Washington, DC

Census Place

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2023 Population

672,079

0.222% 1-year growth

2023 Median Age

34.9

0.287% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

14.5%

3.78% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$106,287

4.49% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$724,600

2.78% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

371,410

0.545% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Washington, DC had a population of 672k people with a median age of 34.9 and a median household income of $106,287. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Washington, DC grew from 670,587 to 672,079, a 0.222% increase and its median household income grew from $101,722 to $106,287, a 4.49% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Washington, DC are Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (42.5%), White (Non-Hispanic) (36.6%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (4.52%), Other (Hispanic) (4.17%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (4.01%).

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.

93.3% of the residents in Washington, DC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Washington, DC are George Washington University (9,285 degrees awarded in 2022), Georgetown University (7,598 degrees), and American University (4,493 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Washington, DC was $724,600, and the homeownership rate was 41.1%.

Most people in Washington, DC worked at home, and the average commute time was 30.3 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 States District of Columbia District of Columbia, DC Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Population & Diversity

Washington, DC is home to a population of 672k people, from which 93.3% are citizens. As of 2023, 13.2% of Washington, DC residents were born outside of the country (88.5k people).

In 2023, there were 1.16 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (286k people) in Washington, DC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 246k White (Non-Hispanic) and 30.4k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

93.3%

2023 Citizenship

93.1%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 93.3% of Washington, DC residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Washington, DC was 93.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Washington, DC

Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
286k ± 1.69k
White (Non-Hispanic)
246k ± 917
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
30.4k ± 2k

11.6%

Hispanic Population

77.8k people

11.6% of the people in Washington, DC are hispanic (77.8k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Washington, DC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for District of Columbia.

Most Common Origin

El Salvador
10,803 ± 2,531 people
Ethiopia
6,576 ± 1,981 people
China
3,531 ± 1,455 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of District of Columbia was El Salvador, the natal country of 10,803 District of Columbia residents, followed by Ethiopia with 6,576 and China with 3,531.

Foreign-Born Population

13.2%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

88.5k people

13.3%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

89.2k people

As of 2023, 13.2% of Washington, DC residents (88.5k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Washington, DC was 13.3%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
7,609 ± 763
Vietnam
5,516 ± 706
Gulf War (1990s)
2,191 ± 401

Washington, DC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.38 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Washington, DC employs 371k people. The largest industries in Washington, DC are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (81,169 people), Public Administration (66,275 people), and Other Services, Except Public Administration (36,471 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($250,001), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($151,510), and Finance & Insurance ($123,571).

Males in District of Columbia have an average income that is 1.19 times higher than the average income of females, which is $107,599. The income inequality in District of Columbia (measured using the Gini index) is 0.438, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

371k

2023 Value

± 5,322

0.545%

1 Year growth

± 1.98%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Washington, DC grew at a rate of 0.545%, from 369k employees to 371k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Washington, DC, are Management Occupations (66,741 people), Business & Financial Operations Occupations (47,727 people), and Legal Occupations (32,595 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Washington, DC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in (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

371k

2023 Value

± 5,322

0.545%

1 Year growth

± 1.98%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Washington, DC grew at a rate of 0.545%, from 369k employees to 371k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Washington, DC, are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (81,169 people), Public Administration (66,275 people), and Other Services, Except Public Administration (36,471 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.

Median Earnings by Industry

$93,664

Median earning men ± $1,618

$80,327

Median earning women ± $1,299

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Manufacturing ($134,141), Public Administration ($123,857), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($121,217).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($113,365), Manufacturing ($112,308), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($97,779).

Education

In 2022, universities in Washington, DC awarded 30,117 degrees. The student population of Washington, DC in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 37,396 male students and 62,466 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Washington, DC are White (12,707 and 47.8%), followed by Black or African American (5,985 and 22.5%), Hispanic or Latino (2,823 and 10.6%), and Asian (2,362 and 8.89%).

The largest universities in Washington, DC by number of degrees awarded are George Washington University (9,285 and 30.8%), Georgetown University (7,598 and 25.2%), and American University (4,493 and 14.9%).

The most popular majors in Washington, DC are General Business Administration & Management (2,243 and 7.45%), International Relations & Affairs (2,205 and 7.32%), and Law (1,889 and 6.27%).

The median tuition costs in Washington, DC are $41,812 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 2022 in Washington, DC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 41.3%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 23.9%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 99,862 (37.4% men and 62.6% 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.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 99,862 students enrolled in Washington, DC, 37.4% men and 62.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 37,808 records, of which 60.1% were women and 39.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

International Relations & Affairs
985 degrees awarded
Other Public Health
345 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
1,672 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Masters Degree recipients in Washington, DC was International Relations & Affairs with 985 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

George Washington University
9,285 degrees awarded
Georgetown University
7,598 degrees awarded
American University
4,493 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was George Washington University with 9,285 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 11,513 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Washington, DC, which is 0.619 times less than the 18,604 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 12,707 degrees mean that there were 2.12 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 5,985 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 ($41,812) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($860) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Private for-profit, 2-year ($1,400) 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

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.966% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1% of women were in the same situation.

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

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were Graduate Degree (181k), Bachelors Degree (143k), and High School or Equivalent (87.1k).

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 Washington, DC was $724,600 in 2023, which is 2.39 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $705,000 to $724,600, a 2.78% increase. The homeownership rate in Washington, DC is 41.1%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Washington, DC have an average commute time of 30.3 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.

Median household income in Washington, DC is $106,287. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Washington, DC was Census Tract 15 with a value of $250,001, followed by Census Tract 20.02 and Census Tract 26, with respective values of $250,001 and $250,001.

Housing

Property

$724,600

Median Property Value 2023

±$9,892

$132,288

Median Property Taxes

±$2,781

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.

Rent vs Own

41.1%

Homeownership

2023

69.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 41.1% of the housing units in Washington, DC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 41.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Washington, DC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 15
Census Tract 20.02
Census Tract 26

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Washington, DC was Census Tract 15 with a value of $250,001, followed by Census Tract 20.02 and Census Tract 26, with respective values of $250,001 and $250,001.

The following map shows all of the places in Washington, DC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$106,287

Median Household Income

± $1,803

322k

Number of Households

± 5,041

In 2023, the median household income of the 322k households in Washington, DC grew to $106,287 from the previous year's value of $101,722.

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.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Washington, DC is from District of Columbia.

0.438

2022 Wage GINI in District of Columbia

0.448

2021 Wage GINI in District of Columbia

In 2022, the income inequality in District of Columbia was 0.438 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 2.32% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for District of Columbia was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2023

Worked At Home (29.4%)
Drove Alone (28.2%)
Public Transit (22.3%)

In 2023, 29.4% of workers in Washington, DC worked at home, followed by those who drove alone to work (28.2%) and those who used public transit to get to work (22.3%).

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

30.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Washington, DC have a longer commute time (30.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.87% 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.

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.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

14.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Washington, DC (94.1k out of 648k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. 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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

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

Health

96.6% of the population of Washington, DC has health coverage, with 54.6% on employee plans, 21.2% on Medicaid, 7.37% on Medicare, 12.3% on non-group plans, and 1.09% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in District of Columbia, DC see 796 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.49% decrease from the previous year (808 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 776 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 160 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for District of Columbia, DC.

796 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in District of Columbia, DC

Primary care physicians in District of Columbia, DC see an average of 796 patients per year. This represents a 1.49% decrease from the previous year (808 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.2% under 18 years, 30.2% between 18 and 34 years, 37% between 35 and 64 years, and 12.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.7% were men and 53.3% were women.

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

Uninsured People

3.41%

Uninsured

54.6%

Employer Coverage

21.2%

Medicaid

7.37%

Medicare

12.3%

Non-Group

1.09%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Washington, DC declined by 0.0239% from 3.41% to 3.41%.

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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