Arlington Approved 190 Missing Middle Homes. Builders Have Finished a Handful.

From July 2023 through December 2025, Arlington County approved 190 housing units under its Expanded Housing Option, the zoning change most people call "Missing Middle." By the end of that period, six of those units were finished. The County's own EHO Annual Data Report from March 2026 gives both numbers. Read together, they say that an EHO approval is something a property owner holds and may or may not use.

That matters if you are comparing Arlington neighborhoods and expecting a new tier of homes between condominiums and $2 million new-build houses. The tier exists on paper. The homes you can actually buy are few, and the ones that have sold were priced to compete with new detached construction, not with the existing homes around them.

A zoning permit is the first of several

The County is clear that an EHO permit is a zoning permit. It confirms that a plan meets the Zoning Ordinance, and it does not authorize construction. After that approval, the applicant still needs a building permit. Depending on the project, land disturbance, stormwater management or subdivision approvals may also be required. Through December 2025, only eight building permits had been issued for EHO development.

The report lists the friction points behind that low number:

• Some applicants have been reluctant to build while the litigation is pending.
• The EHO zoning permit is a separate step that comes before the building permit review.
• Semidetached homes and townhouses need a subdivision plat approved first.
• Buildings with four or more units fall under the commercial building code, which brings a learning curve and extra code consultations for builders used to residential work.

This changes how to read the headline counts. In April 2026, ARLnow reported 59 EHO projects on the County's permitting dashboard, and noted that some had since switched to single-family development. The County's EHO tracker page explains that the dashboard tracks zoning permits. It does not show building permits or construction status.

Here is where the 190 approved units stood as of December 2025:

The last row is the County's "uncertain" category, found by subtracting the other rows from 190. It includes the 24 properties where nothing had happened beyond demolition.

Why owners keep the detached house as a fallback

Fifteen EHO permit holders, with 57 approved units between them, went on to build single detached houses on their lots. The lawsuit history helps explain why holding the permit open has been the safer choice.

The County Board adopted EHO in March 2023. A circuit court struck it down in September 2024, finding that the County had not followed proper procedure or adequately considered local impacts. In June 2025, the Court of Appeals ruled that the circuit court decision was invalid. It held that developers who had already received EHO permits were "indispensable parties" entitled to take part in the case. The appeals court withdrew that ruling in July 2025, then reversed and remanded again on September 5, 2025. The County's report estimates that permitting was paused for about 12 months of the 2.5-year reporting period.

On May 19, 2026, the Supreme Court of Virginia agreed to review the Court of Appeals ruling. As ARLnow reported, that appeal is about the procedural question. The merits of the ordinance are not before the court. A County spokesperson told the outlet that the order did not halt EHO development and that the County would keep following the ordinance as adopted in 2023. The County's trial and appeal page says the same. In August 2026, ARLnow said oral argument was expected this fall. As of today, no official hearing date has been confirmed.

A builder deciding whether to break ground on a fourplex or a detached house is effectively pricing that open question. J. Alex Wilson, the independent developer whose appeal put EHO back in effect, told ARLnow in August 2026:

"I haven't taken on any new EHO projects because it's still all up in the air."

The townhomes Wilson built on the 800 block of N. Burlington Street in Bluemont, listed at $1,899,000 each, do not use EHO zoning. That lot was already zoned for a duplex. Expect other new attached homes on the market to be labeled "missing middle" in conversation even when they were permitted under older rules.

What the finished ones are, and what they cost

The County data describes a home type that sits clearly between the two ends of Arlington's market:

The County notes that comparing EHO permits with completed detached houses is not an apples-to-apples comparison, though it is the best data available for each type. By the County's count, the average EHO unit is 50% larger than a typical high-rise apartment and 69% smaller than the average new detached house.

Prices so far come from a very small set of sales. Through December 2025, the County recorded one EHO sale, a four-bedroom semidetached unit in ZIP code 22201 that sold for $1.6 million. The County says that was 45% below the average price of a newly built detached house in the same ZIP. The best-known example is a duplex at 2129 N. Troy Street in North Highlands, developed by Advantage Properties. According to ARLnow, the five-bedroom home there sold in March 2026 for $1,610,000. Its neighbor at 2127 N. Troy Street, a four-bedroom home, sold in December for $1,615,000.

Completed EHO units that had not sold carried 2026 assessed values from $966,800 in 22206 to $1.4 million in 22201. For comparison, newly built detached houses were assessed between $1.3 million and $4.3 million, with an average of $2.4 million. Assessments are not sale prices. They do show the range.

Now compare those numbers with the countywide market. In August 2026, the average sale price of a single-family home in Arlington was $1,430,685, down 6.9% from August 2025, according to ARLnow's monthly report using MarketStats by ShowingTime. The North Troy Street sales landed above that average. The County's 45% discount figure is measured against new detached construction in one of the county's most expensive ZIP codes. So a buyer comparing an EHO unit with an existing house on a bigger lot nearby is looking at similar money for less space and new construction.

The August 2026 report also shows buyers have more to choose from. There were 470 active listings countywide, up from 419 a year earlier, and homes averaged 32 days from listing to ratified contract. In a softer market, a new 1,650-square-foot attached home priced around $1.6 million is competing with a wider set of resale houses than it was a year ago.

Where the pipeline actually is

The approvals are spread out. The 47 permitted properties fall within 25 civic associations, and 79% are within three-quarters of a mile of a Metro station or half a mile of a premium transit stop on Columbia Pike or Richmond Highway. In 2026, the pace has stayed slow but steady. The County's first-quarter report recorded six projects with 22 units approved and one six-unit project completed. The second quarter added three projects with eight units approved and two construction starts totaling six units, with no completions.

County records list EHO construction underway as of June 30, 2026 at these addresses:

1. 629 N. Monroe Street, Virginia Square
2. 4611 N. Carlin Springs Road
3. 2401 and 2405 N. Potomac Street
4. 3014 7th Street N.
5. 1225 N. Quincy Street
6. 2612 S. Fern Street

ARLnow also reported a six-unit project under construction at 3802 14th Street N. in Virginia Square in October 2025. The 2026 approvals include 1508 S. Walter Reed Drive, 800 22nd Street S., 801 23rd Street S., 3812 16th Street S., 6119 11th Street N., 4026 18th Road N., 201 N. Barton Street, 1712 N. Veitch Street and 2721 S. Grant Street. Those are approvals. Based on what happened to the 2023 to 2025 group, some will become multi-unit buildings, some will become single detached houses, and some will sit unbuilt for a while.

Frequently asked questions

Is EHO zoning in effect in Arlington right now? Yes, according to the County. The Supreme Court of Virginia's May 19, 2026 order did not stop EHO development, and the County continues to process permits under the 2023 ordinance. The appeal concerns a procedural question, and no hearing date has been officially confirmed.

Does an approved EHO permit on a lot mean a multi-unit building is coming? No. The permit does not authorize construction, and 15 permit holders through December 2025 built single detached houses instead.

Are all new duplexes and townhomes in single-family areas EHO projects? No. The N. Burlington Street townhomes in Bluemont, for example, were built on a lot that was already zoned for a duplex.

This post is general information about how Arlington's zoning and permitting process works. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, so please confirm your own situation with the right professional before acting on it.

If you are deciding between a finished EHO unit and an existing detached house at a similar price, or you own a lot and want to know what each option might be worth, Nelson Marban can compare the specific addresses with recent Arlington sales. Get your complimentary home valuation.