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City releases 2024 socioeconomic profile showing modest growth, higher educational attainment
Summary
City staff presented the 2024 socioeconomic profile based on five-year American Community Survey estimates: population 394,769, average household income $73,519, increases in educational attainment and older age cohorts, a small rise in homeownership units and declining poverty since 2020.
City staff presented an updated socioeconomic profile for Arlington using five-year American Community Survey estimates, noting general stability with some gains in educational attainment and housing supply.
Sarah Stubblefield, a city data analyst, briefed the council on the 2024 profile and highlighted key figures: a population estimate of 394,769, an average household income of $73,519, and an average resident age of 33.6 years. “We’re seeing some generally positive trends,” Stubblefield said, pointing to more residents with associate, bachelor’s and graduate degrees and a continued decline in the overall poverty rate compared with 2020.
Stubblefield said the city’s foreign-born population has increased to more than 84,000 residents, with the largest share from Latin America. She also noted demographic shifts: increases among residents aged 40–44 and 65–79 and declines in the 25–29 bracket and under-5 population compared with 2020. Home sales prices eased slightly from a 2022 peak and the median sale price stands at about $357,000 in the most recent data.
On housing, Stubblefield said Arlington added more than 5,000 housing units since 2020—about 1,500 owner-occupied and 3,600 renter-occupied—while the poverty rate decreased citywide to 13.1 percent. She said child poverty fell 3.5 percentage points since 2020 but still sits near 18.2 percent for children under 18.
Employment trends show total employment up 4.4 percent since 2020 with the government sector growing most quickly; the city’s top employers include General Motors, Arlington Independent School District, University of Texas at Arlington, Texas Health Resources and Six Flags. Commuting patterns shifted: the share of residents working from home rose to 11.8 percent (from about 5.7 percent earlier) and the share driving alone to work declined from about 80 percent to 74 percent.
Council members asked about comparative benchmarks with peer cities; Stubblefield said the city’s open-data socioeconomic dashboard includes comparison tools for cities within the state and that staff can run custom comparisons as requested. Dr. Odom Wesley asked specifically for comparative data; Stubblefield said a comparison tool exists on the dashboard and staff can provide further analysis upon request.
Ending: The profile will be posted on the city’s open-data portal and used to inform planning and policy work including the comprehensive plan update; staff said more tailored comparative analyses are available on request.
