The Town Files

Upper Arlington, Ohio

City in Franklin County · population 36,800 (2020 Census)

Map: where Upper Arlington is in OhioUpper Arlington
Median home
$595,600
Household income
$155,167
Jan low / Jul high
21° / 85°
Snow a year
23 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
25
Median age
40.2

Upper Arlington is a city of 36,800 people in Franklin County, Ohio. The median home is worth $595,600, above the typical Ohio town ($171,100). It ranks more upscale than 98% of Ohio towns, better for young professionals than 93% of Ohio towns, more vibrant than 92% of Ohio towns.

How Upper Arlington ranks

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

Upper Arlington lifestyle rankings vs other Ohio townsRetirement63rd pctFamilies73rd pctQuiet10th pctWalkability90th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals93rd pctVibrancy92nd pctHip & trendy86th pctCollege town78th pctUpscale98th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling90th pctTransit80th pctDriving8th 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 Upper Arlington is worth $595,600, above the typical Ohio town ($171,100). Homes cost about 3.8 times the median household income of $155,167, which is more affordable than 7% of Ohio towns. Median rent is $1,588 a month. 79.4% of households own their home.

Upper Arlington vs Franklin County vs typical Ohio townUpper ArlingtonFranklin CountyTypical Ohio townHome value$595,600$288,400$171,100Household income$155,167$75,176$67,019Monthly rent$1,588$1,302$914
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Ohio towns with 500+ people.
HousingUpper ArlingtonTypical Ohio town
Median home value$595,600$171,100
Median rent$1,588$914
Median household income$155,167$67,019
Home value ÷ income3.8×2.6×
Homeownership79.4%71.7%
Median year built19591965
Seasonal / vacation homes0.5%—

Who lives in Upper Arlington

PeopleUpper ArlingtonTypical Ohio town
Median age40.240.6
Age 65 and over17.7%19.1%
Under 1828.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher79.8%21.3%
Below the poverty line3.3%10.3%
Veterans4.0%—
Born outside the U.S.8.1%—
Work from home27.3%8.6%
Average commute19.3 min23.3 min
Homes with broadband97.3%90.9%

Weather in Upper Arlington

July highs average 85.0°F and January lows 20.9°F. About 44.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 23.4 inches of snow (typical Ohio town: 23.8 in). Expect about 23 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 113 nights at or below freezing.

Upper Arlington monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing37°21°Jan40°23°Feb51°31°Mar64°41°Apr74°51°May82°61°Jun85°65°Jul84°63°Aug78°55°Sep66°43°Oct52°33°Nov41°27°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.17.92.66.43.93.54.00.34.84.74.33.83.83.20.13.00.83.44.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Columbus Wcmh station (2.3 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

25 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Upper Arlington since 1950, compared with 16 for the typical Ohio town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 10, 1973 about 7.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on February 28, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Upper Arlington by decade31950s11960s71970s41980s21990s32000s22010s32020s
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 97 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on August 10, 1984.

Severe weather in Franklin County since 1996

Storm events in Franklin County since 1996 by typeHail222Flood116Tornado19High Wind25Lightning7Heavy Rain6Heavy Snow10Flash Flood71
NOAA Storm Events Database, Franklin County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

Franklin County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
October 2, 2026FloodDR-4945: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, And Landslides
March 31, 2020BiologicalDR-4507: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3457: Covid-19
August 20, 2012Severe StormDR-4077: Severe Storms And Straight-Line Winds
June 30, 2012Severe StormEM-3346: Severe Storms

Jobs and pay in Franklin County

Franklin County had 779,560 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $73,180 a year. Unemployment was 3.1% in 2023; in Upper Arlington itself the ACS puts it at 2%.

Largest industries in Franklin CountyHealth care & social assistan…122,964 jobs · $60,226Retail67,186 jobs · $42,868Hotels & restaurants63,348 jobs · $27,426Professional & technical serv…51,849 jobs · $107,419Transportation & warehousing49,479 jobs · $75,308Administrative & support48,217 jobs · $49,685
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Franklin County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Franklin 3.1%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Upper Arlington

9 public schools with 6,601 students, about 18.9 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Upper Arlington High School9-121,89522.0
Barrington Road Elementary SchoolK-577816.9
Jones Middle School6-875014.2
Hastings Middle School6-872022.5
Tremont Elementary SchoolK-570018.9
Windermere Elementary SchoolK-553226.6
Wickliffe Elementary SchoolK-549318.3
Greensview Elementary SchoolK-548916.9
Burbank Early Childhood SchoolPK-PK24412.8

Towns near Upper Arlington

Upper Arlington questions

Is Upper Arlington, Ohio a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Upper Arlington scores better for retirees than 63% of Ohio towns and quieter than 10%. 17.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.2).

How much does a house cost in Upper Arlington?

The median owner-occupied home in Upper Arlington is valued at $595,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $155,167, so homes cost about 3.8 times income. Median rent is $1,588 a month.

What is the weather like in Upper Arlington?

July highs average 85.0°F and January lows 20.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 44.7 inches of precipitation a year and 23.4 inches of snow.

Does Upper Arlington get tornadoes?

25 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Upper Arlington since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 10, 1973. The typical Ohio town has had 16.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Upper Arlington's Census boundary (GEOID 3979002). Comparisons use the median of Ohio 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 2026-11-12.