Washington, DC

Census Place

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2021 Population

683,154

2.68% 1-year decline

2021 Median Age

34.3

0.587% 1-year increase

2021 Poverty Rate

15.4%

0.0728% 1-year decrease

2021 Median Household Income

$93,547

2.98% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$635,900

2.88% 1-year growth

2021 Employed Population

373,967

2.13% 1-year decline

About

In 2021, Washington, DC had a population of 683k people with a median age of 34.3 and a median household income of $93,547. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Washington, DC declined from 701,974 to 683,154, a −2.68% decrease and its median household income grew from $90,842 to $93,547, a 2.98% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Washington, DC are Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (43.9%), White (Non-Hispanic) (36.7%), Other (Hispanic) (4.23%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (4.03%), and White (Hispanic) (3.8%).

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.

92.8% of the residents in Washington, DC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Washington, DC are George Washington University (9,981 degrees awarded in 2021), Georgetown University (7,126 degrees), and American University (4,631 degrees).

In 2021, the median property value in Washington, DC was $635,900, and the homeownership rate was 41.5%.

Most people in Washington, DC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 30.4 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 683k people, from which 92.8% are citizens. As of 2021, 13.5% of Washington, DC residents were born outside of the country (92.2k people).

In 2021, there were 1.2 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (300k people) in Washington, DC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 250k White (Non-Hispanic) and 28.9k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

92.8%

2021 Citizenship

92.7%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 92.8% of Washington, DC residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in Washington, DC was 92.7%, 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)
300k ± 1.54k
White (Non-Hispanic)
250k ± 1.02k
Other (Hispanic)
28.9k ± 1.98k

11.3%

Hispanic Population

77k people

11.3% of the people in Washington, DC are hispanic (77k 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
11,809 ± 2,645 people
Ethiopia
5,297 ± 1,780 people
China
3,781 ± 1,505 people

In 2021, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of District of Columbia was El Salvador, the natal country of 11,809 District of Columbia residents, followed by Ethiopia with 5,297 and China with 3,781.

Foreign-Born Population

13.5%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

92.2k people

13.4%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

94.2k people

As of 2021, 13.5% of Washington, DC residents (92.2k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Washington, DC was 13.4%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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-)
7,486 ± 743
Vietnam
5,949 ± 659
Gulf War (1990s)
2,450 ± 365

Washington, DC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.26 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Washington, DC employs 374k people. The largest industries in Washington, DC are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (78,048 people), Public Administration (64,775 people), and Other Services, Except Public Administration (35,694 people), and the highest paying industries are Finance & Insurance ($106,986), Public Administration ($106,747), and Manufacturing ($106,310).

Males in District of Columbia have an average income that is 1.18 times higher than the average income of females, which is $98,257. The income inequality in District of Columbia (measured using the Gini index) is 0.448, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

374k

2021 Value

± 5,269

−2.13%

1 Year decline

± 2.07%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Washington, DC declined at a rate of −2.13%, from 382k employees to 374k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Washington, DC, are Management Occupations (63,582 people), Business & Financial Operations Occupations (45,313 people), and Legal Occupations (30,740 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

374k

2021 Value

± 5,269

−2.13%

1 Year decline

± 2.07%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Washington, DC declined at a rate of −2.13%, from 382k employees to 374k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Washington, DC, are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (78,048 people), Public Administration (64,775 people), and Other Services, Except Public Administration (35,694 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

$79,279

Median earning men ± $1,258

$67,414

Median earning women ± $1,165

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Manufacturing ($112,679), Public Administration ($112,440), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($99,539).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Public Administration ($100,854), Manufacturing ($94,896), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($82,280).

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from District of Columbia to other states, or from other states to District of Columbia.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound District of Columbia product (by dollars) was Pharmaceuticals with $3.9B, followed by Electronics ($1.36B) and Basic chemicals ($1.18B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for District of Columbia.

$14.2B

2020 Value in District of Columbia

$24.4B

Projected 2050 Value in District of Columbia

71.8% growth

In 2020, total outbound District of Columbia trade was $14.2B. This is expected to increase 71.8% to $24.4B by 2050.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from District of Columbia to other states, or from other states to District of Columbia.

Most Common Trade Partners

Pennsylvania
$3.49B
Maryland
$1.34B
Virginia
$1.29B

In 2020, the top outbound District of Columbia domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Pennsylvania with $3.49B, followed by Maryland with $1.34B and Virginia and $1.29B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that District of Columbia shares with each state (excluding itself).

Education

In 2021, universities in Washington, DC awarded 31,093 degrees. The student population of Washington, DC in 2021 is skewed towards women, with 37,334 male students and 62,531 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Washington, DC are White (12,964 and 47.9%), followed by Black or African American (6,155 and 22.8%), Hispanic or Latino (2,792 and 10.3%), and Asian (2,361 and 8.73%).

The largest universities in Washington, DC by number of degrees awarded are George Washington University (9,981 and 32.1%), Georgetown University (7,126 and 22.9%), and American University (4,631 and 14.9%).

The most popular majors in Washington, DC are International Relations & Affairs (2,268 and 7.29%), General Business Administration & Management (2,168 and 6.97%), and Law (1,954 and 6.28%).

The median tuition costs in Washington, DC are $39,496 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 2021 in Washington, DC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 41.3%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 22.6%. The number of students enrolled in 2021 was 99,865 (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 2021 there were 99,865 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 39,107 records, of which 59.6% were women and 40.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

International Relations & Affairs
984 degree-majors awarded
Other Public Health
411 degree-majors awarded
General Business Administration & Management
1,771 degree-majors awarded

In 2021, the most common concentation for Masters Degree recipients in Washington, DC was International Relations & Affairs with 984 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
9,981 degrees awarded
Georgetown University
7,126 degrees awarded
American University
4,631 degrees awarded

In 2021, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was George Washington University with 9,981 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2021, 12,092 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Washington, DC, which is 0.636 times less than the 19,001 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2021 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 12,964 degrees mean that there were 2.11 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 6,155 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 ($39,496) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2021.

Public, 4-year or above ($860) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2021.

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,350) 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 2021, 1.03% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.03% 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 2021 were Graduate Degree (178k), Bachelors Degree (141k), and High School or Equivalent (93.3k).

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 $635,900 in 2021, which is 2.6 times larger than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $618,100 to $635,900, a 2.88% increase. The homeownership rate in Washington, DC is 41.5%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Washington, DC have an average commute time of 30.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. 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 $93,547. In 2021, 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 68.04 and Census Tract 9.02, with respective values of $250,001 and $237,188.

Housing

Property

$635,900

Median Property Value 2021

±$9,507

$128,720

Median Property Taxes

±$2,861

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

41.5%

Homeownership

2021

69.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 41.5% of the housing units in Washington, DC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 42.5%.

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 68.04
Census Tract 9.02

In 2021, 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 68.04 and Census Tract 9.02, with respective values of $250,001 and $237,188.

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.

$93,547

Median Household Income

± $1,718

310k

Number of Households

± 4,805

In 2021, the median household income of the 310k households in Washington, DC grew to $93,547 from the previous year's value of $90,842.

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.

0.448

2021 Wage GINI in District of Columbia

0.456

2020 Wage GINI in District of Columbia

In 2021, the income inequality in District of Columbia was 0.448 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.63% decline from 2020 to 2021, 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 2021

Drove Alone (30.7%)
Public Transit (27.1%)
Worked At Home (19.8%)

In 2021, 30.7% of workers in Washington, DC drove alone to work, followed by those who used public transit to get to work (27.1%) and those who worked at home (19.8%).

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

30.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Washington, DC have a longer commute time (30.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 2.12% 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

15.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Washington, DC (101k out of 652k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 18 - 24.

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 53% on employee plans, 21.8% on Medicaid, 7.37% on Medicare, 13.2% on non-group plans, and 1.15% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in District of Columbia, DC see 808 patients per year on average, which represents a 4.94% decrease from the previous year (850 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 826 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 179 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

808 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 808 patients per year. This represents a 4.94% decrease from the previous year (850 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 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20% under 18 years, 31.6% between 18 and 34 years, 36.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 12% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.6% were men and 53.4% were women.

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

Uninsured People

3.39%

Uninsured

53%

Employer Coverage

21.8%

Medicaid

7.37%

Medicare

13.2%

Non-Group

1.15%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Washington, DC declined by 7.21% from 3.65% to 3.39%.

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.