The Town Files

Arlington, Michigan

Township in Van Buren County · population 1,958 (2020 Census)

Map: where Arlington is in MichiganArlington
Median home
$201,300
Household income
$64,926
Jan low / Jul high
17° / 83°
Snow a year
109 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
17
Median age
44.1

Arlington is a township of 1,958 people in Van Buren County, Michigan. The median home is worth $201,300, close to the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 99% of Michigan towns, better transit than 94% of Michigan towns, better for a vacation home than 76% of Michigan towns.

Arlington in our rankings:

How Arlington ranks

Percentile among Michigan towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Michigan towns.

Arlington lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement35th pctFamilies46th pctQuiet57th pctWalkability34th pctFirst-time buyers99th pctYoung professionals33rd pctVibrancy10th pctHip & trendy60th pctCollege town69th pctUpscale47th pctVacation homes76th pctSeaside characterbottomCycling68th pctTransit94th pctDriving75th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Arlington is worth $201,300, close to the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $64,926, which is more affordable than 37% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,643 a month. 92.3% of households own their home.

Arlington vs Van Buren County vs typical Michigan townArlingtonVan Buren CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$201,300$206,500$193,900Household income$64,926$68,114$69,792Monthly rent$1,643$870$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingArlingtonTypical Michigan town
Median home value$201,300$193,900
Median rent$1,643$955
Median household income$64,926$69,792
Home value ÷ income3.1×2.8×
Homeownership92.3%86.8%
Median year built19731975
Seasonal / vacation homes19.6%—

Who lives in Arlington

PeopleArlingtonTypical Michigan town
Median age44.143.7
Age 65 and over21.8%20.7%
Under 1819.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher20.0%21.5%
Below the poverty line17.4%10.4%
Veterans7.1%—
Born outside the U.S.3.9%—
Work from home7.9%9.1%
Average commute27.2 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband85.5%88.8%

Weather in Arlington

July highs average 82.9°F and January lows 17.2°F. About 41.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 109.0 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 13 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 153 nights at or below freezing.

Arlington monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing32°17°Jan35°18°Feb45°25°Mar58°35°Apr70°46°May79°57°Jun83°60°Jul81°59°Aug75°51°Sep62°40°Oct48°31°Nov37°23°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.235.92.322.92.57.93.61.74.13.83.63.93.44.40.53.27.33.032.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Bloomingdale station (7.6 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Arlington since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 7 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 13, 1980 about 2.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 30, 2017.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Arlington by decade41950s01960s31970s51980s01990s22000s32010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 24 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on August 24, 2006.

Severe weather in Van Buren County since 1996

Storm events in Van Buren County since 1996 by typeHail40Flood3Tornado4Blizzard5High Wind14Heavy Snow39Flash Flood7Funnel Cloud4
NOAA Storm Events Database, Van Buren County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 6 deaths recorded.

Van Buren County has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
June 30, 2004Severe StormDR-1527: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
January 10, 2001SnowstormEM-3160: Snow

Jobs and pay in Van Buren County

Van Buren County had 21,597 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $51,293 a year. Unemployment was 4.7% in 2023; in Arlington itself the ACS puts it at 5.7%.

Largest industries in Van Buren CountyManufacturing3,524 jobs · $63,637Retail2,574 jobs · $31,825Hotels & restaurants2,200 jobs · $21,925Professional & technical serv…2,178 jobs · $76,053Health care & social assistan…1,388 jobs · $44,705Agriculture, forestry & fishi…1,312 jobs · $36,172
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Van Buren County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Van Buren 4.7%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Arlington

Arlington questions

Is Arlington, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Arlington scores better for retirees than 35% of Michigan towns and quieter than 57%. 21.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.1).

How much does a house cost in Arlington?

The median owner-occupied home in Arlington is valued at $201,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $64,926, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is $1,643 a month.

What is the weather like in Arlington?

July highs average 82.9°F and January lows 17.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 41.1 inches of precipitation a year and 109.0 inches of snow.

Does Arlington get tornadoes?

17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Arlington since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 13, 1980. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Arlington's Census boundary (GEOID 2615903500). Comparisons use the median of Michigan towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.