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DC metro area
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers
Population
6,318,377
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Age
38
years ∙ half population younger than 38, half older
Diversity Index
72.6%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Nativity
24.3%
foreign-born population
Geographic Context
Location, size, and surroundings
About
The DC metro area, officially the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), is a region in the United States, as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.
Co-ordinates
DEC38.829787° N, 77.495684° W
DMS38° 49′ 47.23″ N, 77° 29′ 44.46″ W
Population Density & area
1,047/sq mi
(404.3/km²)
Demographics & Living
Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition
Population Composition
Key characteristics of the population
Sex Distribution
49.2%
male
Male
49.2%
Female
50.8%
males per 100 females
DC metro area
96.8
District of Columbia
90.6
United States
98
Nativity
24.3%
foreign-born population
% Foreign-born
DC metro area
24.3%
District of Columbia
14.3%
United States
14.1%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups
Median Age
38
years ∙ half population younger than 38, half older
Dependency ratio
58.7
dependents per 100 working-age adults
DC metro area
58.7
District of Columbia
45.9
United States
64.4
AGE DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of age group
Median age
| DC metro area | District of Columbia | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | |||
| Children (Under 18) | 22.7% | 18.7% | 22% |
| Working age (18-64) | 63% | 68.5% | 60.8% |
| Senior (65+) | 14.3% | 12.8% | 17.2% |
| Dependency ratio | |||
| Total dependency ratio | 58.7 | 45.9 | 64.4 |
| Child dependency ratio | 36 | 27.3 | 36.1 |
| Old-age dependency ratio | 22.7 | 18.7 | 28.3 |
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares
Race & Ethnicity
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.
Diversity Index
72.6%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
DC metro area
72.6%
District of Columbia
67.5%
United States
61.4%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.
RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION
Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of DC metro area population
| DC metro area | District of Columbia | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 18% | 11.9% | 19.3% |
| Mexican | 2.6% | 2.4% | 11.3% |
| Puerto Rican | 1.2% | 0.8% | 1.8% |
| Cuban | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Other Hispanic / Latino | 13.9% | 8.2% | 5.5% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 82% | 88.1% | 80.7% |
| One race | 77% | 83.2% | 76.4% |
| White | 41.1% | 36.5% | 57.4% |
| Black or African American | 24.2% | 41.6% | 11.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.5% |
| Asian | 10.8% | 4.3% | 5.9% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0.2% |
| Some Other Race | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 5% | 4.9% | 4.3% |
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure
Household structure
63.9%
family
Family
63.9%
Non family
36.1%
% family households
DC metro area
63.9%
District of Columbia
40.8%
United States
64.2%
Average household size
2.62
persons per household
Household & Family COMPOSITION
Households
Percentage of DC metro area population
| DC metro area | District of Columbia | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 2,373,022 | 324,491 | 129,227,496 |
| Average houshold size | 2.62 | 1.99 | 2.53 |
| Family households | 1,517,503 | 132,514 | 82,990,528 |
| Average family size | 3.28 | 3 | 3.14 |
| Married couple family | 1,133,162 | 80,186 | 60,637,388 |
| Other families | 384,341 | 52,328 | 22,353,140 |
| Male householder | 110,899 | 9,951 | 6,572,819 |
| Female householder | 273,442 | 42,377 | 15,780,321 |
| Non-family households | 855,519 | 191,977 | 46,236,968 |
| One-person households | 686,653 | 153,560 | 37,140,836 |
| Male householder | 293,010 | 66,600 | 16,871,444 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 72,725 | 12,643 | 5,225,110 |
| Female householder | 393,643 | 86,960 | 20,269,392 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 151,027 | 22,597 | 10,089,070 |
| Other living arrangements | 168,866 | 38,417 | 9,096,132 |
Housing Profile
Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens
Total housing units
2,506,631
housing units
DC metro area
2,506,631
District of Columbia
361,014
United States
143,775,355
Occupancy status
94.7%
occupied
Occupied
94.7%
Vacant
5.3%
vacancy rate
DC metro area
5.3%
District of Columbia
10.1%
United States
10.1%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used
Types of Housing unit
63.8%
Single family houses
Median Year Built
1983
Half of houses were built before 1983, and half after.
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.
Housing Characteristics
Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
| DC metro area | District of Columbia | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms per unit | |||
| Median rooms | 6 | 3.9 | 5.5 |
| 1–3 rooms | 19.2% | 43.9% | 15.1% |
| 4–6 rooms | 37.6% | 36.3% | 51.6% |
| 7+ rooms | 43.1% | 19.7% | 33.4% |
| Bedrooms | |||
| No bedroom / studio | 4% | 11.7% | 2.9% |
| 1 bedroom | 14.4% | 31.2% | 10.9% |
| 2 bedrooms | 20.5% | 26.7% | 25% |
| 3 bedrooms | 28% | 18.4% | 38.7% |
| 4+ bedrooms | 33% | 11.9% | 22.4% |
| At a glance | |||
| Median year built | 1983 | 1958 | 1981 |
| Total housing units | 2,506,631 | 361,014 | 143,775,355 |
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it
Homeownership
63.7%
owners
Renter-occupied
36.3%
Owner-occupied
63.7%
homeownership rate
DC metro area
63.7%
District of Columbia
41.5%
United States
65.2%
Average household size
2.8
Owner-occupied
2.3
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
DC metro area
2.8
District of Columbia
2.2
United States
2.64
Housing Characteristics
Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| DC metro area | District of Columbia | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total occupied units | 2,373,022 | 324,491 | 129,227,496 |
| Year moved in | |||
| 2020 or later | 27.4% | 36.3% | 24.8% |
| 2010 to 2019 | 39.6% | 37.7% | 39.6% |
| 2000 to 2009 | 16.5% | 12.1% | 16.4% |
| 1999 or earlier | 16.4% | 13.8% | 19.1% |
| Occupants per room | |||
| 1.00 or fewer | 96.5% | 95.9% | 96.6% |
| 1.01 to 1.50 | 2.2% | 1.8% | 2.2% |
| 1.51 or more | 1.3% | 2.2% | 1.2% |
| Vehicles availability | |||
| No vehicles | 10.6% | 36% | 8.4% |
| 1 vehicle | 34.7% | 46.4% | 33.1% |
| 2 vehicles | 34.6% | 14.3% | 36.6% |
| 3 or more vehicles | 20.1% | 3.2% | 21.9% |
| House heating fuel used | |||
| Gas | 51.1% | 49% | 51.4% |
| Electricity | 44.5% | 46.9% | 41.3% |
| Solar | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Fuel oil, kerosene etc | 2.5% | 0.9% | 3.9% |
| All other fuels | 0.9% | 0.7% | 2% |
| No fuel used | 0.7% | 2% | 1.2% |
| Selected characteristics | |||
| Lacking complete plumbing | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Lacking complete kitchen | 0.5% | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| No telephone service available | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.9% |
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth
Median home value
$579,900
owner-occupied units
Housing Cost Burden
25.6%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.
Financial characteristics
Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| DC metro area | District of Columbia | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property value | |||
| Median Value | $579,900 | $737,100 | $332,700 |
| Under $100,000 | 2.6% | 1.6% | 11.4% |
| $100,000 - $200,000 | 2.1% | 1.6% | 15.8% |
| $200,000 - $300,000 | 6.5% | 3.6% | 17.8% |
| $300,000 - $500,000 | 29.9% | 20.5% | 26.9% |
| $500,000 - $1,000,000 | 44.2% | 42.2% | 20.9% |
| $1,000,000 and more | 14.7% | 30.5% | 7.1% |
| Owner-occupied households | |||
| With a mortgage | 75% | 75.7% | 60.6% |
| Without a mortgage | 25% | 24.3% | 39.4% |
| Median monthly owner costs | |||
| With a mortgage | $2,814 | $3,128 | $1,963 |
| Without a mortgage | $908 | $899 | $638 |
| Gross rent | |||
| Median rent | $2,027 | $1,954 | $1,413 |
Education Profile
How educated is the community and how education pays off
Adults with a college degree
54.4%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
DC metro area
54.4%
District of Columbia
64.2%
United States
35.7%
Adults without a high school diploma
8.6%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
DC metro area
8.6%
District of Columbia
7.3%
United States
10.4%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level
School enrollment
1,600,298
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)
43.2%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Enrollment & school type
Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
| DC metro area | District of Columbia | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total enrolled (age 3+) | 1,600,298 | 161,200 | 80,089,790 |
| Nursery / preschool | 5.9% | 8.9% | 5.7% |
| K–12 | 66.2% | 53.5% | 67.6% |
| Kindergarten | 5% | 5.2% | 5% |
| Elementary: Grades 1–4 | 19.7% | 17.4% | 19.8% |
| Elementary: Grades 5–8 | 20.2% | 16% | 21% |
| High School: Grades 9–12 | 21.2% | 14.9% | 21.7% |
| College or graduate school | 28% | 37.6% | 26.7% |
| College, undergraduate | 19.6% | 23.4% | 21% |
| Graduate, professional school | 8.4% | 14.1% | 5.8% |
| College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds | 43.2% | 50.9% | 40.9% |
| School type | |||
| Public school | 79% | 61% | 82% |
| Private school | 21% | 39% | 18% |
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults
Education attainment
4,348,200
population 25 years and over
Attainment by gender
Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
Educational Attainment Overview
Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
| DC metro area | District of Columbia | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (25+) | 4,348,200 | 488,919 | 230,807,303 |
| Less than 9th grade | 4.6% | 3% | 4.7% |
| 9th–12th, no diploma | 4% | 4.3% | 5.7% |
| High school diploma or GED | 17.2% | 14.5% | 26% |
| Some college, no degree | 14.2% | 11.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate's degree | 5.7% | 2.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 54.4% | 64.2% | 35.7% |
| Bachelor's degree | 27.1% | 26.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate or professional | 27.3% | 38% | 14.1% |
| High School or higher | 91.4% | 92.7% | 89.6% |
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable
Median Earnings
$76,367
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Poverty Rate
3.2%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Outcomes by Education Level
Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
| DC metro area | District of Columbia | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings | |||
| Population 25+, with earnings | $76,367 | $91,950 | $52,696 |
| Less than high school graduate | $36,251 | $33,683 | $32,485 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | $43,760 | $39,810 | $40,153 |
| Some college or associate's degree | $55,883 | $50,606 | $47,260 |
| Bachelor's degree | $90,597 | $95,471 | $70,044 |
| Graduate or professional degree | $120,292 | $123,909 | $90,720 |
| Poverty rates | |||
| Less than high school graduate | 18.7% | 38.5% | 24.2% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 12.1% | 28.8% | 14.4% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 7.4% | 18.4% | 9.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 3.2% | 4.1% | 4.5% |
About Neilsberg Research
Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.
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