Arlington: heat pumps and Mass Save
3,646 Arlington homes (18%) heat with oil, and 62% of homes are owner-occupied, a high share for the inner suburbs.
- Facts checked: November 3, 2026
How Arlington homes heat today
| Main heating fuel | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 11,835 | 59% |
| Electricity | 3,608 | 18% |
| Fuel oil or kerosene | 3,646 | 18% |
| Propane or bottled gas | 586 | 3% |
| Other or none | 330 | 2% |
20,005 occupied homes: 12,325 owned and 7,680 rented. Median year built: 1945. Of 20,746 housing units, 6,108 (29%) are in buildings of two to four units, 5,170 (25%) in buildings of five or more, and 9,468 (46%) in single-family homes and other types.
How Arlington compares
Of the 23 towns we cover, Arlington ranks 13th for oil heat (18% against an average of 20%), 9th for natural gas (59% against 57%) and 14th for electric heat (18% against 19%). Other towns on the list, for reference:
| Town | Oil | Gas | Electric | Median built |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lynn | 17% | 57% | 22% | 1946 |
| Medford | 15% | 62% | 19% | 1942 |
| Salem | 17% | 55% | 25% | 1938 |
| Winchester | 24% | 58% | 15% | 1954 |
| Everett | 12% | 67% | 18% | 1938 |
| Malden | 10% | 61% | 23% | 1950 |
By the numbers: Arlington is the 11th largest of the 23 towns by occupied homes (20,005). For every home on oil there are 3.2 on natural gas. Its median home year of 1945 is 7 years older than the 1952 average across these towns. 3,608 homes (18%) are electric, and 586 (3%) use propane or bottled gas.
Furnace and boiler tune-ups in Arlington
No single fuel dominates Arlington. 59% of homes use gas, 18% oil and 18% electricity, and the checklist changes with each.
In total, 16,067 of 20,005 homes (80%) burn gas, oil or propane: 11,835 gas, 3,646 oil and 586 propane. 7,680 homes (38%) are rented, so for many of them the landlord decides when a system gets looked at. Arlington's median build year is 1945. A photo of the nameplate tells us more than the age of the house does.
Book a tune-up in Arlington, or read about a furnace tune-up and a boiler tune-up.
If your boiler or furnace dies in Arlington
In Arlington, the rebate follows what you replace: oil, propane and electric resistance heat qualify, and so does gas where a Mass Save gas sponsor serves the address. Rates and the January 1, 2027 drop are on the 2027 rebate page.
Get a replacement price in Arlington, or compare heat pump or a new oil boiler.
What next
Run your numbers in the rebate calculator. Heating with oil? Oil to heat pump. Own a multi-family? Triple-decker heat pumps. Old fuse box? Panel upgrades.