Population 681,294 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in the District of Columbia
Household size in the District of Columbia
| Period | District of Columbia | Washington area | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.19 | 2.73 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.29 | 2.82 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.38 | 2.86 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.09 | 2.77 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.11 | +0.04 | −0.03 |
The District of Columbia is a place of small households, averaging 2.09 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.19, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the north and smallest in the west.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in the District of Columbia
| Period | District of Columbia | Washington area | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.0 | 37.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.6 | 37.6 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.4 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.2 | 39.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.2 | +2.2 | +2.3 |
The District of Columbia is younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 36.2, against 40.1 nationally. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the northwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in the District of Columbia
| Period | District of Columbia | Washington area | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.7% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.6% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.2% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in the District of Columbia as they are nationally: 12.2%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in the Washington area as a whole (10.4%). Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 2.5 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in the District of Columbia
Renters in the District of Columbia
| Period | District of Columbia | Washington area | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 56.5% | 34.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 58.4% | 36.6% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 58.4% | 36.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 58.5% | 36.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in the District of Columbia: 58.5% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. About a quarter of owners (25.5%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the north. The renter share has risen 2.0 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in the District of Columbia
| Period | District of Columbia | Washington area | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.8% | 7.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 6.6% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.4% | 5.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.3 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in the District of Columbia as nationally: 10.4%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the wider Washington area (5.9%). Vacancy is down 3.3 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in the District of Columbia
| Period | District of Columbia | Washington area | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1952 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1954 | 1978 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1957 | 1979 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1963 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +6 | +6 |
The District of Columbia is a place of older homes: half were built before 1963, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1952 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the south, the oldest in the northwest.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in the District of Columbia
| Period | District of Columbia | Washington area | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,166 | $1,470 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,368 | $1,583 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,677 | $1,907 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,078 | $2,236 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$912 | +$766 | +$606 |
The median renter in the District of Columbia pays $2,078 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Locally, though, rents here are lower than in the Washington area overall ($2,236). Rents are up $912 a month from 2006–10, a 78% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 30.2% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in the District of Columbia
Bachelor's degrees in the District of Columbia
| Period | District of Columbia | Washington area | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.2% | 46.6% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 52.0% | 48.2% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 58.2% | 51.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 63.4% | 53.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +16.2 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
The District of Columbia is highly educated: nearly two-thirds of adults 25 and older (63.4%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 16.2 points, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the southeast.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in the District of Columbia
| Period | District of Columbia | Washington area | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.0% | 89.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.7% | 90.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.1% | 90.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.7% | 91.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | +1.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in the District of Columbia have finished high school (92.7%), above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of the Washington area. The share with a diploma has risen 6.7 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in the District of Columbia
| Period | District of Columbia | Washington area | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 5.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 6.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.7% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.0% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.3 pts | −1.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in the District of Columbia than nationally: unemployment was 7.0%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 3.3 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
District of Columbia compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 2.09 | 36.2 | 12.2% | 58.5% | 10.4% | 1963 | $2,078 | 63.4% | 92.7% | 7.0% |
| Arlington County | 2.22 | 37.2 | 5.4% | 58.7% | 8.8% | 1973 | $2,524 | 76.4% | 94.9% | 3.4% |
| Prince George's County | 2.84 | 39.7 | 14.8% | 37.7% | 5.8% | 1979 | $2,013 | 36.8% | 86.1% | 6.4% |
| Alexandria City | 2.16 | 38.9 | 7.8% | 57.9% | 6.5% | 1973 | $2,278 | 64.9% | 92.2% | 3.4% |
| Falls Church City | 2.45 | 40.2 | 6.1% | 47.5% | 5.1% | 1973 | $2,271 | 79.9% | 94.7% | 4.7% |
| Montgomery County | 2.85 | 41.4 | 9.8% | 34.7% | 5.0% | 1979 | $2,358 | 60.1% | 90.9% | 4.9% |
| Fairfax County | 2.85 | 40.1 | 7.6% | 31.4% | 4.6% | 1982 | $2,579 | 64.9% | 93.0% | 4.2% |
| Fairfax City | 2.74 | 36.8 | 6.5% | 30.1% | 3.4% | 1970 | $2,239 | 62.5% | 90.3% | 3.2% |
| Anne Arundel County | 2.67 | 40.4 | 10.2% | 24.9% | 5.8% | 1983 | $2,121 | 45.8% | 93.6% | 3.8% |
| Loudoun County | 3.05 | 38.7 | 7.9% | 22.1% | 3.8% | 2002 | $2,605 | 66.3% | 94.2% | 3.4% |
| Queen Anne's County | 2.60 | 44.4 | 8.7% | 17.1% | 9.6% | 1990 | $1,695 | 37.2% | 93.3% | 3.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: San Mateo County, CA · San Joaquin County, CA · Denver County, CO · Bernalillo County, NM · Williamson County, TX · Will County, IL · Washington County, OR · Utah County, UT · Tulsa County, OK · Providence County, RI
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up the District of Columbia. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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