Washington, DC

Census Place

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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
374,990
0.964% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Washington, DC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. 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.

92.6% of the residents in Washington, DC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Washington, DC are George Washington University (9,368 degrees awarded in 2023), Georgetown University (8,142 degrees), and American University (4,863 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Washington, DC was $737,100, and the homeownership rate was 41.5%.

Most people in Washington, DC worked at home, and the average commute time was 30 minutes. The average car ownership in Washington, DC was 1 car per household.

About the photo: A look at the east front of the U.S. Capitol from the Senate wing.
Photo by Phil Roeder
United StatesDistrict of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia, DCWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Population & Diversity

Washington, DC is home to a population of 681k people, from which 92.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 14.1% of Washington, DC 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 Washington, DC 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.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

92.6%
2024 Citizenship
93.3%
2023 Citizenship

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

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Washington, DC
  1. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    284k ± 1.9k
  2. White (Non-Hispanic)
    248k ± 1.01k
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    33.2k ± 2.3k
11.9%
Hispanic Population
81.2k people

In 2024, there were 1.14 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (284k people) in Washington, DC 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.

11.9% of the people in Washington, DC are hispanic (81.2k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Washington, DC as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for District of Columbia.
Most Common Origin
  1. El Salvador
    10,387 ± 2,483 people
  2. Ethiopia
    6,468 ± 1,965 people
  3. China
    3,618 ± 1,473 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of District of Columbia was El Salvador, the natal country of 10,387 District of Columbia residents, followed by Ethiopia with 6,468 and China with 3,618.

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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 Washington, DC 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 Washington, DC was 13.2%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (2001-)
    7,258 ± 682
  2. Vietnam
    5,296 ± 714
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    2,094 ± 389

Washington, DC 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 Washington, DC.

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Economy

The economy of Washington, DC employs 375k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Washington, DC were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (81,710 people), Public Administration (68,240 people), and Other Services, Except Public Administration (38,014 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($203,398), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($154,848), and Utilities ($149,875).

Employment

Occupations

375k
2024 Value
± 5,444
0.964%
1 Year growth
± 2.02%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Washington, DC grew at a rate of 0.964%, from 371k employees to 375k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Washington, DC, are Management Occupations (67,784 people), Business & Financial Operations Occupations (48,515 people), and Legal Occupations (32,784 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Washington, DC.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for District of Columbia.

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

375k
2024 Value
± 5,444
0.964%
1 Year growth
± 2.02%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Washington, DC grew at a rate of 0.964%, from 371k employees to 375k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Washington, DC, are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (81,710 people), Public Administration (68,240 people), and Other Services, Except Public Administration (38,014 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Washington, DC, though some of these residents may live in Washington, DC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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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).

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Education

In 2023, universities in Washington, DC awarded 31,376 degrees. The student population of Washington, DC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 37,452 male students and 63,105 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Washington, DC are White (12,807 and 46.6%), Black or African American (5,940 and 21.6%), Hispanic or Latino (3,184 and 11.6%), and Asian (2,633 and 9.59%).

The largest universities in Washington, DC by number of degrees awarded are George Washington University (9,368 and 29.9%), Georgetown University (8,142 and 25.9%), and American University (4,863 and 15.5%).

The most popular majors in Washington, DC are International Relations & Affairs (2,457 and 7.83%), General Business Administration & Management (2,288 and 7.29%), and Law (1,841 and 5.87%).

The median tuition costs are $43,754 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 2023 in Washington, DC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 38.9%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 22.2%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 100,557 (37.2% men and 62.8% women).

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

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 100,557 students enrolled in Washington, DC, 37.2% men and 62.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 36,809 records, of which 60.3% were women and 39.7% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Business Administration & Management
    1,580 degrees awarded
  2. International Relations & Affairs
    1,229 degrees awarded
  3. Other Public Health
    442 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Masters Degree recipients in Washington, DC was General Business Administration & Management with 1,580 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. George Washington University
    9,368 degrees awarded
  2. Georgetown University
    8,142 degrees awarded
  3. American University
    4,863 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was George Washington University with 9,368 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 12,095 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Washington, DC, which is 0.627 times less than the 19,281 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 12,807 degrees mean that there were 2.16 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 5,940 degrees awarded.

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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.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($43,754) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($860) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

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.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Washington, DC 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 Washington, DC is 41.5%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

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

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 Washington, DC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Washington, DC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

41.5%
Homeownership
2024
69.4%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 41.5% of the housing units in Washington, DC 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 Washington, DC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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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 Washington, DC grew to $109,870 from the previous year's value of $106,287.

The following chart displays the households in Washington, DC 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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Washington, DC is from District of Columbia.
0.435
2023 Wage GINI in District of Columbia
0.438
2022 Wage GINI in District of Columbia

In 2023, the income inequality in District of Columbia was 0.435 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.665% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for District of Columbia was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Worked At Home (33%)
  2. Drove Alone (27.4%)
  3. Public Transit (20.3%)

In 2024, 33% of workers in Washington, DC 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.

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Commute Time

30 minutes
Average Travel Time

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

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

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Car Ownership

1 car
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

15.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Washington, DC (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 Washington, DC 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.

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Health

96.4% of the population of Washington, DC 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

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.

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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 Washington, DC grew by 6.63% from 3.41% to 3.64%.

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

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