Quality of life comparison
If you lived in District of Columbia instead of Washington, you would:
Health
be 18.6% less likely to be obese
In Washington, 31.1% of adults are obese as of 2022. In District of Columbia, that number is 25.3% of people as of 2022.
live 1.2 years less
In Washington, the average life expectancy is 79 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In District of Columbia, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2019.
Economy
make 2.4 times more money
Washington has a GDP per capita of $87,768 as of 2024, while in District of Columbia, the GDP per capita is $209,167 as of 2024.
be 20.8% more likely to be unemployed
In Washington, 5.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In District of Columbia, that number is 6.4% as of 2025.
be 44.7% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Washington, 9.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In District of Columbia, however, that number is 13.6% as of 2023.
Safety
be 3.2 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Washington has a violent crime rate of 349 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In District of Columbia, that number is 1,126 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 49.6% more likely to be a victim of property crime
Washington has a property crime rate of 2,819 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In District of Columbia, that number is 4,216 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 11.9% more money
The median household income in Washington is $94,952 as of 2023, while in District of Columbia, it is $106,287 as of 2023.
pay 39.4% more for a home
The median home value in Washington is $519,800 as of 2023, compared to $724,600 in District of Columbia as of 2023.
pay 13.0% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Washington is $1,682 as of 2023, while in District of Columbia, it is $1,900 as of 2023.
be 35.7% less likely to own your home
In Washington, 63.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In District of Columbia, that number is 41.1% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 45.9% less likely to be uninsured
In Washington, 6.1% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In District of Columbia, that number is 3.3% as of 2023.
be 69.5% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Washington, 26.2% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In District of Columbia, that number is 44.4% as of 2023.
commute 3.3 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Washington takes 27.0 minutes as of 2023. In District of Columbia, it takes 30.3 minutes as of 2023.
live among residents who are 3.3 years older on average
The median age in Washington is 38.2 years as of 2023. In District of Columbia, the median age is 34.9 years as of 2023.
live in an area that is 94.8 times more densely populated
Washington has a population density of 45.6 people per sq km as of 2023. In District of Columbia, that number is 4,322.8 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 14.5% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Washington, 7.6% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In District of Columbia, that number is 6.5% as of 2023.
be 15.1% more likely to be food insecure
In Washington, 8.6% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In District of Columbia, that number is 9.9% as of 2021.
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.
