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Place dossier plate
SheetDC-WASHINGTON-DC · Washington, DC 672,079 pop · income 81st pct · 206 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Washington
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Washington on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
El Paso · lowest
58,734
El Paso · lowest
58,734 median HH income
55.2% of the leader · rank #1
Pine Canyon · near
106,284
Pine Canyon · near
106,284 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #2
Washington · this city
106,287
Washington · this city
106,287 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #3
East Dailey · near
106,306
East Dailey · near
106,306 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #4
Shawnee · near
106,312
Shawnee · near
106,312 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #5
Erlands Point · near
106,313
Erlands Point · near
106,313 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #6
Alger · highest
106,318
Alger · highest
106,318 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Washington on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 672,079.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Washington - the verdict
Washington ranks in the 81st percentile for household income and the 5th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
81st
percentile, household income
93rd
percentile, home value
98th
percentile, median rent
5th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Washington, DC
672,079 people live in Washington, District of Columbia - a mid-sized U.S. city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Washington brings in $106,287 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 10.7%. Washington's housing stock carries a median value of $724,600, and the median resident age is 34.9 years. 63.6% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 66.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 1,737 residential building permits were authorized in Washington (Construction Slowdown), down 71% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Washington's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 4513.9 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Washington's yearly average temperature at 59.3°F with 41.8 inches of precipitation per year and 13.7 inches of snowfall.
District of Columbia carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, District of Columbia scores 109.9 (Well Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $2,246 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts District of Columbia's average monthly utility costs around $210 (state average). Workers in Washington report an average commute of 21.4 minutes, with 28.2% driving alone and 29.4% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 97.6 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Washington's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from climate and hazard context to work and mobility to population change to schools and households to reported crime to housing and income to within-city variation; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Washington, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, within-city Census tract profiles, matched public-school count, local building permits, annual population history, FBI reported-crime rates.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
What physical conditions frame life in Washington?
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 59.3°F, with 41.8 inches of precipitation and 13.7 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for District of Columbia is 97.6 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
What does the journey to work look like in Washington?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
Working from home is the largest reported mode at 29.4%. The reported mean trip to work is 21.4 minutes.
Is Washington growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +22,687 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +3.4% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 1,737 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
What can 206 Census tracts reveal inside Washington?
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
PlainCities matches 206 Census tracts to this city.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Washington?
The NCES join finds 240 public schools within the city match. 63.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
Matched public schools
240
Bachelor's degree+
63.6%
Poverty estimate
10.7%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Washington?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 4513.9 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 98% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
3588.0
Violent rate
925.9
Total reported rate
4513.9
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
How far does income reach against housing in Washington?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 6.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 10.7%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
Household income
$106,287
Home value
$724,600
Value / income
6.8×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
High income · poverty 10.7% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
109.9 (US=100)
Highest-decile cost · BEA RPP 2024, District of Columbia average
D
City profile score · Washington, DC
43/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share A+
63.6%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income A-
$106,287
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
10.7%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Cost of living F
109.9 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Violent crime F
926 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Washington profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 94/100 (A+) · 63.6%
Household income: 80/100 (A-) · $106,287
Poverty rate: 37/100 (F) · 10.7%
Cost of living: 8/100 (F) · 109.9 index
Violent crime: 0/100 (F) · 926 /100k
Where Washington sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Washington's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Washington highlighted among 22 peers.Read the chart values
Washington, DC (this city): home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Boston, MA : home $710,400, crime 2,650/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
Portland, OR : home $557,600, crime 6,246/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
How does Washington compare to other US cities?
Washington measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income81% higher than other cities
Home value93% pricier than other cities
Median rent98% pricier than other cities
Safety5% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Washington against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to District of Columbia only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Gauge source note
81st percentile nationally for median household income · 5th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Washington's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Washington's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Washington's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$724,6007th percentilemore affordable than 7% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Washington's home-value-to-income ratio: 6.8×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#14,592 of 15,516
More affordable than 6% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#104 of 117
Large cities (200,000–999,999)
At 6.8×, Washington sits in the pressured band:
national rank #14,592 of 15,516 and #104 of 117large cities (200,000–999,999).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$106,287Washington, DC median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Washington, DC median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Washington, DC.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)63.6%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)10.7%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)66.7%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
672,079
Median Income
$106,287
Median Home Value
$724,600
Median Age
34.9
Poverty Rate
10.7%
Labor force participation
66.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
63.6%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
4513.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
925.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3588.0
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
59.3°F
Annual Precipitation
41.8"
Annual Snowfall
13.7"
Schools
Total Schools
240
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Washington's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
670,958 residents
2021
669,637 residents
2022
674,501 residents
2023
682,559 residents
2024
691,310 residents
2025
693,645 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
1,737
housing units authorized
Single-Family
146
detached homes
Multifamily
1,591
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.6
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
5,945
168
5,777
$680.5M
2020
7,370
139
7,231
$886.6M
2021
4,740
376
4,364
$625.8M
2022
7,705
409
7,296
$1030.8M
2023
3,020
166
2,854
$427.9M
2024
1,737
146
1,591
$270.2M
Permit volume decreased 71% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
21.4 minutes
Drive Alone
28.2%
Carpool
4.3%
Public Transit
22.3%
Walk
10.0%
Work from Home
29.4%
Other
5.8%
Based on 368,917 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
District of Columbia statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $210
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across District of Columbia at $210 (electricity about $90 , water and sewer about $55 ).
These are District of Columbia statewide averages, not a meter reading for Washington. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
District of Columbia's BEA cost-of-living index is 109.9 (Well Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Washington is $2,246/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to District of Columbia statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 97.6 / 100 (Very High).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a District of Columbia statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Washington sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.