Washington, District of Columbia
Among the top 12% of US places for getting around.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 11% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade F, better than 10% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 27% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 88% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 28% of US places
- top 1% for airport distance
- top 1% for walkability
- bottom 1% for monthly owner costs
Washington is a major city in District of Columbia with about 671,000 residents. It grades A for getting around and F for weather. Standout strengths include airport distance, walkability, and school quality. It rates lower on violent crime and monthly owner costs.
- The median home value in Washington is $705k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median household income in Washington is $102k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median gross rent in Washington is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Washington has a violent crime rate of 3006/100k, per the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
- The average one-way commute in Washington is 31 min, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
Climate
Hot summers · Cool winters · Moderate rain · Light snow
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54%43%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.3 in3.2 in
muggy 90%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$102k86th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$71kbetter than 5% of US places
Home Value$705k96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 9% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$131kbetter than 0% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.56%better than 84% of US places
Income Tax10.50%better than 12% of US places
Sales Tax6.00%better than 86% of US places
Estimated total tax burden16.37%better than 13% of US places
Unemployment7.1%better than 24% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)37°F64th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)80°F76th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation45.6 in62nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall9.7 inbetter than 61% of US places
Sunny Days165 daysbetter than 4% of US places
Summer Humidity66°Fbetter than 33% of US places
Comfortable Days79 daysbetter than 42% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk32.6better than 88% of US places
Air Quality52 AQIbetter than 15% of US places
School Quality100.0better than 93% of US places
Violent Crime3006/100kbetter than 2% of US places
Property Crime3499/100kbetter than 4% of US places
Community
Population670,587100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age34.821st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.6496th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9234th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+890th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)36.3%12th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)43.5%95th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)11.5%76th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)4.0%88th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)4.7%68th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time31 minbetter than 23% of US places
Walkability15.3/20better than 99% of US places
Airport Distance3 mibetter than 100% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access89.0%better than 61% of US places
Amenities Nearby44.66better than 37% of US places
Park & Nature AccessLimitedbetter than 21% of US places
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)
Frequently asked questions
- Is Washington an affordable place to live?
- Washington is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $71k, better than 5% of comparable areas. Median rent is $2k.
- Is Washington safe?
- Washington is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 3006/100k (better than 2%). Property crime is 3499/100k.
- What is the weather like in Washington?
- Washington averages 80°F in July and 37°F in January, with 45.6 in of annual precipitation and about 165 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Washington?
- Public-school quality in Washington is above average, scoring better than 93% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Washington?
- The average one-way commute in Washington is 31 min.