District of Columbia Population 2024

686,995

Washington, D.C., also known simply as D.C. or the District, is the capital of the United States. Washington, D.C. is a federal district under the jurisdiction of Congress, and thus is not a part of any state in the United States. The District was formed from land donated by Virginia and Maryland and named in honor of George Washington. If Washington, DC were a state, it would be the 49th most populous ahead of Wyoming and Vermont.

Washington, DC Area and Population Density

This district is a particularly small area, encompassing only 68 square miles of land and water. Only 61 square miles of land are available, and yet, this tiny area has the title of the highest density of population in the nation.

It has a population density of 11,535 people per square mile. During the work week, however, the population swells to more than one million as commuters come from Virginia and Maryland. The Washington metropolitan area has a population estimated at over 6 million, which makes it the 7th largest metro area in the United States. If the District is included with Baltimore and the suburbs, the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area has a population of more than 9 million, which makes it the 4th largest CSA in the country.

Washington, DC Gender and Religion Statistics

The median age in Washington, DC is 33.8 years, with a slight gender gap of 52.5% female, and 47.5% male spread across the state.

There are many religions represented in Washington, DC, including Baptist (17%), Catholic (13%), Evangelical Protestant (6%), Methodist (4%), Episcopalian (3%), Jewish (2%), Eastern Orthodox, Pentecostal, Buddhist, Adventist, Lutheran, Muslim, Buddhist, Mormon, Hindu and Presbyterian.

Washington, DC Boundary, Census and Creation History

The District of Columbia was formed in 1791 from territory ceded by Maryland and Virginia, but remained in some respects under their jurisdiction until the National government moved there in 1800. The District included the existing small cities of Georgetown and Alexandria as well as the site chosen for the Nation's new capital, Washington. In 1846 the portion south of the Potomac River, including Alexandria, was retroceded to Virginia.

In 1800 the census reported the District as part of Maryland and Virginia. All populations shown in the table exclude the portion returned to Virginia in 1846.

District of Columbia Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of District of Columbia was:

  • Black or African American: 44.66%
  • White: 40.46%
  • Two or more races: 5.69%
  • Other race: 4.76%
  • Asian: 4.1%
  • Native American: 0.29%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.05%

Washington, DC Population History

Washington DC had very slow growth initially, with a population of only 100,000 after its first 70 years. This number more than doubled to 250,000 by the time the Civil War had ended and has grown steadily ever since.

Washington, DC Population Growth

The District's population has made more than a 7.5% increase since the 2010 Census, continuing a trend of growth set since 2000 after 50 years of decline. In 2010, Washington, DC was the 24th most populous city. The Washington, DC area currently ranks 5th among metro areas in the US for population growth.

Washington, DC Population Projections

According to officials, the growth is due to people migrating to the area from other parts of the US. Growth is expected to continue into the future, with projections showing that the population may exceed 718,000 by 2030.

Washington D.C. has had a large African American population since its founding in 1791. Between 1800 and 1940, African Americans made up 30% of the population, reaching a peak of 70% in the 1970s before declining as more African Americans moved to the suburbs. Between 2000 and 2010, there was a 31% jump in the non-Hispanic white population and an 11.5% decline in the black population.

Approximately 1 in 7 Washingtonians are immigrants, many of whom come from El Salvador, Vietnam and Ethiopia. Due to the large number of immigrants who are not fluent in English, about 35% of District residents are considered functionally illiterate.

The largest Hispanic groups in Washington DC is Salvadoran, which have mostly settled in the Mount Pleasant area. It is estimated that there are over 18,000 Salvadorans living in Washtington D.C., with an estimated Hispanic population that totals over 45,000.

District of Columbia Population 2024

  • The second president of the U.S.- John Adams- was the first president to ever live in the White House. He moved in on November 1st of 1800. Construction was not completed while George Washington was in office.
  • The Washington Monument was the tallest manmade structure of its time when it was erected in 1884. Just five years later, the Eiffel Tower in Paris overtook the honor.
  • Washington, D.C., gets an average precipitation of over 39 inches of rainfall per year. That amount is approximately 2 inches more precipitation than Seattle sees annually.
  • Over 177 embassies and numerous international cultural centers are located in the District of Columbia.
  • The Smithsonian Museums have an astounding collection of almost 156 million items.
  • The D.C. Metro is the second busiest subway system in the nation.
  • The Old Stone House is the oldest building on its original foundation in D.C. and dates back to 1765.
  • The Residence Act of 1790 designated a site along the Potomac River as the country's permanent capital.
  • Fifteen percent of D.C.'s residents speak a language other than English.

District of Columbia Facts

Population

677.8K

District of Columbia Population by County

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
Black or African American305,10944.66%
White276,37340.46%
Two or more races38,8575.69%
Other race32,4844.76%
Asian27,9884.1%
Native American1,9840.29%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander3590.05%

Black or African American

White

Two or more races

Other race

Asian

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

District of Columbia Population by Race

District of Columbia Population Pyramid 2024

District of Columbia Median Age

34.3

Total

34.3

Male

34.4

Female

District of Columbia Adults

There are 558,132 adults, (83,199 of whom are seniors) in District of Columbia.

District of Columbia Age Dependency

43.8

Age Dependency Ratio

17.5

Old Age Dependency Ratio

26.3

Child Dependency Ratio

District of Columbia Sex Ratio

Female357,66452.35%
Male325,49047.65%

District of Columbia Population by Age

District of Columbia Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All310,1042.0841.558.5
Non Family178,9081.2931.968.1
Married79,9503.0166.133.9
Female40,2903.5335.564.5
Male10,9562.884159

3.07

Average Family Size

2.08

Average Household Size

41.5%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

District of Columbia Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

District of Columbia Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

District of Columbia Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 92.42%.

District of Columbia Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$75,336

Average Earnings

$80,865

Average Male

$71,131

Average Female

District of Columbia Earnings by Educational Attainment

District of Columbia Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

District of Columbia Language

82.69% of District of Columbia residents speak only English, while 17.31% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 9.05% of the population.

District of Columbia Language

District of Columbia Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Black294,53272,90024.75%
White236,48712,2505.18%
Hispanic73,3238,49511.59%
Other31,6674,96815.69%
Multiple37,1534,51112.14%
Asian25,5043,44613.51%
Native1,85558531.54%
Islander332185.42%

15.44%

Overall Poverty Rate

13.8%

Male Poverty Rate

16.94%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in District of Columbia

The race most likely to be in poverty in District of Columbia is Native, with 31.54% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in District of Columbia is White, with 5.18% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.35%. Among those working part-time, it was 20.07%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 35.86%.

District of Columbia Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade36.74%
High School26.87%
Some College16.19%
Bachelors or Greater4.48%

District of Columbia Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed44.55%
Male Unemployed34.24%
Female Employed5.22%
Male Employed3.54%

District of Columbia Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

District of Columbia Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

District of Columbia Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

30.9%

Overall Marriage Rate

34.2%

Male Marriage Rate

28.0%

Female Marriage Rate

District of Columbia Married by Age and Sex

male

female

District of Columbia Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.

District of Columbia Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

District of Columbia Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

22,870

Number of Veterans

19,860

Male Veterans

3,010

Female Veterans

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District of Columbia Veterans by War

count

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District of Columbia Veterans by Age

count

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District of Columbia Veterans by Race

District of Columbia Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

9.3%

Veteran Poverty Rate

26.43%

Veteran Disability Rate

District of Columbia Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

71.4%

Labor Force Participation

65.8%

Employment Rate

7.1%

Unemployment Rate

District of Columbia Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

District of Columbia Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

District of Columbia Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

36.05%

Born in District of Columbia

86.51%

Native Born

13.49%

Foreign Born

7.2%

Non Citizen

6.3%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

86.51% of District of Columbia residents were born in the United States, with 36.05% having been born in District of Columbia. 7.2% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

District of Columbia Place of Birth

  1. US Census State Population Estimates - Most recent state estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
  2. US Census County Population Estimates - Most recent county estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
  3. American Community Survey (2009 - 2013)
  4. Census QuickFacts
  5. Historical Populations of States and Counties (1790 - 1990)

Sources