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CITY

Washington

District of Columbia · 693,645 residents (2025 est.) · 61.126 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#22Largest by populationof 4,896693,645#86Most densely populatedof 4,89111,348#222Most work-from-homeof 6,82633.0%
The short version

Washington is significantly wealthier than the US average, with a median household income of $109,870. Population has grown 19% since 2000. 64% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 36%. Median home value has more than tripled since 2000, reaching $737,100. At a median age of 34.9, residents skew younger than the country as a whole. It ranks in the top 5% of US cities for household income.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 34.9
US median: 38.9
More educated
64% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 164%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
681,294
+19%since 2000
from 572,059 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
11,146 / sq mi
+16%since 2009
from 9,627 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
34.9
+1%since 2000
from 34.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:693,645 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
560K596K632K669K705K1990201020202024Washington
2024681K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.9%(40,453)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.4%(36,783)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144.9%(33,200)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.3%(36,239)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.7%(45,700)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3422%(150,199)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4416.7%(113,747)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.6%(72,373)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 649.6%(65,441)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 747.4%(50,502)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844%(27,107)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.4%(9,550)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$109,870
+50%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,127 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$77,348
+170%since 2000
from $28,659 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
63.9%
+24.5 ptssince 2009
from 39.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
15.4%
−4.8 ptssince 2000
from 20.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.517
−3%since 2010
from 0.535 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Other services6%
US avg: 6.7%
Information4.5%
US avg: 10.8%
Arts, entertainment, food3.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Public administration3.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance2.7%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade2.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Retail trade1.4%
US avg: 9.9%
Transportation & warehousing0.6%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.2%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.1%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$737,100
+164%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $153,500 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,954
+74%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $618 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
41.5%
+0.7 ptssince 2000
from 40.8% in 2000
58.5% rent
Vacancy rate
10.1%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 11.6% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
21.8%
−10.1 ptssince 2009
from 31.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
44.3%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 45.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
6.7
−14%since 2009
from 7.8 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
75
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Washington on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic27.8%(159,178)
Black59.4%(340,088)
Hispanic / Latino7.9%(44,953)
Asian2.6%(15,039)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic36.5%(248,392)
Black41.6%(283,502)
Hispanic / Latino11.9%(81,152)
Asian4.3%(29,294)
Other5.7%(38,954)
Diversity Score
84
+14%since 2009
from 74 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Central American4.2%(28,446)
Salvadoran2.7%(18,098)
Mexican2.4%(16,516)
South American2.4%(16,184)
Puerto Rican0.8%(5,371)
Colombian0.7%(5,060)
Guatemalan0.7%(5,039)
Dominican0.5%(3,453)
Spaniard0.5%(3,258)
Cuban0.5%(3,100)
Peruvian0.4%(2,688)
Honduran0.4%(2,436)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0.3%(1,979)
Venezuelan0.3%(1,879)
Ecuadorian0.2%(1,644)
Chilean0.2%(1,266)
Costa Rican0.1%(853)
Nicaraguan0.1%(851)
Panamanian0.1%(780)
Bolivian0.1%(773)
Uruguayan0.1%(421)
Paraguayan0%(295)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.2%(8,197)
Chinese1%(6,695)
Korean0.5%(3,452)
Filipino0.4%(2,453)
Vietnamese0.3%(2,295)
Japanese0.2%(1,206)
Taiwanese0.1%(687)
Pakistani0.1%(680)
Nepalese0.1%(509)
Bangladeshi0.1%(453)
Indonesian0.1%(408)
Burmese0%(268)
+ 10 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0%(252)
Cambodian0%(130)
Sri Lankan0%(130)
Kazakh0%(126)
Laotian0%(34)
Uzbek0%(31)
Okinawan0%(28)
Hmong0%(12)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(198)
Samoan0%(76)
Guamanian0%(51)
Tongan0%(13)
Ancestry
Irish8.1%(55,299)
German7.8%(52,902)
English7.1%(48,479)
Italian4.6%(31,565)
Subsaharan African4.4%(29,664)
American3%(20,229)
Polish2.3%(15,592)
West Indian1.9%(13,111)
French1.6%(11,160)
Scottish1.6%(10,661)
Ethiopian1.4%(9,569)
Russian1.3%(9,064)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Jamaican1%(7,007)
Arab1%(6,895)
British0.8%(5,114)
Swedish0.7%(5,097)
Dutch0.7%(4,613)
Norwegian0.7%(4,449)
Nigerian0.6%(4,162)
Ukrainian0.6%(3,984)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(3,785)
Greek0.5%(3,557)
Iranian0.4%(3,059)
Welsh0.4%(2,645)
Hungarian0.4%(2,617)
Lebanese0.4%(2,539)
Czech0.3%(2,378)
Austrian0.3%(2,328)
Lithuanian0.3%(2,184)
Danish0.3%(2,171)
French Canadian0.3%(2,016)
Haitian0.3%(2,008)
Swiss0.3%(1,829)
Portuguese0.2%(1,668)
Brazilian0.2%(1,636)
Romanian0.2%(1,552)
Turkish0.2%(1,445)
Slovak0.2%(1,329)
Finnish0.2%(1,101)
Canadian0.1%(1,019)
Ghanaian0.1%(993)
Guyanese0.1%(966)
Croatian0.1%(949)
Syrian0.1%(923)
Armenian0.1%(898)
Moroccan0.1%(662)
Egyptian0.1%(647)
Belgian0.1%(633)
Latvian0.1%(592)
Bulgarian0.1%(548)
Israeli0.1%(548)
Palestinian0.1%(526)
Kenyan0.1%(463)
Slovene0.1%(412)
Serbian0.1%(378)
Barbadian0%(264)
Australian0%(256)
Iraqi0%(252)
Macedonian0%(133)
Jordanian0%(112)
Somali0%(97)
RANKED:Largest Irish population · Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Italian population · Largest Subsaharan African population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
64.2%
+25.2 ptssince 2000
from 39.1% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.7%
+14.8 ptssince 2000
from 77.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
38.0%
+17.0 ptssince 2000
from 21.0% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
30.0 min
+54%since 2000
from 19.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
27.4%
−9.6 ptssince 2009
from 36.9% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
4.0%
−2.9 ptssince 2009
from 6.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
20.3%
−16.8 ptssince 2009
from 37.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
33.0%
+28.3 ptssince 2009
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
9.5%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 11.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
3.3%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
36.0%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 35.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.3%
−3.7 ptssince 2011
from 10.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
71.6%
+4.4 ptssince 2011
from 67.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
14.2%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 14.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
71.7%
−6.5 ptssince 2009
from 78.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
47.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 47.2% in 2009
Female
52.5%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 52.8% in 2009
Foreign born
14.3%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 12.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
3.5%
−42.6 ptssince 2009
from 46.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
11.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2012
from 11.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
3.6%
−89.7 ptssince 2013
from 93.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.2%
+13.6 ptssince 2017
from 77.6% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
80.9%
−1.7 ptssince 2016
from 82.6% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
9.4%
+0.6 ptssince 2016
from 8.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married54.9%(146,972)
Married36.3%(97,142)
Widowed1.8%(4,830)
Divorced7%(18,829)
Women 15+
Never married56%(169,635)
Married28.8%(87,421)
Widowed5.3%(16,209)
Divorced9.8%(29,820)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Explore

Neighborhoods in Washington

Adams MorganAmerican University ParkAnacostiaBarney CircleBenning RidgeBerkleyBloomingdaleBrightwoodBrooklandBuena VistaCapitol HillCathedral HeightsCatholic UniversityChevy ChaseCleveland ParkColumbia HeightsCongress HeightsDeanwoodDowntownDupont CircleDupont ParkEckingtonEdgewoodFoggy BottomGeorgetownGreenwayKingman ParkLogan CircleManor ParkMarshall HeightsMichigan ParkMount PleasantMount Vernon SquareNavy YardNear NortheastNoMaPenn QuarterPetworthRandle HighlandsRiggs ParkShawShipley TerraceSixteenth Street HeightsSouthwest WaterfrontSpring ValleyWashington HighlandsWest EndWoodley ParkNeighborhoods in Washington
Drill deeper

Places similar to Washington

Boston
Pop 672,973
Denver
Pop 740,613
Seattle
Pop 784,777
Portland
Pop 635,109
Places similar to Washington
Head to head

Compare Washington to nearby cities

WASHINGTON VS
Mount Rainier
Income$68,505−38%
Home value$529,600−28%
Population8,307−99%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WASHINGTON VS
Chillum
Income$79,864−27%
Home value$393,600−47%
Population34,871−95%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WASHINGTON VS
Arlington
Income$142,114+29%
Home value$895,000+21%
Population236,254−66%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WASHINGTON VS
Hyattsville
Income$91,941−16%
Home value$481,500−35%
Population21,158−97%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Washington, District of Columbia?

Washington, District of Columbia has about 681,294 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Washington, District of Columbia?

The typical household in Washington, District of Columbia earns about $109,870 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Washington, District of Columbia expensive?

In Washington, District of Columbia, the median home is worth about $737,100, and the typical rent is about $1,954 a month.

How educated are people in Washington, District of Columbia?

About 64.2% of adults age 25 and over in Washington, District of Columbia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Washington, District of Columbia?

About 15.4% of people in Washington, District of Columbia live below the federal poverty line.

Has Washington, District of Columbia grown since 1990?

Yes, Washington, District of Columbia has grown since 1990. The population has added about 74,394 residents, a change of about 12 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →