Federal district · DC · #23 nationally
Washington, District of Columbia had 693,645 residents as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025), ranking #23 nationally and #1 in District of Columbia. cost of living runs 8.9% above the U.S. average (BEA RPP 2024); a family of four needs roughly $204,341/yr to break even (2025 modeled). This federal-district profile draws on 13 federal datasets covering population, housing, income, employment, climate, and risk.
2025 population
693,645
Census Vintage 2025
Median HH income
$109,870
+41.4% vs US $77,719
Median home value
$737,100
+142.9% vs US $303,400
Avg July high
89°F
NOAA 1991–2020
Gigabit broadband
72%
ISP-reported, FCC BDC
Unemployment
5.3%
Washington · BLS LAUS
2025 population
693,645
Census Vintage 2025, July 1, 2025
2020 base
689,544
April 1, 2020 census base
5-yr change
+4,101
2020 base → 2025; within V2025
5-yr change %
+0.6%
Within V2025 only
1-yr change
+2,335
2024 → 2025 estimate
1-yr change %
+0.3%
Within V2025 only
Density
11,348
people per sq mi, land only
Land area
61.1
sq mi (2025 Gazetteer)
U.S. rank by population
#23
of 19,483 cities
State rank by population
#1
of 1 in District of Columbia
Population grew 0.6% from the April 2020 base to mid-2025.
Vintage 2025 · annual estimates
2020 base: 689,544 → 2025: 693,645 (+0.6%)
| Year | Population | Reference date |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 base | 689,544 | April 1, 2020 |
| 2020 | 670,958 | July 1, 2020 |
| 2021 | 669,637 | July 1, 2021 |
| 2022 | 674,501 | July 1, 2022 |
| 2023 | 682,559 | July 1, 2023 |
| 2024 | 691,310 | July 1, 2024 |
| 2025 | 693,645 | July 1, 2025 |
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2019 release — a separate, earlier methodology. They’re shown here as historical context only; the 2010 and 2019 values aren’t directly comparable to the 2020–2025 series above.
Population grew 17.3% from 2010 to 2019 (V2019 — see seam note below).
2010 base: 601,767 → 2019: 705,749 (+16.6%)
| Year | Population | Reference date |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 base | 601,767 | April 1, 2010 |
| 2010 | 605,226 | July 1, 2010 |
| 2011 | 619,800 | July 1, 2011 |
| 2012 | 634,924 | July 1, 2012 |
| 2013 | 650,581 | July 1, 2013 |
| 2014 | 662,328 | July 1, 2014 |
| 2015 | 675,400 | July 1, 2015 |
| 2016 | 685,815 | July 1, 2016 |
| 2017 | 694,906 | July 1, 2017 |
| 2018 | 701,547 | July 1, 2018 |
| 2019 | 705,749 | July 1, 2019 |
Place type · nonfunctioning_legal_place
Washington, DC is a special case in the dataset. The District has FUNCSTAT='N' (nonfunctioning legal place) because it has no incorporated municipal government — it is the federal capital district. The Census Bureau publishes annual PEP estimates for it, and it is included here as a single record. DC has no in-state neighbors in this dataset. See the methodology.
Median household income is 41% above the U.S. median ($109,870 vs $77,719); 15.4% live in poverty — 2.9 points above the 12.5% U.S. rate.
Income and poverty estimates for Washington from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates (window 2020–2024). Every figure is shown with its 90% margin of error (MOE). Cells where the ± margin exceeds half the estimate are flagged "low precision." See methodology §12.
| Measure | Estimate | ± margin / note |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | 109,870 +41.4% vs US | ±1,937 |
| Per capita income | 77,348 +78.7% vs US | ±1,050 |
| Population in poverty | 15.4% | share of population for whom poverty status is determined |
Source: ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 · ACS 5-Year Estimates 2020-2024 (released 2026-01-29) · methodology →
Median home value is 143% above the U.S. median ($737,100 vs $303,400); median rent is 45% above ($1,954 vs $1,348); price-to-income ratio is 6.7×, making it 1.7× as cost-burdened as the typical U.S. city (3.9×).
Owner-occupied home values, renter costs, and tenure split from the ACS 5-Year (2020–2024). All figures inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars by Census.
| Measure | Estimate | ± margin / note |
|---|---|---|
| Median value, owner-occupied units | 737,100 +142.9% vs US | ±10,625 |
| Median gross rent | 1,954 +45.0% vs US | ±26 |
| HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR (FY2026) | $2,246 -13.0% vs US | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD HUD Metro FMR Area · 40th-percentile gross rent · HUD methodology |
| Owner-occupied share | 41.5% | of occupied housing units |
| Price-to-income ratio | 6.7x +71.9% vs US | median home value ÷ median household income · U.S. median: 3.9x |
| Rent-burdened (≥30% of income) | 44.3% -3.7% vs US | share of renter households · U.S. median: 46% |
| Severely rent-burdened (≥50%) | 22.5% +2.1% vs US | share of renter households · U.S. median: 22% |
Source: ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 · methodology →
Spans 1 county; 16.4% poverty rate; 5.3% unemployment.
Poverty (Census SAIPE 2024, model-based), unemployment (BLS LAUS 2024 annual averages), and remote-work share (ACS 2020–2024) for Washington. Numbers are labeled at their native grain — place-grain when BLS publishes it, otherwise per-county. We do not compute population-weighted county averages. See methodology §13.
| Measure | Value | Grain |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (annual avg) | 5.3% | Washington (BLS sub-state LAUS) |
| Civilian labor force | 413,353 | 2024 annual avg |
| Worked from home | 33.0% +135.7% vs US | share of workers 16+ commuting from home · U.S. median: 14% · ACS |
County context — Washington sits in District of Columbia:
| County | Poverty rate | Median HH income | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 16.4% | $109,289 | 5.3% |
Top industries by private employment — NAICS supersectors rolled up from Washington's linked county in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW, 2024 annual averages). See methodology §11.
| # | Industry (NAICS supersector) | Private employment | Avg weekly wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Professional and technical services (54) | 121,785 | $3,546 / wk |
| #2 | Health care and social assistance (62) | 71,700 | $1,646 / wk |
| #3 | Other services (81) | 69,072 | $2,284 / wk |
| #4 | Accommodation and food services (72) | 67,068 | $904 / wk |
| #5 | Administrative and waste services (56) | 47,326 | $1,377 / wk |
What workers earn in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro — top occupations by employment plus six curated benchmarks (registered nurse, software developer, elementary teacher, general manager, retail salesperson, truck driver). Wages are metro-area medians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). See methodology §25.
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 77,770 | $104,000 | $50.00 |
| Management Analysts | 68,900 | $125,820 | $60.49 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 63,090 | $34,280 | $16.48 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 57,480 | $37,100 | $17.84 |
| Cashiers | 54,070 | $34,800 | $16.73 |
| Lawyers | 48,170 | $191,880 | $92.25 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 45,170 | $38,440 | $18.48 |
| General and Operations Managers · benchmark | 108,510 | $151,420 | $72.80 |
| Software Developers · benchmark | 68,210 | $150,880 | $72.54 |
| Retail Salespersons · benchmark | 65,060 | $35,730 | $17.18 |
| Registered Nurses · benchmark | 43,640 | $101,800 | $48.94 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education · benchmark | 30,500 | $76,120 | — |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers · benchmark | 20,890 | $59,050 | $28.39 |
Source: SAIPE 2024 · BLS LAUS 2024 annual averages · BLS QCEW 2024 · BLS OEWS May 2024 · methodology →
Cost of living summary
All items run 8.9% above the U.S. average (RPP 108.9); rents run 51.1% above (RPP 151.1) — the metro's housing premium is the main driver.
| BEA Regional Price Parity (all items) | RPP 108.9 | +8.9% vs U.S. average · BEA 2024 · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro |
| HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR | $2,246/mo | FY2026 · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD HUD Metro FMR Area |
| State income tax (top marginal rate) | 10.75% | 7 brackets · TY2025 |
| Family-of-four monthly budget total | $17,028/mo | 3BR rent + food + childcare + taxes + transport · federal sources |
| Single-adult monthly budget total | $7,263/mo | 1BR rent + food + taxes + transport · federal sources |
| Local income tax | — | not applicable in District of Columbia · no modeled local income tax |
Household budget figures are arithmetic floors using current federal sources at the grains documented in methodology. Not a recommended salary, not a poverty threshold, not a composite score.
Source: BEA RPP 2024 · HUD FMR · federal pipelines · methodology →
14.3% foreign-born (U.S. median 14%); Spanish is the most-spoken language at home other than English (9.4% of residents 5+).
Where Washington's residents come from and what they speak at home, from the ACS 5-Year 2020–2024. Foreign-born is the share of residents born outside the U.S. (any citizenship status); language-at-home is reported only for residents 5 and older.
| Measure | Value | ± margin / note |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign-born share | 14.3% +2.1% vs US | share of residents born outside the U.S. · U.S. median: 14% · ACS B05002 |
| Speak only English at home | 80.9% | share of population 5+ · ACS C16001 line 2 |
| Top non-English language at home | Spanish 9.4% | most-spoken language other than English among residents 5+ · ACS C16001 collapsed buckets |
Source: ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 · methodology →
Hottest month: July (89°F avg high). Coldest: January (27°F avg low). Annual precipitation: 44.3 in.
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) for Washington from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See methodology §15 for the gridded vs. station source path.
Average monthly highs & lows · 30-year normal (NOAA 1991–2020). Every number on this chart is an average.
Avg July high
89°F 31°C
Hottest typical month, daytime
Avg January low
27°F -3°C
Coldest typical month, overnight
Annual precipitation
44.3 in 1124 mm
Sum of monthly normals
Hottest / coldest month
Jul / Jan
89°F high / 27°F low 31°C high / -3°C low
Months ≥90°F avg high
0
Out of 12, NOAA 1991–2020
| Month | Avg high (°F) Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°F) Avg low (°C) | Precip (in) Precip (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43.9 6.6 | 26.5 -3.1 | 2.90 74 |
| Feb | 47.3 8.5 | 28.4 -2.0 | 2.62 67 |
| Mar | 55.5 13.1 | 35.1 1.7 | 3.76 96 |
| Apr | 67.2 19.6 | 45.0 7.2 | 3.37 86 |
| May | 75.8 24.3 | 54.6 12.6 | 4.16 106 |
| Jun | 84.3 29.1 | 64.0 17.8 | 4.26 108 |
| Jul | 88.6 31.4 | 69.0 20.6 | 4.56 116 |
| Aug | 86.6 30.3 | 67.1 19.5 | 3.80 97 |
| Sep | 79.8 26.6 | 60.2 15.7 | 4.33 110 |
| Oct | 68.6 20.3 | 47.8 8.8 | 3.81 97 |
| Nov | 57.2 14.0 | 37.7 3.2 | 3.05 77 |
| Dec | 48.0 8.9 | 30.8 -0.7 | 3.66 93 |
Source: nClimGrid 1991-2020 v1.0, nearest cell at 38.8959, -77.0208 · methodology →
Composite risk score: 97.6/100 — Relatively High nationally; top hazard: Heat Wave (99.2).
Natural-hazard exposure for Washington from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index (FEMA NRI March 2023). NRI is an expected-annual-loss composite calibrated on 1996–2019 historical losses, published at the U.S. county grain. See methodology §17.
| County | NRI composite | Rating | Top hazards |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 97.6 | Relatively High |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index · FEMA NRI March 2023 · methodology →
21 non-satellite ISPs serve the area; 72% of locations have gigabit-capable service per ISP filings.
Fixed broadband availability for Washington from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Data Collection (BDC), as of June 30, 2025. Every speed and provider count below is an ISP-reported advertised maximum — not measured throughput. Actual delivered speeds typically run 60–80% of advertised. See methodology §16.
| Measure | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Providers serving this city | 21 + satellite | distinct ISPs, excluding satellite-only |
| Fiber providers | 18 | offer fiber-to-the-premises somewhere in the BDC |
| Units with ≥100/20 Mbps fixed | 100.0% | share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max |
| Locations with ≥100 Mbps upload | 72.2% | derived: max(fiber ≥100/20, gigabit). Fiber is symmetric; gigabit is ≥100 up by definition |
| Units with ≥1 Gbps fixed | 72.2% | share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max |
| Total broadband-serviceable units | 385,723 | residential locations in the FCC Fabric (not households) |
Source: FCC BDC · as of June 30, 2025 · methodology →
Washington is ranked #23 of 19,483 U.S. cities by 2025 population.
Just above in the profiled set: Oklahoma City, OK · #22 · 719,849 residents.
Just below in the profiled set: El Paso, TX · #24 · 683,012 residents.
Sources: elevation from USGS Elevation Point Query Service (3DEP) · nearest airport from OurAirports CSV (FAA-aligned, type=large/medium, scheduled_service=yes) · best months derived from NOAA 1991-2020 normals · methodology →
Sources · provenance
The GEOID for Washington is 1150000. These are the official datasets used by this profile's main data modules; click "methodology" for inclusion rules and the V2019 ↔ V2025 seam, or "source" for the raw publisher page.
Full per-dataset detail: /sources/.
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