Cost of Living in Washington, District of Columbia
In Washington, the median household income is $109,870 and the median gross rent is $1,954/mo, with a median home value of $737,100. Source: Census Bureau ACS, 2020-2024 estimates.
- Median household income
- $109,870
- Median gross rent
- $1,954/mo
- Median home value
- $737,100
- Population
- 681,294
How Washington compares to the District of Columbia average
| Measure | Washington, DC | District of Columbia statewide | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $109,870 | $109,870 | +0.0% |
| Median gross rent (monthly) | $1,954 | $1,954 | +0.0% |
| Median home value | $737,100 | $737,100 | +0.0% |
Statewide, District of Columbia prices average 109.9 on the BEA Regional Price Parity index (2024), where the U.S. average is 100.
Housing affordability in Washington
- Salary needed for median rent
- $78,160
- Rent burden at median income
- 21.3%
- Est. affordable home price
- $400,799
So that $1,954/mo is 30% of gross income
Share of the median household income spent on median rent (30%+ = cost-burdened)
At median income, 6.67% 30-yr rate (FRED, 2026-08), 20% down, 28% front-end DTI
The median home value in Washington is $737,100 — +83.9% above what the median household income supports under these assumptions.
Estimates from documented formulas — see methodology. Not financial advice.
Compare Washington with other cities
- vs. Austin, TX
- vs. Baltimore, MD
- vs. Boston, MA
- vs. Charlotte, NC
- vs. Chicago, IL
- vs. Columbus, OH
- vs. Dallas, TX
- vs. Denver, CO
- vs. Detroit, MI
- vs. El Paso, TX
- vs. Fort Worth, TX
- vs. Houston, TX
- vs. Indianapolis, IN
- vs. Jacksonville, FL
- vs. Las Vegas, NV
- vs. Los Angeles, CA
- vs. Louisville/Jefferson County, KY
- vs. Memphis, TN
- vs. Nashville-Davidson, TN
- vs. New York, NY
- vs. Oklahoma City, OK
- vs. Philadelphia, PA
- vs. Phoenix, AZ
- vs. Portland, OR
- vs. San Antonio, TX
- vs. San Diego, CA
- vs. San Francisco, CA
- vs. San Jose, CA
- vs. Seattle, WA
About this data
- American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates — data period 2020-2024, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Regional Price Parities — data period 2024, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Federal Reserve Economic Data — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 13, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.