DC
District of Columbia
FIPS 11 · Population 681,294
6 Sources
Updated June 22, 2026
681,294 ▼
Population
334,922,499 U.S.
$109,870 ▲
Median Income
$80,734 national
$184.3B
GDP
5.3%
Unemployment
4% national
County Map
Click a county to view its economic profile
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$109,870
Per Capita
$77,348
Mean Household
$162,297
Poverty Rate ⓘ
15.4% ▼
Age & Race / Ethnicity
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
Cohorts
Under 18 · 18.7%
18-34 · 31.6%
35-54 · 27.3%
55-64 · 9.6%
65+ · 12.8%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
92.7%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +3.1 pts
64.2%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▲ +28.5 pts
38%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▲ +23.9 pts
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates
681,294
Population
404,202
Labor Force
Employed
374,990
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2024 annual
5.3%
Mean Commute 4 min above national avg
30.0 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
33%
District of Columbia's median household income sits 36% above the national median. At 15.4%, its poverty rate runs 2.9 pts above the ~12.5% national level, relevant for federal funding eligibility narratives. Bachelor's-or-higher attainment of 64.2% exceeds the national average of 35.7%.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates (released December 2025). Figures reflect the most recent Census release, older news reports may cite prior vintages.
Key Takeaways
- Income premium: Households earn well above the national median, supporting strong consumer markets statewide.
- Elevated poverty: At 15.4%, the rate supports federal funding narratives across distressed counties (CDFI, NMTC, EDA).
- Talent advantage: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment exceeds the national average by 28.5 pts, supports knowledge-economy positioning.
- Young population: Median age of 35 is materially below the U.S. norm, a workforce pipeline asset.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
Key Takeaways
- Largest sector: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services employs 115,815 workers (31.2% of the tracked sectors), at an average wage of $197,200.
- Economic scale: State GDP of $184.3B (2024).
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
Industry Concentration
Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.
Attraction Opportunities - Below-Average Industries
LQ < 0.5, below-average employment, potential attraction targets. Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector
0.01x
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
42 employed
0.01x
Truck Transportation
85 employed
0.01x
Warehousing and Storage
110 employed
0.02x
Food Manufacturing
195 employed
0.02x
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing
41 employed
0.02x
Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing
88 employed
0.03x
Chemical Manufacturing
124 employed
0.03x
Air Transportation
90 employed
Key Takeaways
- Top specialization: Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional Orgs concentrates at 7.98x the national norm, top-decile concentration, the kind of signature sector that defines a region's economic identity.
- Cluster depth: 7 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base across the state.
- Attraction whitespace: 8 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$737,100 ▲
Median Home Value vs 2019
$1,954 ▲
Rent/Mo
41.5% ▼
Owner-Occ
10.1% ▲
Vacancy
6.7x
Home Value to Income Ratio - Stretched
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents (Statewide)
Renter-household-weighted average across 1 Fair Market Rent areas · Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$1,953/mo$1,953 to $1,953
1 Bedroom
$2,015/mo$2,015 to $2,015
2 Bedroom
$2,246/mo$2,246 to $2,246
3 Bedroom
$2,835/mo$2,835 to $2,835
4 Bedroom
$3,332/mo$3,332 to $3,332
30% of monthly median household income (~$2,747/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
- Stretched market: Home value to income ratio of 6.7x is well above the ~4.1x national average; attainable workforce housing may be a recruitment friction.
- Renter-majority market: 41.5% owner-occupied; flexible labor mobility but consider home-buying pipeline if attracting families.
- Elevated vacancy: 10.1% vacancy rate; potential redevelopment opportunity.
Source: Census ACS housing tables.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
466,821 ▼
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
▲ vs 2019
Mean Commute
30.0 min
Work From Home
33%
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
64.2%
HS Diploma+
92.7%
Top Institutions
Degrees, certificates, and other credentials awarded last academic year (College Scorecard).
9,285/yr
7,598/yr
4,493/yr
2,415/yr
2,097/yr
1,522/yr
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
14%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
71.7%
Service
11.2%
Sales & Office
12.1%
Construction / Maint.
1.7%
Production / Transport
3.3%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 374,990 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
Source: ACS workforce data.
District Profile
A single federal district
AI Insights
AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 6 federal data sources
Sample AI Insight
District of Columbia shows strong potential for religious, grantmaking, civic, professional orgs attraction, with a 7.98x concentration and 54,354 jobs in this sub-sector.
Cluster depth across religious, grantmaking, civic, professional orgs, internet publishing and broadcasting, and private households creates supply-chain attraction leverage, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.
Industry Shift Analysis
Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100
Prospect Match Scores
Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example
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Data Sources
Updated from official federal government data.
Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2024
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
USAspending.govFY2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for District of Columbia, from federal data sources.
What is the population of District of Columbia?
681,294 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in District of Columbia?
$109,870 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in District of Columbia?
5.3% (2024 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
What is the GDP of District of Columbia?
$184.3B (BEA SAGDP (state GDP)).
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