities, there are still more to be explored! Our moving company team is happy to make more suggestions about all kinds of attractions that are must-sees here in the city, the DFW metroplex, and the surrounding Tarrant County area.
Moving & Getting Situated
If you know Arlington is the right city for you, you’ve made a great choice! If you already live in the city and are just looking for a new home, you already know how great the city is. Either way, when it’s time to move, there’s a lot of prep work to do to make moving day go as smoothly as possible.
Timeline
After you find your new dream home or the perfect apartment in Arlington and you’re set on moving, it’s time to get planning. One of the first things you’ll need to figure out is your timeline for your move. The sooner you have some solid dates hammered down, the sooner you can properly prepare for your move.
There are two key dates you need to know: the move-out date for your current home, and the move-in date for your new home. In an ideal world, those dates are the same, or your move-in date is sooner than your required move-out date. That makes moving much more simple, as you can get everything done either on the same day or before your final move-out day. If your move-out date is before your move-in date, you’ll have to figure out some extra logistics to decide where you might stay while waiting to move in to your new home, and where you’ll store your belongings in the mean time.
Either way, once you know these dates you’ll be able to plan and act accordingly.
Budgeting
The other key piece of information you’ll need for your move is your budget. Knowing roughly how much you’ll be able to spend will impact your move. In most cases, you’ll need at least several hundred dollars to rent a moving truck if you plan on doing the move yourself. This includes the truck rental itself, insurance fees, equipment fees (dollies, moving blankets, etc.), the cost of gas, and the mileage fees. Keep in mind that most truck rentals charge per mile, so the further you’re moving, the more it will cost (plus more in gas).
If your budget allows it, you may want to consider hiring a professional moving service. While not as cheap as DIY moving, the time, stress, and hassle you can save during your move is more than worth the cost. Plus, you can rest assured that your belonging would be handled with the utmost care if you choose a reliable company to help with your move.
Whichever option your budget allows, be sure to act soon to book your dates whether you’re renting a truck or booking a moving service. Equipment and mover availability can get booked up quickly, especially during peak moving times (such as the summer).
Packing
As your move date draws near, it’s a good idea to start packing well ahead of time. Start by packing non-essentials that you won’t miss until you get to your new home. Things like out-of-season clothes, decorations, and excess cookware are good items to start with.
Then, as moving day draws near you can start packing up your more essential items. This will save you a lot of headache instead of scrambling at the last minute to get everything boxed up as moving day looms near.
Be sure to keep your most important essentials (medicines, toothpaste & toothbrush, contacts & solution, a few changes of clothes) in a separate bag so that you don’t have to immediately start hunting for these items once you get to your new home.
If your budget allows it, you may want to consider utilizing professional packing services. Many reputable movers offer this as an addon to your moving quote, and choosing this route means you can rest easy knowing your fragile belongings are packed properly. Plus, you’ll save a lot more effort, making your move even easier.
Moving Day
When moving day arrives, you’ll hopefully be ready by having all of your belongings packed up and ready to go. What happens next depends on whether you’re moving on your own or have opted to hire professional movers.
If you’re moving on your own, you’ll need to pick up the truck from your rental company. Try to arrive 20-30 minutes before your reservation window starts so you can complete the check in process (verifying your identity, taking pictures of current damage, etc.).
After that, it’s a race against the clock to get your belongings moved from your old home to your new home before your rental is due to be returned. After you’ve returned to your current home, you’ll need to get to work loading all of your furniture and belongings onto the truck.
Once everything has been loaded, it’s time to hit the road and get to your new home. If you have a large window and plenty of time before your truck is due back, you can take your time unloading and putting the proper boxes and furniture in the right rooms. If you’re on a tight deadline, you may want to get everything into the easiest-to-access-rooms so you can get the truck returned on time.
If you’ve hired a moving company, they’ll show up at the scheduled time and get to work loading the truck up for you. They’ll handle the hard work, so you can relax until everything is securely on their truck. Then, they’ll drive all your belongings to your new home and place your belongings wherever you’d like them to.
Getting Situated
After you’ve gotten everything unloaded, the hardest part is behind you, but there’s still plenty to do. Start by getting your furniture where you think it should go, and then you can start unpacking your boxes and setting up decorations.
This process will take a while, so try to focus on the most important items first. Over the next few days (or weeks) you can make a little progress every day, and before you know it you’ll be situated in your new home!
If you’re looking for professional movers in Arlington, contact Great White Moving Company today! We’d love to help you start the next chapter of your journey, and we have the experience and expertise you can count on to ensure you have a painless move.
