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WashingtonDC

A city of 681,294, settled in 1790. Home to 687 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

6 bordering townsMap →
Population
681,294
+14.6% since 2010
Typical home
$570K
−1% in a year
Household income
$110K
median
Median age
34.9
years
Jobs based here
625,202
A job hub

What makes Washington stand out

The 3 things Washington does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data
Billy Bowlegs in Washington D.C
1852 · Billy Bowlegs in Washington D.C · Wikimedia Commons
Washington’s story

236 years in pictures

24 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 687 places on the National Register.

City of Washington from beyond the Navy YardArrival of the New York seventy-first regiment at the railroad depot, Washington, D.C. - from a sketch by our special a…Campbell General Hospital
Explore the history →
Elizabeth McGilvra, n.d1880
From the archive · today’s picture

146 years ago in Washington

Elizabeth McGilvra, n.d

Photo · Wikimedia Commons. A different picture from Washington’s archive appears here every day.

See all 24 archive items →

Washington’s report card

See the data ↓

Now in Washington

What neighbors are saying. Town Square →

TUnder 10 neighbors so farJoin Washington →
Residents weigh in
Live in Washington? Is a D− for safety right?
Your answer becomes a post in Washington’s Town Square.
TT Weaver · 2d · Town talk

Living in Washington

With the median home value here being about 122% above the U.S. average, I often wonder what makes our city so special to its residents. Is it the…

Or start one of these

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Washington. Another town gets a different order.

Safety

Less crime per resident than 3% of U.S. towns

Washington reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 97% report less.

D−Safety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Washington7.5
District of Columbia8.1
U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Washington30.7
District of Columbia31.8
U.S.15.5
3rd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
5,180
violent crimes reported in 2025
21,296
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Health

Healthier than 96% of U.S. towns

Washington beats the District of Columbia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4.

A+Health Grade
32 measures vs. District of Columbia
0 better28 too close to call4 worse
What stands outWashingtonDC
More older adults who have lost all their teeth11.2%7.3%
More adults facing a utility shut-off9%7.8%
More adults facing food insecurity16%13.9%
Children's National Hospital
1.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Work & commute

About half of working residents work right in Washington

69% of Washington’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Arlington (4%), Bethesda (2%) and Tysons (2%). Half commute less than 4 miles.

69%work in town

Where working residents work

In Washington69%
Arlington4%
Bethesda2%
Tysons2%
Alexandria1%
4 mi
median commute distance
625,202
jobs based in Washington
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Natural hazards

Very low risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 1% of U.S. communities.

1risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
1Very low riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingEarthquakesHeat waves
227
paid flood claims since 1978
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Outdoors

17.4% of Washington is conserved land

118 miles of trails across 237 parks and preserves.

17.4%conserved
Map of Washington: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk
Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below
17.4%
conserved · 7,575 of 43,524 acres
118 mi
of trails · 1.7 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Rock Creek Park29.5 mi1,761
2. U.S. National Arboretum5.6 mi448
3. National Mall5.2 mi166
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Schools

Washington’s public schools outperform 67% of District of Columbia districts

The public schools Washington’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 67% of District of Columbia’s districts on state tests and graduation.

B+School Grade
SchoolGradesStudentsGrade
Lafayette ESPK–5923Not graded
Bancroft ESPK–5821Not graded
Ingenuity Prep PCSPK–8797Not graded
Oyster-Adams Bilingual SchoolPK–8791Not graded
Janney ESPK–5717Not graded
Washington Yu Ying PCSPK–5701Not graded
NCES · EDFacts · graded within DC on state tests and graduationAll 294 schools →
Climate

Four seasons, hot summers

Washington has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

6″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter29–46°
Spring45–66°
Summer67–87°
Fall49–69°
Oct 31
typical first frost
Apr 9
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Housing

A typical Washington home is worth about $570K

The typical Washington home is worth about $570,000, down 1% in a year, close to the District of Columbia typical home.

$570KZillow home value

Typical home value

Washington$570K
District of Columbia$570K
Market temperature
BalancedA balanced marketBuyer’sSeller’s
47
days on market
99.6%
sale-to-list price
−1%
value change, 1 year
649
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
College town

George Washington University calls Washington home

17 colleges in town.

College Scorecard · IPEDS

Landmarks

687 places in Washington on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Famous people from Washington

25 notable people were born in Washington.

See all 25 →

About Washington

Federal capital district of the United States

Official town website ↗

Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington, is the federal capital city of the United States, and its only federal district. The city stands on the north-east bank of the Potomac River, across from the state of Virginia, surrounded by Maryland to its north, east, and south. The district was named for Columbia, the female personification of the American nation, through which human form and attributes are applied to the United States. "Washington" is a more recent addition to the city's common name, and is from the name of George Washington, the first U.S. president. The U.S. Constitution in 1789 called for the creation of a federal district under e…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established
1790
Population
689,545
Area
68 sq mi
Elevation
236 ft
ZIP code
20001, 20002, 20003
Area code
202

Washington’s neighbors

6 towns share a border with Washington.

Explore the map →

More about Washington

Still missing for Washington:upcoming events

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Photo of Washington

Washington, DC · Photo: Ralf Roletschek (talk) - Infos über Fahrräder auf fahrradmonteur.de Wikis in der Ausbildung · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source ↗