Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Arlington, VA
VS
Cape Coral, FL
🏆 Arlington leads 11 of 20 categories
Arlington
Virginia
11
wins
Cost of Living Index
108.6⚠ High
Median Household Income
$137,387 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
67
Population
235,845 ✓ Larger
Cape Coral
Florida
9
wins
Cost of Living Index
104.9⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$72,474
Violent Crime Index
—
Population
198,912
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Arlington, VA
Pros
Households earn $64,913 more per year on average
More college-educated — 76.8% hold a bachelor's or higher
Violent crime is well below the national average (254.4 vs 380/100k)
Stronger job market — unemployment is 1.6 pts lower (2.8%)
Smaller class sizes — 12.8:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $833,300
Higher rents — median is $2,227/mo
Cost of living runs 4% higher than Cape Coral
Cape Coral, FL
Pros
Homes cost $531k less ($302,400 vs $833,300)
Rent averages $597/mo less ($1,630 vs $2,227)
Milder winters — January highs near 75°F vs 45°F
4% cheaper overall cost of living than Arlington
Cons
Median income trails Arlington by $64,913/yr
Higher unemployment (4.4% vs 2.8%)
Key Differences at a Glance
Arlington
Median Income
$64,913
$137,387 vs $72,474/yr
Arlington
Unemployment
1.6 pp lower
2.8% vs 4.4% unemployment
Cape Coral
Cost of Living
4% cheaper
COL index 104.9 vs 108.6 (100 = US avg)
Cape Coral
Median Home Value
$531k less
$302,400 vs $833,300
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Arlington, VA | Cape Coral, FL |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 108.6⚠ High | 104.9⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $833,300⚠ High | $302,400 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,227⚠ High | $1,630⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $137,387 ✓ Higher | $72,474 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.8% ✓ Lower | 4.4%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 27.7 min⚠ High ✓ Shorter | 28.6 min⚠ High |
| Work From Home % | 27.0% ✓ Higher | 11.1% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 73 | — |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 67 | — |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 83 | — |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | A (121) ✓ Better | C+ (87) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 12.8:1 ✓ Smaller | 20.5:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 76.8% ✓ Higher | 24.6% |
| High School or Higher | 95.3% ✓ Higher | 92.8% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Arlington County Public Schools | LEE |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 44.8°F | 75.0°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 89.6°F | 91.6°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 47.2" ✓ Drier | 57.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 13.7" | 0.0" ✓ Less |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 235,845 ✓ Larger | 198,912 |
| Median Age | 35.3 | 48.2 ✓ Older |
| Homeownership Rate | 42.2% | 77.4% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 18.1% ✓ More | 17.5% |
| Over 65 | 11.3% | 24.7% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Arlington's cost of living index is 108.6 vs Cape Coral's 104.9 (US average = 100).
Cape Coral is 4% less expensive overall.
Based on the 20 decided categories above, Arlington leads 11 of 20 categories. Arlington wins 11 and Cape Coral wins 9. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Arlington to Cape Coral or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($833,300 vs $302,400 median home), income ($137,387 vs $72,474), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Arlington, VA and Cape Coral, FL are about 891 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.