Arlington sits squarely between Dallas and Fort Worth — literally and economically, drawing a renter base of commuters, UTA students and staff, healthcare workers, and game-day visitors who funnel through AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field on weekends. This report breaks down what rents are doing in May 2026, which bedroom sizes are holding their value, and how Arlington stacks up against its neighbors, so you can make sharper decisions about pricing and positioning your rental.
1. Arlington Rental Market Snapshot — May 2026
Here's where Arlington rents stand as of May 2026, across all property types — apartments, condos, townhomes, and single-family homes.
The median rent in Arlington hit $2,570 in May 2026, up 1.1% from last month but still running 3.37% below where it was a year ago, homes are sitting an average of 44 days before leasing, which tells landlords that pricing precision matters more right now than it did in 2024.
| Metric | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Median Rent (All Types) | $2,570 | +1.1% MoM |
| Avg. Days on Market | 44 days | — |
| Rent Growth YoY | -3.4% | — |
Source: RentCast/Doorstead, all rental property types, May 2026.
2. Arlington Rent by Bedroom Size — May 2026
Three-bedroom single-family rentals are averaging $2,555 per month in Arlington, sitting neatly between the 2BR at $2,325 and the 4BR at $2,801. That $230 step up from a 2BR to a 3BR, and another $246 from a 3BR to a 4BR, is fairly even spacing, meaning landlords with larger homes aren't sacrificing much relative rent per bedroom compared to smaller units. Keep in mind that price points vary sharply by neighborhood: workforce renters near UTA and Cooper Street will push toward the lower end of these ranges, while higher-end pockets like Viridian command a significant premium.
| Bedrooms | SFR Median Rent |
|---|---|
| 2-Bedroom | $2,325 |
| 3-Bedroom | $2,555 |
| 4-Bedroom | $2,801 |
| Source: RentCast/Doorstead single-family properties, May 2026. |
What's Driving Rental Conditions in Arlington
Arlington Rental Supply & New Construction
Arlington's construction pipeline is cooling, but it's not empty. The city issued more than 1,400 residential permits in Q2 2025 and over 1,200 permits across residential and non-residential project types in Q3 2025, signaling that activity has been moderately brisk but is beginning to taper. Across the broader Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) market, units under construction have dropped to roughly 36,000 from a peak of 64,000, with new starts falling sharply as construction costs and financing hurdles bite. On the horizon, Arlington's downtown is getting two notable additions: the Wolverine Interests mixed-use redevelopment along West Abram and West Main Streets (a $60 million commitment through 2029) and Balfour Lofts, a 65-unit apartment project planned by Pershing Capital.
Why People Rent in Arlington
Arlington's location is its biggest selling point for renters: sitting roughly 20 miles from both downtown Dallas and downtown Fort Worth, with DFW International Airport about 12 miles north, the city gives renters access to two major job markets without committing to the cost of living in either. Major employers like General Motors, Medical City Arlington, Texas Health Resources, and the University of Texas at Arlington anchor local demand, while the Entertainment District's sports venues pull in hospitality and service workers who prefer to live close to where they work. Elevated interest rates continue to price buyers out of homeownership across the region, keeping more households in the rental market, and Dallas-Fort Worth's job base of 410,000 net new positions since February 2020 means that pool of would-be renters keeps growing.
Arlington Rental Market Outlook
Arlington's blended median rent sits at $2,570, down 3.37% year-over-year but up 1.1% month-over-month. That combination tells you the market has been soft over the past year but may be starting to find a floor. Homes are averaging 44 days on market with 100-plus active listings, so competition among landlords is still real, and Texas Senate Bill 840 (effective September 2025) creates a new pathway for multifamily development on commercial land, which could add supply pressure down the road. For landlords right now: price competitively to move your unit before the summer lease-up season peaks, but don't panic-cut, the monthly trend suggests conditions may be stabilizing.
3. How Arlington Compares to Dallas and Fort Worth
Arlington's blended rent of $2,570 runs 23.7% above Dallas ($2,077) and 81.0% above Fort Worth ($1,419), reflecting how Arlington's single-family rental stock skews larger and newer than what dominates those markets. On 3BR SFRs specifically, Arlington's $2,555 median lands well below Dallas's $4,282 (where urban demand and tighter inventory push rents higher) but comfortably above Fort Worth's $2,190, a market where ongoing supply deliveries have kept a lid on rents. Arlington landlords should note that their 44-day average days on market is considerably longer than Dallas's 29 days and Fort Worth's 22 days, so homes that aren't priced sharply at listing are sitting, and in a market down 3.37% year-over-year, cutting early beats chasing the market down later.
| City | Median Rent (All Types) | 3BR SFR Rent | Avg. Days on Market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington | $2,570 | $2,555 | 44 days |
| Dallas | $2,077 | $4,282 | 29 days |
| Fort Worth | $1,419 | $2,190 | 22 days |
Source: RentCast/Doorstead, May 2026.
4. Arlington Single-Family Rental — What Landlords Need to Know
How Arlington Single-Family Rents Compare to Apartments
Single-family rentals in Arlington run at a $2,555 median for three-bedrooms, identical to the blended three-bedroom median across all property types. That zero-dollar gap tells you something useful: SFRs dominate Arlington's rental stock to the point where they essentially set the market rate. Days on market for SFRs sits at 44 days, in line with the overall market, so SFR landlords aren't seeing faster or slower absorption than the broader pool of listings.
Where Single-Family Demand Concentrates in Arlington
North Arlington and Viridian pull the strongest renter interest at the higher end of the market, while Heart of Arlington and the corridors near Cooper Street attract a steady stream of University of Texas at Arlington students and staff who keep vacancy low even during soft patches. Arlington's position as a true commuter hub is the underlying engine here: residents can reach downtown Dallas or downtown Fort Worth in roughly 20 minutes, DFW International Airport in about 12 miles, and major employers like General Motors, Medical City Arlington, and Texas Health Resources without ever leaving the metro's core. The Entertainment District, anchored by AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field, adds another layer of demand from workers and event-driven short-term rental activity that keeps certain zip codes consistently tight.
How to Price Your Arlington Rental Home Right Now
For a three-bedroom SFR, your pricing sweet spot right now is $2,427–$2,683 (±5% of the $2,555 median), and if you're sitting on a four-bedroom, the market ceiling lands around $2,800. With 100+ active listings competing for tenants and rents down roughly 3.4% over the past year, overpricing is the fastest way to bleed 44 days of vacancy or more. The actionable move: come in at or just below the midpoint of that range, get it leased, and don't chase the ceiling unless your home has a clear differentiator in condition or location. One thing worth watching is Texas Senate Bill 840, which lets developers build multifamily on commercial land without rezoning; southwest Arlington already has the city's first test case under that law, and if new supply accelerates, it will put additional downward pressure on rents over the next 12–24 months. Price for today's market, not the one from two years ago.
Data Sources & Methodology
- RentCast API: Rental market data (median rents, days on market, listing counts, rent change). Queried monthly by zip code across Arlington and adjacent submarkets.
- Doorstead Platform Data: Internal leasing outcomes from Doorstead-managed single-family homes — days to lease, pricing tier benchmarks. Arlington, TX, trailing 12 months.