Arlington, MA: Cambridge-Adjacent Buyer's Guide 2026 — 48 Sales, 6 Neighborhoods, Two ZIPs

48 qualifying single-family sales (3+bd/2+ba) in Arlington (02474/02476) anchor a market with a $1.276M median, $547/sqft, and an 18-day median DOM. The buyer's job is to pre-decide neighborhood, test their actual commute, anchor on $/sqft, and make the Belmont/Cambridge fork decision explicitly before writing.

Buyers shopping Arlington 02474/02476, Cambridge-priced-out families weighing Arlington vs. Belmont vs. Cambridge, and Kendall Square / Harvard Square commuters in the $1.0M–$1.8M single-family band.

• •50% of sales landed in the $1,065K–$1,650K core band — that's where Arlington's family market lives
• •25% of sales closed in 7 days or less; the remaining 50% closed in 15–30 days — more runway than Belmont, still not casual
• •Median $/sqft $547, with the middle 50% in $498–$664 — roughly $181/sqft below Belmont's $728
• •Six neighborhoods with distinct characters: East Arlington (urban-dense, Cambridge-adjacent), Center (walkable core), Heights (suburban, more space), Morningside, Jason Heights, Brattle
• •No subway — transit is bus 77/79 to Harvard/Alewife or Minuteman Bikeway; test the commute before you commit
• •Arlington sits between Cambridge (more expensive, walk-to-T) and Belmont (more expensive, stronger schools brand) — both decisions require deliberate comparison, not default drift