Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Washington instead of District of Columbia, you would:
Health
live 1.2 years longer
In District of Columbia, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2019. In Washington, that number is 79 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
be 22.9% more likely to be obese
In District of Columbia, 25.3% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Washington, that number is 31.1% of people as of 2022.
Economy
be 17.2% less likely to be unemployed
In District of Columbia, 6.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Washington, that number is 5.3% as of 2025.
be 30.9% less likely to live below the poverty line
In District of Columbia, 13.6% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Washington, however, that number is 9.4% as of 2023.
make 58.0% less money
District of Columbia has a GDP per capita of $209,167 as of 2024, while in Washington, the GDP per capita is $87,768 as of 2024.
Safety
be 69.0% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
District of Columbia has a violent crime rate of 1,126 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 349 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 33.1% less likely to be a victim of property crime
District of Columbia has a property crime rate of 4,216 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 2,819 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 28.3% less for a home
The median home value in District of Columbia is $724,600 as of 2023, compared to $519,800 in Washington as of 2023.
pay 11.5% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in District of Columbia is $1,900 as of 2023, while in Washington, it is $1,682 as of 2023.
be 55.5% more likely to own your home
In District of Columbia, 41.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 63.9% as of 2023.
earn 10.7% less money
The median household income in District of Columbia is $106,287 as of 2023, while in Washington, it is $94,952 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 3.3 minutes less
The average one-way commute in District of Columbia takes 30.3 minutes as of 2023. In Washington, it takes 27.0 minutes as of 2023.
live among residents who are 3.3 years older on average
The median age in District of Columbia is 34.9 years as of 2023. In Washington, the median age is 38.2 years as of 2023.
live in an area that is 98.9% less densely populated
District of Columbia has a population density of 4,322.8 people per sq km as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 45.6 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 16.9% more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In District of Columbia, 6.5% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 7.6% as of 2023.
be 13.1% less likely to be food insecure
In District of Columbia, 9.9% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Washington, that number is 8.6% as of 2021.
be 84.8% more likely to be uninsured
In District of Columbia, 3.3% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 6.1% as of 2023.
be 11.0% more likely to be physically inactive
In District of Columbia, 15.5% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Washington, that number is 17.2% as of 2022.
be 41.0% less likely to have a bachelor's degree
In District of Columbia, 44.4% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Washington, that number is 26.2% as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
