District of Columbia

State

2024 Population

681,294

2024 Poverty Rate

15.4%

6.25% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$109,870

3.37% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$737,100

1.73% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

364,986

1.06% 1-year growth

Population & Diversity

District of Columbia is home to a population of 681k people, from which 92.6% are citizens.

As of 2024, 14.1% of District of Columbia residents were born outside of the country (95.8k people).

In 2024, there were 1.14 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (284k people) in District of Columbia than any other race or ethnicity. There were 248k White (Non-Hispanic) and 33.2k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary language in households in District of Columbia are Spanish (60,423 households), French (Incl. Cajun) (10,192 households), and Amharic, Somali, or Other Afro-Asiatic Languages (8,379 households).

Population & Diversity

Population by Location

Sex

RACE/ETHNICITY

The 3 PUMAS with the highest resident population

District of Columbia (East) PUMA, DC
144,893
District of Columbia (Northeast) PUMA, DC
111,963
District of Columbia (North) PUMA, DC
110,698

In 2024 there were 681,294 residents in District of Columbia.

The Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) with the highest resident population were District of Columbia (East) PUMA, DC (144,893 people), District of Columbia (Northeast) PUMA, DC (111,963 people), and District of Columbia (North) PUMA, DC (110,698 people).

The following map shows all of the states in District of Columbia colored by the resident population.

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

357,843

Women

52.5%

323,451

Men

47.5%

The resident population of District of Columbia in 2024 was 681,294 inhabitants, with 47.5% men, and 52.5% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in District of Columbia.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

Citizenship

92.6%

2024 Citizenship

93.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 92.6% of District of Columbia residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in District of Columbia was 93.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in District of Columbia compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in District of Columbia

Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
284k ± 1.9k
White (Non-Hispanic)
248k ± 1.01k
Other (Hispanic)
33.2k ± 2.3k

11.9%

Hispanic Population

81.2k people

11.9% of the people in District of Columbia are hispanic (81.2k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in District of Columbia as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

El Salvador
11,551 ± 2,616 people
Ethiopia
7,807 ± 2,157 people
China
3,564 ± 1,462 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of District of Columbia was El Salvador, the natal country of 11,551 District of Columbia residents, followed by Ethiopia with 7,807 and China with 3,564.

Foreign-Born Population

14.1%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

95.8k people

13.2%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

88.5k people

As of 2024, 14.1% of District of Columbia residents (95.8k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in District of Columbia was 13.2%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in District of Columbia compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
60,423 households (9.43%)
French (Incl. Cajun)
10,192 households (1.59%)
Amharic, Somali, or Other Afro-Asiatic Languages
8,379 households (1.31%)

19.1% of the households in District of Columbia reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is lower than the national average of 22.3%. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

In 2024, the most common non-English language spoken in households in District of Columbia was Spanish. 9.43% of the households in District of Columbia reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
7,258 ± 682
Vietnam
5,296 ± 714
Gulf War (1990s)
2,094 ± 389

District of Columbia has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.37 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in District of Columbia.

Health

96.4% of the population of District of Columbia has health coverage, with 54.2% on employee plans, 21.6% on Medicaid, 7.54% on Medicare, 11.9% on non-group plans, and 1.1% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in District of Columbia see 776 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (776 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 775 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 138 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.2% were men and 52.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

776 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in District of Columbia

Primary care physicians in District of Columbia see an average of 776 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (776 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in District of Columbia in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Distance to Health Services by State

Health Service Type

The visualization shows the distribution of addresses by average distance to Maternal Health Services across District of Columbia and neighboring geographies, and the share of addresses within each distance category.

Distance to Health Services by County

Health Service Type

District of Columbia County, DC

COUNTIES WITH GREATEST AVERAGE DISTANCE TO HEALTH SERVICES Click a county name for facility-level data. Similar data is available for all U.S. counties.

327,516 addresses are approximately 2 miles from the nearest health facility.

The map shows how average distance to Maternal Health Services varies across counties in District of Columbia, indicating county-level differences in access across the state.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.3% under 18 years, 30.1% between 18 and 34 years, 36.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 12.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.2% were men and 52.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

3.64%

Uninsured

54.2%

Employer Coverage

21.6%

Medicaid

7.54%

Medicare

11.9%

Non-Group

1.1%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in District of Columbia grew by 6.63% from 3.41% to 3.64%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in District of Columbia changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the average number of mentally unhealthy days reported in past 30 days (age-adjusted) was 4.89 in District of Columbia.

The map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of District of Columbia and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in District of Columbia.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 25.1% in District of Columbia.

The map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of District of Columbia and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in District of Columbia.

Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 3.07% in District of Columbia.

The map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of District of Columbia and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in District of Columbia.

Economy

The economy of District of Columbia employs 365k people. In 2024, the largest industries in District of Columbia were Management, scientific & technical consulting services (23,855 people), Civic, social, advocacy organizations, & grantmaking & giving services (21,939 people), and National security & international affairs (18,567 people), and the highest paying industries were Legal services ($259,731), Drugs, sundries, & chemical & allied products merchant wholesalers ($231,908), and Offices of physicians ($226,534).

Males in District of Columbia have an average income that is 1.18 times higher than the average income of females, which is $118,147. The income inequality in District of Columbia (measured using the Gini index) is 0.436, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

190,153

Women

52.1%

174,833

Men

47.9%

The workforce of District of Columbia in 2024 was 364,986 people, with 52.1% woman, and 47.9% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in District of Columbia.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Workforce and Wage by Location

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

In 2024 there were 364,986 people working in District of Columbia. The Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) that concentrated the largest workforce were District of Columbia (Central) PUMA, DC (70,862 people), District of Columbia (South Central) PUMA, DC (68,592 people), and District of Columbia (Northeast) PUMA, DC (64,578 people).

The following map shows all of the PUMAs in District of Columbia colored by workforce or average wage.

With the upper buttons you can see the yearly change and add a filter by race.

Occupations

365k

2024 Value

1.06%

1 Year growth

± 1.06%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in District of Columbia grew at a rate of 1.06%, from 361k employees to 365k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in District of Columbia, are Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (26,460 people), Other managers (21,340 people), and Management analysts (15,113 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of District of Columbia.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in District of Columbia (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

365k

2024 Value

1.06%

1 Year growth

± 1.06%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in District of Columbia grew at a rate of 1.06%, from 361k employees to 365k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in District of Columbia, are Management, scientific & technical consulting services (23,855 people), Civic, social, advocacy organizations, & grantmaking & giving services (21,939 people), and National security & international affairs (18,567 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of District of Columbia, though some of these residents may live in District of Columbia and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$96,765

Median earning men ± $1,985

$83,663

Median earning women ± $1,168

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($144,909), Public Administration ($128,937), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($122,544).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($121,167), Public Administration ($117,231), and Wholesale Trade ($106,125).

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

3,192
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
2,152
Other Services (except Public Administration)
1,089
Health Care and Social Assistance

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$17.9M
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$8.16M
Other Services (except Public Administration)
$4.72M
Health Care and Social Assistance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from District of Columbia to other states, or from other states to District of Columbia.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2024, the top outbound District of Columbia product (by dollars) was Pharmaceuticals with $3.71B, followed by Electronics ($1.27B) and Transport equip. ($947M).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for District of Columbia.

$13B

2024 Value in District of Columbia

$24.4B

Projected 2050 Value in District of Columbia

88.7% growth

In 2024, total outbound District of Columbia trade was $13B. This is expected to increase 88.7% to $24.4B by 2050.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from District of Columbia to other states, or from other states to District of Columbia.

Most Common Trade Partners

Pennsylvania
$2.89B
Virginia
$1.54B
Maryland
$1.41B

In 2024, the top outbound District of Columbia domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Pennsylvania with $2.89B, followed by Virginia with $1.54B and Maryland and $1.41B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that District of Columbia shares with each state (excluding itself).

Education

The student population of District of Columbia in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 37,467 male students and 63,414 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in District of Columbia are White (11,635 and 44.3%), Black or African American (5,861 and 22.3%), Hispanic or Latino (3,131 and 11.9%), and Asian (2,687 and 10.2%).

The largest universities in District of Columbia by number of degrees awarded are George Washington University (8,571 and 28.3%), Georgetown University (8,163 and 26.9%), and American University (4,638 and 15.3%).

The most popular majors in District of Columbia are International Relations & Affairs (2,191 and 7.22%), General Business Administration & Management (2,081 and 6.86%), and Law (1,910 and 6.3%).

The median tuition costs are $46,137 for private four year colleges, and $5,292 and $12,144 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in District of Columbia, the percentage of applicants admitted was 42.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 20%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 100,881 (37.1% men and 62.9% women).

The map shows the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

The line chart below shows the annual evolution of the indicator by gender.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 100,881 students enrolled in District of Columbia, 37.1% men and 62.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 34,329 records, of which 60.4% were women and 39.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
1,381 degrees awarded
International Relations & Affairs
1,066 degrees awarded
Other Public Health
412 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Masters Degree recipients in District of Columbia was General Business Administration & Management with 1,381 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Masters Degree from schools in District of Columbia according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

George Washington University
8,571 degrees awarded
Georgetown University
8,163 degrees awarded
American University
4,638 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was George Washington University with 8,571 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 11,408 men were awarded degrees from institutions in District of Columbia, which is 0.603 times less than the 18,919 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 11,635 degrees mean that there were 1.99 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 5,861 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($46,137) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($643) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Private for-profit, 2-year ($1,500) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2024, 0.978% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.02% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of District of Columbia in 2024 were Graduate Degree (189k), Bachelors Degree (146k), and High School or Equivalent (83.7k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in District of Columbia was $737,100 in 2024, which is 2.22 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $724,600 to $737,100, a 1.73% increase. The homeownership rate in District of Columbia is 41.5%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in District of Columbia have an average commute time of 30 minutes, and they worked at home. Car ownership in District of Columbia is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

In 2025, 19.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in District of Columbia. From 2018 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.9%.

Housing

Property

$737,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$10,625

$134,683

Median Property Taxes

±$2,911

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In District of Columbia the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in District of Columbia compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

41.5%

Homeownership

2024

69.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 41.5% of the housing units in District of Columbia were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 41.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in District of Columbia compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$109,870

Median Household Income

± $1,937

324k

Number of Households

± 5,192

In 2024, the median household income of the 324k households in District of Columbia grew to $109,870 from the previous year's value of $106,287.

The following chart displays the households in District of Columbia distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

0.436

2024 Wage GINI in District of Columbia

0.435

2023 Wage GINI in District of Columbia

In 2024, the income inequality in District of Columbia was 0.436 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.324% growth from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for District of Columbia was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in District of Columbia in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in District of Columbia across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Worked At Home (33%)
Drove Alone (27.4%)
Public Transit (20.3%)

In 2024, 33% of workers in District of Columbia worked at home, followed by those who drove alone to work (27.4%) and those who used public transit to get to work (20.3%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

30 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in District of Columbia have a longer commute time (30 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.28% of the workforce in District of Columbia have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in District of Columbia compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

1 car

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in District of Columbia distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in District of Columbia have 1 car.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 19.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in District of Columbia. From 2018 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.9%.

The map show the severe housing problems rate in the counties of California. The graph underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

15.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in District of Columbia (101k out of 654k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in District of Columbia is Black, followed by White and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 20.7% of the children was living in poverty in District of Columbia. From 2018 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.9%.

The map show the children in poverty rate in the counties of California. The graph underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the percentage of children in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 1.23k in District of Columbia. From 2018 to 2022, the indicator declined 36.9% per 100,000 population.

The following map shows the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

The graph underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in District of Columbia.

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