METRO AREA
Washington Metro
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV · 23 counties · 6,465,724 residents (2025 est.) · 6,034 sq mi
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The short version
With 6,318,377 people, Washington is a metro area. 54% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. Few US metro areas rank higher on income. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $613,108. Households take in $130,074 a year at the median, 58% more than the country as a whole. 1,555,512 more people live here than in 2000.
At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $130,074, 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
Unique to this place
What stands out about Washington
What changed most since 1990
- White share63.8% → 41.1% (−22.8 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Section 01
Population & growth
6,318,377
+33%since 2000
from 4,762,865 in 2000
6,465,724 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
6,034 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
20246.3M
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.9%(375,861)
5 to 96.3%(397,003)
10 to 146.5%(412,311)
15 to 196.4%(403,446)
20 to 246%(381,556)
25 to 3414.2%(897,809)
35 to 4414.8%(934,132)
45 to 5413.3%(839,052)
55 to 6412.3%(774,899)
65 to 748.5%(536,213)
75 to 844.3%(270,184)
85 and over1.5%(95,911)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$130,074
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $64,059 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
72.0%
+16.2 ptssince 2009
from 55.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information7.6%
Wholesale trade6.5%
Other services6.1%
Finance & insurance4.2%
Public administration3.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3.8%
Retail trade3.1%
Arts, entertainment, food2.4%
Transportation & warehousing1%
Education & health services0.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
Construction0.3%
Manufacturing0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$613,108
+85%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $181,721 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
4.7
−9%since 2009
from 5.2 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
41
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
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)
82
+16%since 2009
from 71 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
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)
Singaporean0%(213)
Okinawan0%(86)
Mien0%(49)
Bhutanese0%(46)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.1%(4,731)
Chamorro0.1%(3,042)
Samoan0%(1,531)
Tongan0%(319)
Marshallese0%(197)
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)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0.2%(10,654)
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)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
91.4%
+4.6 ptssince 2000
from 86.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
80.3%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 79.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
97.8%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 96.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
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
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
11.7%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 12.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
2.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
76.2%
−1.7 ptssince 2020
from 77.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
28.5%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 25.9% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)42.5%(147,965)
Gulf War (1990s)38.4%(133,837)
Vietnam era23.8%(82,930)
Korean War3.1%(10,880)
World War II0.7%(2,558)
Share of the 348,179 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Washington, decade by decade
| Year | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Bachelor's degree+ | Diversity score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 4,105,955 | $112,357 | $392,389 | 37.1% | 53.1 |
| 2000 | 4,762,865 | $116,693 | $331,033 | 42.1% | 76.7 |
| 2010 | 5,547,495 | $125,252 | $620,686 | 46.8% | 84.2 |
| 2020 | 6,278,542 | $131,329 | $575,422 | 51.6% | 90.3 |
| 2024 | 6,318,377 | $130,074 | $613,108 | 54.2% | 82.3 |
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
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 WashingtonHead 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