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METRO AREA

Washington Metro

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV · 23 counties · 6,465,724 residents (2025 est.) · 6,034.457 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#5Highest median household incomeof 925$130,074#5Most work-from-homeof 92525.2%#7Largest by populationof 9256,465,724#12Most educatedof 92554.2%
The short version

Washington is significantly wealthier than the US average, with a median household income of $130,074. Population has grown 33% since 2000. 54% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 36%. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $613,108. It ranks in the top 1% of US metro areas for household income.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 38.2
US median: 38.9
More educated
54% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 85%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
6,318,377
+33%since 2000
from 4,762,865 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,047 / sq mi
+33%since 2000
from 789 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
38.2
+9%since 2000
from 34.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:6,465,724 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
3.9M4.5M5.2M5.9M6.5M1990201020202024Washington
20246.3M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.9%(375,861)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.3%(397,003)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.5%(412,311)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.4%(403,446)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246%(381,556)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3414.2%(897,809)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.8%(934,132)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.3%(839,052)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.3%(774,899)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.5%(536,213)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.3%(270,184)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.5%(95,911)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$130,074
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $64,059 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$63,554
+107%since 2000
from $30,646 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
72.0%
+16.2 ptssince 2009
from 55.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
8.1%
+0.7 ptssince 2000
from 7.5% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.434
+4%since 2010
from 0.419 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information7.6%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade6.5%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services6.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance4.2%
US avg: 5.9%
Public administration3.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Professional, scientific, technical3.8%
US avg: 5.1%
Retail trade3.1%
US avg: 9.9%
Arts, entertainment, food2.4%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.4%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$613,108
+85%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $181,721 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,028
+33%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $835 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
65.1%
+0.6 ptssince 2000
from 64.5% in 2000
34.9% rent
Vacancy rate
5.0%
−2.2 ptssince 2009
from 7.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
22.1%
−11.2 ptssince 2009
from 33.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
46.0%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 44.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.7
−9%since 2009
from 5.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
41
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-Hispanic55.1%(2,624,169)
Black26.3%(1,250,659)
Hispanic / Latino9%(429,502)
Asian6.9%(327,069)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic41.1%(2,594,686)
Black24.2%(1,528,380)
Hispanic / Latino18%(1,139,644)
Asian10.8%(681,926)
Other5.9%(373,741)
Diversity Score
82
+16%since 2009
from 71 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
43
−3%since 2020
from 45 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Central American8.7%(550,331)
Salvadoran5.4%(342,793)
South American3.2%(205,105)
Mexican2.6%(161,817)
Guatemalan1.6%(100,429)
Puerto Rican1.2%(77,582)
Honduran1.1%(69,045)
Peruvian0.9%(59,134)
Bolivian0.8%(47,514)
Colombian0.6%(38,438)
Dominican0.5%(30,743)
Cuban0.3%(21,393)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Nicaraguan0.3%(19,538)
Spaniard0.3%(19,061)
Ecuadorian0.3%(15,840)
Argentine0.2%(14,316)
Venezuelan0.2%(13,923)
Panamanian0.2%(11,288)
Chilean0.2%(9,591)
Costa Rican0.1%(5,580)
Uruguayan0.1%(3,117)
Paraguayan0%(1,996)
Asian origin
Asian Indian3%(187,080)
Chinese1.7%(106,953)
Korean1.4%(86,889)
Vietnamese1.1%(66,755)
Filipino1%(63,036)
Pakistani0.7%(46,241)
Kazakh0.3%(19,043)
Nepalese0.2%(14,399)
Bangladeshi0.2%(14,280)
Japanese0.2%(11,885)
Taiwanese0.1%(7,870)
Thai0.1%(7,731)
+ 13 more asian origin groups with data
Cambodian0.1%(5,780)
Sri Lankan0.1%(5,545)
Indonesian0.1%(5,010)
Burmese0.1%(3,506)
Laotian0.1%(3,278)
Mongolian0.1%(2,940)
Uzbek0%(553)
Malaysian0%(470)
Hmong0%(324)
Okinawan0%(86)
Mien0%(49)
Bhutanese0%(46)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.1%(4,731)
Chamorro0.1%(3,042)
Samoan0%(1,531)
Tongan0%(319)
Guamanian0%(159)
Fijian0%(91)
Chuukese0%(71)
Ancestry
German8.9%(559,490)
English8.2%(520,335)
Irish8.2%(519,767)
Subsaharan African4.9%(311,868)
Italian4%(254,488)
American3.6%(227,860)
Polish2%(128,864)
Scottish1.6%(99,771)
West Indian1.4%(88,523)
Arab1.4%(86,674)
French1.3%(84,788)
Ethiopian1.3%(79,733)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.9%(58,327)
Nigerian0.8%(47,529)
Jamaican0.7%(44,655)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(44,514)
Swedish0.7%(41,171)
Dutch0.6%(37,450)
Norwegian0.5%(33,772)
Iranian0.5%(33,020)
British0.5%(32,801)
Ghanaian0.5%(30,041)
Welsh0.5%(29,526)
Greek0.4%(27,504)
Ukrainian0.4%(24,948)
Hungarian0.3%(21,097)
Lebanese0.3%(17,637)
French Canadian0.3%(17,493)
Czech0.3%(17,184)
Haitian0.3%(16,550)
Portuguese0.3%(15,818)
Egyptian0.3%(15,069)
Turkish0.2%(13,957)
Lithuanian0.2%(13,900)
Danish0.2%(13,820)
Austrian0.2%(13,597)
Brazilian0.2%(13,504)
Slovak0.2%(13,112)
Swiss0.2%(12,915)
Moroccan0.2%(12,386)
Romanian0.2%(9,801)
Canadian0.1%(8,538)
Armenian0.1%(8,446)
Guyanese0.1%(8,118)
Finnish0.1%(6,752)
Croatian0.1%(6,559)
Palestinian0.1%(5,977)
Iraqi0.1%(5,740)
Syrian0.1%(5,320)
Kenyan0.1%(5,137)
Jordanian0.1%(4,739)
Belgian0.1%(4,724)
Somali0.1%(4,269)
Bulgarian0.1%(3,853)
Serbian0.1%(3,553)
Slovene0.1%(3,056)
Israeli0.1%(2,856)
Latvian0%(2,848)
Australian0%(2,547)
Barbadian0%(1,928)
Cape Verdean0%(1,248)
Macedonian0%(928)
RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Central American population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest Salvadoran population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
54.2%
+12.1 ptssince 2000
from 42.1% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
91.4%
+4.6 ptssince 2000
from 86.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
27.1%
+8.2 ptssince 2000
from 18.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
32.3 min
+33%since 2000
from 24.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
55.1%
−11.0 ptssince 2009
from 66.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.8%
−3.3 ptssince 2009
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
6.8%
−7.1 ptssince 2009
from 13.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
25.2%
+20.9 ptssince 2009
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.6%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.6%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
9.6%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 9.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.8%
−1.6 ptssince 2011
from 6.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
70.8%
−2.4 ptssince 2011
from 73.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
12.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 12.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
57.2%
−16.3 ptssince 2009
from 73.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.2%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
Female
50.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
Foreign born
24.3%
+4.3 ptssince 2009
from 20.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.3%
−40.5 ptssince 2009
from 47.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.4%
+1.7 ptssince 2012
from 7.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
7.4%
−81.1 ptssince 2013
from 88.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.8%
+7.5 ptssince 2017
from 87.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
68.8%
−3.3 ptssince 2016
from 72.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
14.4%
+2.0 ptssince 2016
from 12.4% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married38.7%(967,194)
Married52.5%(1,313,007)
Widowed1.9%(48,104)
Divorced6.9%(172,210)
Women 15+
Never married35.5%(935,186)
Married47.6%(1,254,239)
Widowed6.5%(170,499)
Divorced10.4%(272,763)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
In this metro

Largest cities

WashingtonCENTRAL693,645ArlingtonCENTRAL236,254AlexandriaCENTRAL160,662FrederickCENTRAL92,059Germantown90,719Waldorf82,943Silver Spring81,462Centreville71,706GaithersburgCENTRAL71,113Dale City71,016BethesdaCENTRAL69,397RockvilleCENTRAL67,563RestonCENTRAL64,414Bowie58,383Aspen Hill53,279Wheaton52,926Leesburg49,917North BethesdaCENTRAL49,677McLeanCENTRAL49,627Lake Ridge46,049Ashburn46,026Potomac45,902Manassas44,332Burke44,029Woodbridge43,945Linton Hall41,876Annandale41,705Clinton38,376Oakton36,528Olney35,797

The 30 most populous of 357 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

23 component counties

Fairfax CountyCENTRAL1,167,873Montgomery CountyCENTRAL1,074,582Prince George's CountyCENTRAL970,374District of ColumbiaCENTRAL693,645Prince William CountyCENTRAL502,966Loudoun CountyCENTRAL449,749Frederick County302,883Arlington CountyCENTRAL243,931Charles County176,593Stafford CountyCENTRAL170,803AlexandriaCENTRAL160,662Spotsylvania County155,388Fauquier County76,503Jefferson County63,102Culpeper County57,666ManassasCENTRAL44,332Warren County42,740Fredericksburg30,393FairfaxCENTRAL26,772Manassas ParkCENTRAL16,560Clarke County15,609Falls ChurchCENTRAL15,159Rappahannock County7,439
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Washington

San Francisco
Pop 4,630,041
Boston
Pop 5,034,221
Philadelphia
Pop 6,329,118
Atlanta
Pop 6,482,182
Places similar to Washington
Head to head

Compare Washington side by side

WASHINGTON VS
San Francisco
Income$136,713+5%
Home value$1,186,704+94%
Population4,630,041−28%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WASHINGTON VS
Boston
Income$116,759−10%
Home value$656,837+7%
Population5,034,221−22%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WASHINGTON VS
Philadelphia
Income$94,031−28%
Home value$347,163−43%
Population6,329,118−2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WASHINGTON VS
Atlanta
Income$91,036−30%
Home value$376,129−39%
Population6,482,182same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV has about 6,318,377 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

The typical household in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earns about $130,074 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV expensive?

In Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, the median home is worth about $613,108, and the typical rent is about $2,028 a month.

How educated are people in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

About 54.2% of adults age 25 and over in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

About 8.1% of people in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV live below the federal poverty line.

Has Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV grown since 1990?

Yes, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV has grown since 1990. The population has added about 2,212,422 residents, a change of about 54 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →