Upper Arlington, OH — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Ohio·Upper Arlington

Franklin County · Columbus · population 36,140

Image: Wikipedia · Upper Arlington, Ohio

Overview Cost of living Moving guide

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Rising

Momentum score · 0–100

Where Upper Arlington stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $645,368

1-year +3.7%

5-yr CAGR +5.4%

vs 5-yr peak +0.0%

Population -0.5%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly

Lifestyle scores

🚶

Walkability

32/100

Very car-dependent

Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.

🚉

Public transit

22/100

Transit limited

Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.

💻

Remote work fit

70/100

Strong remote-work fit

Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 26.7

Rent

At a 26.7 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Upper Arlington for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →

Home YoY

69 · w22%

Home 5-yr CAGR

67 · w22%

Distance from peak

90 · w18%

Population growth

38 · w16%

Rent YoY

65 · w12%

Home 10-yr CAGR

67 · w10%

Long thesis

Upper Arlington has held up across the cycle: home values at $645,368 with +5.4% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Upper Arlington's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Upper Arlington

Upper Arlington is a city in Franklin County, Ohio, with an estimated population of 36,140. It anchors the Columbus metro area. The median home value in Upper Arlington is $645,368 as of 2026-04, up 3.7% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.4% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Upper Arlington average $2,012 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+3.0%). The composite momentum score is 67 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.4% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.

●Quiet strength: +3.7% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.

●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.5% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Upper Arlington (Wikipedia)

Upper Arlington is a city in Franklin County, Ohio, United States, on the northwest side of the Columbus metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,800. The Old Arlington neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Franklin County right now.

NWS active alerts (OH)Ohio Emergency Management How to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Franklin County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Upper Arlington

Stow, OH69 · Rising Mentor, OH70 · Rising Medina, OH68 · Rising Worthington, OH67 · Rising

Run the numbers for Upper Arlington

ToolCan I afford Upper Arlington?Income → city shortlist ToolROI on a Upper Arlington rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCR ToolCompare Upper Arlington to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 cities ToolUpper Arlington cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)

36° / 21°

avg high / low

Summer (Jul)

83° / 64°

avg high / low

Sunny days/yr

178

~49% of year

Annual precip

39″ rain

28″ snow

Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)

Hurricane

Very low

Tornado

High

Wildfire

Very low

Earthquake

Low

Flood

Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Columbus area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

NHLColumbus Blue Jackets →

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Upper Arlington listings on the major real-estate sites.

For rent

Zillow rentals → Apartments.com → Trulia rentals →

For sale

Zillow for sale → Realtor.com →

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Latest news

An American Town: Celebrating 250 Years
Upper Arlington, OH (.gov) · 23h ago
Five Points Intersection Improvements Project Update
Upper Arlington, OH (.gov) · 2d ago
UA Business Spotlight: Chef-O-Nette
Upper Arlington, OH (.gov) · 1d ago
Northwest Kiwanis Youth Soccer Program to Transition to UA Parks & Rec
Upper Arlington, OH (.gov) · 2d ago
One-Year Report for the Bob Crane Community Center
Upper Arlington, OH (.gov) · 5d ago
UA CARES Expands Prevention and Support Services for Residents
Upper Arlington, OH (.gov) · 6d ago

Local economy & environment

Humidity

72%

Humid climate

Median household income

$67,800

Ohio state median

Top industries (state-level)

ManufacturingHealthcareFinance

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.