Best PlacesDonaldson Run, Arlington, VA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around Donaldson Run, Arlington, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Local pay runs high here, and housing takes the biggest bite out of it. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
Donaldson Run, Arlington ranks 21st of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on tree cover by a wide margin, and childcare costs are the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in Donaldson Run, Arlington
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
Donaldson Run, Arlington's strengths and weaknesses
Where Donaldson Run, Arlington ranks high
- Tree shadeBetter than 99% of neighborhoods
- School gradeA+, better than 99% of neighborhoods
- Educational attainmentBetter than 98% of neighborhoods
- Voter turnoutBetter than 98% of neighborhoods
- Household income$236,464 median, better than 98% of neighborhoods
Where Donaldson Run, Arlington ranks low
- Cheap childcare$2,495 a month, better than only 1% of neighborhoods
- Cell coverageBetter than only 9% of neighborhoods
- Nice weatherabout 65 pleasant days a year, better than only 16% of neighborhoods
- State fiscal healthBetter than only 17% of neighborhoods
- WalkabilityBetter than only 18% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in Donaldson Run, Arlington
A household needs to earn about $357,000 a year to comfortably buy the median Donaldson Run, Arlington home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $236,464, so buying stretches a typical household.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses Donaldson Run, Arlington's effective rate of 0.88%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices and rents, renting stays cheaper than buying across the first 10 years here, so the case for buying rests on staying much longer or on prices rising faster than assumed. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in Donaldson Run, Arlington
Donaldson Run, Arlington's age mix sits close to the national median, and households here run larger than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for Donaldson Run, Arlington.
Who works in Donaldson Run, Arlington, and how
Work in Donaldson Run, Arlington centers on professional & technical and public administration. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 47%
- Work from home 39%
- Transit, walk, or bike 14%
Life in Donaldson Run, Arlington
The coast is about 25 minutes away. Distance to the water changes a lot across Donaldson Run, Arlington, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in Donaldson Run, Arlington, month by month
Donaldson Run, Arlington sees roughly 65 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 92 degrees. January highs sit near 49, with lows near 30. The comfortable stretch runs April, May, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 38° | 30° |
| April | 72° | 59° | 48° |
| July | 92° | 81° | 73° |
| October | 74° | 63° | 53° |
Flying in and out of Donaldson Run, Arlington
Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl sits about 6 miles away. It is a large hub and boarded 12.0 million passengers in 2025, with 128 nonstop destinations.
The best schools in and around Donaldson Run, Arlington
Schools across Donaldson Run, Arlington average an A+, better than 99% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Taylor ElementaryA+ · 83% proficient
- Discovery ElementaryA+ · 78% proficient
Top middle schools
- Williamsburg MiddleA+ · 90% proficient
- Swanson MiddleA+ · 79% proficient
Top high schools
- Arlington Community HighA · 68% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every Donaldson Run, Arlington school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
Donaldson Run, Arlington measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare Donaldson Run, Arlington against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in Donaldson Run, Arlington
Is Donaldson Run, Arlington a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, Donaldson Run, Arlington ranks 21st of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on tree cover, good schools, and an educated workforce, and lowest on childcare costs and cell coverage. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is Donaldson Run, Arlington expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $1,352,256. The overall cost of living runs about 50% above the national average. Set against a $236,464 median income, cost of living beats 98% of neighborhoods.
Is Donaldson Run, Arlington safe?
Yes, Donaldson Run, Arlington is safer than 74% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $340 per resident a year.
Compare Donaldson Run, Arlington with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to Donaldson Run, Arlington. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in Donaldson Run, Arlington represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
Donaldson Run, Arlington detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for Donaldson Run, Arlington: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in Donaldson Run, Arlington: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of Donaldson Run, Arlington: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in Donaldson Run, Arlington: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
Donaldson Run, Arlington detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.