What salary do you need to live in Arlington, VA?
For a single person: about $96,500/year before taxes to live comfortably. That's the gross income whose VA-taxed take-home covers roughly $2,722 rent plus everyday essentials, with a 20% cushion for savings. Figures include 2025 federal tax, FICA, and an effective 4.8% Virginia income tax.
Single person — est. essentials $4,968/mo
Tight
take-home covers $4,968/mo
$78,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $5,962/mo
$96,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $7,452/mo
$124,500/yr
2-person household — est. essentials $6,499/mo
Tight
take-home covers $6,499/mo
$97,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $7,799/mo
$118,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $9,749/mo
$153,000/yr
3-person household — est. essentials $7,808/mo
Tight
take-home covers $7,808/mo
$118,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $9,370/mo
$146,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $11,712/mo
$188,500/yr
4-person household — est. essentials $8,931/mo
Tight
take-home covers $8,931/mo
$138,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $10,717/mo
$171,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $13,397/mo
$217,000/yr
How we calculate this
Essentials = typical rent ($2,722) + a national non-housing baseline by household size ($2,450 for one person) + Virginia's combined sales tax on the taxable share of that spending. We then solve for the gross salary whose after-tax take-home hits each tier. Local income taxes and property taxes aren't modeled — see the methodology.
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