[Greater DC]

District of Columbia

District of Columbia seal

Fast Facts:

  • DC was home to 671,803 people and had 360,890 housing units in 2022. Since 2010, DC has added an average of 5,700 people and 5,200 housing units per year.
  • Fifty-nine percent of households were renters and 47 percent of renters had unaffordable housing costs.
  • DC exceeded the annual production target of 4,587 units, with 6,387 new units built in 2023. Cumulatively, DC has produced at least 33,354 units since 2019, exceeding its 5-year target of 22,935.
  • DC adopted the 2030 COG housing targets and established a goal of 36,000 new homes by 2025, 12,000 of which are to be affordable below 80% of DC’s median family income.
Sources: Census Population and Housing Unit Estimates, Decennial Census, American Community Survey (2018-22), and the HIT survey of local jurisdictions.
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Policy Status

Solving the region's affordable housing crisis requires a portfolio of policies to preserve existing affordable housing, produce more housing, and protect people from discrimination and displacement.

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Right of First Refusal

  • District of Columbia

Preservation Inventory - Subsidized

  • District of Columbia

Preservation Inventory - Unsubsidized

  • District of Columbia

Rental Assistance Demonstration

  • District of Columbia

Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Homeowners

  • District of Columbia

Energy Efficiency Upgrades of Affordable Housing

  • District of Columbia

Housing Outcomes

Local jurisdictions submitted data to enable the region to track housing production, preservation, and rental affordability.

Amount of Housing

Number of units built by type

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,000Units6,6577,7476,1996,0086,079District of Columbia20192020202120222023
Multifamily
Single-family

Affordability of Housing

Share of units affordable to households with low incomes

020406080100Percent District ofColumbia19%10%24%19%12%
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023

Accessibility of Housing

Share of affordable units in COG Activity Centers or near high-capacity transit

020406080100Percent District ofColumbia99%78%81%86%93%
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023

Housing Cost: Lowest
Percentage
# of Units

Units built affordable to households with incomes 0-29.9% of area median

020406080100Share of annual target District ofColumbia31%31%26%34%32%
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023

Housing Cost: Low
Percentage
# of Units

Units built affordable to households with incomes 30-49.9% of area median

020406080100120140Share of annual target District ofColumbia130%52%111%74%43%
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023

Housing Cost: Low-Middle
Percentage
# of Units

Units built affordable to households with incomes 50-79.9% of area median

020406080100120140Share of annual target District ofColumbia48%41%101%80%53%
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023

Building Permits for New Construction

Number of units permitted by type

02,0004,0006,0008,000Units8,2137,2324732,854District of Columbia202120222023
Multifamily
Single-family

Affordable Housing in Development

Number of units

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00012,000Units9,9952,9748,5243,2308,3673,298District of Columbia202120222023
In the pipeline
Under construction

Affordable Housing Preservation

Number of units preserved as committed affordable by type

05001,0001,5002,000Units162322District of Columbia20222023
Units with existing subsidies
Units previously unsubsidized

Note: Charles, Frederick, Rockville, City of Fairfax, Prince William, and Manassas do not track preservation.

Structural Racism

Discriminatory actions and racist public policies have produced inequitable outcomes for Black, Indigenous, and people of color in the Washington region, including lower incomes and wealth, lower homeownership rates, and higher rates of housing cost burden.

Income

Average household income by race and ethnicity, 2018-22

$0$50,000$100,000$150,000$200,000$ District ofColumbiaRace and ethnicity$171,100$83,200$134,500$132,800$219,800
Asian or Pacific Islander
Black
Hispanic/Latinx
Indigenous, Other or Multiple Race
White

Note: Categories are not mutually exclusive. People identifying as Hispanic may also be represented in other bars except white.

Source: American Community Survey

Homeownership

Homeownership rate by race and ethnicity, 2018-22

020406080100Percent District ofColumbiaRace and ethnicity43%36%35%37%48%
Asian or Pacific Islander
Black
Hispanic/Latinx
Indigenous, Other or Multiple Race
White

Note: Categories are not mutually exclusive. People identifying as Hispanic may also be represented in other bars except white.

Source: American Community Survey

Homebuying

Share of mortgage originations by race and ethnicity, 2022

For first-lien owner-occupied home purchases of 1-4 unit dwellings

020406080100Percent District ofColumbiaRace and ethnicity3%18%7%15%57%
Asian or Pacific Islander
Black
Hispanic/Latinx
Indigenous or Multiple race
White

Note: Categories are mutually exclusive, borrowers identifying as Hispanic are not also represented in a race category. For mortgages with an applicant and a co-applicant, if they identify the same way they are captured in that category, otherwise if they have different identities they would be included in the Indigenous or Multiple race category.

Source: Home Mortgage Disclosure Act

Credit Denials

Ratio of denial rates for mortgages between white borrowers and borrowers of color, 2022

For first-lien owner-occupied home purchases of 1-4 unit dwellings

00.20.40.60.81Ratio District ofColumbia0.263

Note: If White borrowers and borrowers of Color were denied mortgages at the same rate we would expect to see a ratio equal to 1. Values under 1 indicate that borrowers of Color have higher denial rates than White borrowers.

Source: Home Mortgage Disclosure Act

Housing Cost Burden

Renter households paying more than 30% of their monthly income in rent, 2018-22

020406080100Percent District ofColumbiaRace and ethnicity49%56%47%51%36%
Asian or Pacific Islander
Black
Hispanic/Latinx
Indigenous, Other or Multiple Race
White

Note: Categories are not mutually exclusive. People identifying as Hispanic may also be represented in other bars except white. Households paying more than 30 percent of their monthly income in housing costs are considered to be cost burdened.

Source: American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)

Housing Context

Understanding how household incomes relate to the supply of affordable rental and homeownership units will inform jurisdictions' efforts to meet the current and future housing needs of residents.

Household Income

Distribution of households by income level relative to the area median income, 2018-22

020406080100Percent District ofColumbia19%10%7%25%21%19%
Below 30%
30-49.9%
50-79.9%
80-119.9%
120-199.9%
200% and above

Note: Income categories reflect HUD Income Limits by household size for 2022.

Source: American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)

Change in Household Income

Change in households by income level relative to the area median income, 2008-12 to 2018-22

-10,000010,00020,000Households District ofColumbiaIncome level-3,70013,46019,20025,400
Below 30%
30-49.9%
50-79.9%
80-119.9%
120-199.9%
200% and above

Note: Incomes are in 2022 dollars. Income categories reflect HUD Income Limits by household size for 2022.

Source: American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)

Renter Housing Supply by Cost

Renter housing units by monthly housing cost, 2018-22

020406080100Percent District ofColumbia21%27%19%13%8%12%
$0-$1099
$1,100-$1,799
$1,800-$2,299
$2,300-$2,799
$2,800-$3,299
$3,300 and higher

Note: Rental costs include the contractual monthly rent payment plus any additional costs to the tenant for utilities and fees.

Source: American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)

Change in Renter Housing Supply by Cost

Change in renter housing units by monthly housing cost, 2008-12 to 2018-22

-10,000-5,00005,00010,00015,000Change in Units District ofColumbiaRent level-8,5702,88013,29010,5407,41013,890
$0-$1,099
$1,100-$1,799
$1,800-$2,199
$2,300-$2,799
$2,800-$3,299
$3,300 and higher

Note: Costs are in 2022 dollars. Rental costs include the contractual monthly rent payment plus any additional costs to the tenant for utilities and fees.

Source: American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)

Housing Cost Burden

Renter households paying more than 30% of their monthly income in rent, 2018-22

020406080100Percent District ofColumbia47%

Note: Households paying more than 30 percent of their monthly income in housing costs are considered to be cost burdened.

Source: American Community Survey

Deeply Affordable Units

Estimated number of public housing units and vouchers relative to renter households with incomes below 30% of area median, 2018-22

020406080100Per 100 households District ofColumbia55

Note: Estimated number of units and vouchers is for 2022. Vouchers include federally-funded Housing Choice Vouchers and locally-funded vouchers where information was available. Income is for 2018-22 and based on the 2022 HUD Income Limits by family size.

Source: American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS); HUD Picture of Subsidized Households 2022; and HUD HCVP Power BI Dashboard

Need for Accessible Units

Number of households with one or more people with a disability by income level relative to the area median, 2018-22

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,000Households District ofColumbiaIncome level21,2005,7302,6507,8203,2803,000
Below 30%
30-49.9%
50-79.9%
80-119.9%
120-199.9%
200% and above

Note: Income categories reflect HUD Income Limits by household size for 2022. People will a disability includes those with cognitive disabilities, physical or self-care disabilities, ambulatory disabilities, independent living difficulties, vision disabilities, or hearing disabilities.

Source: American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)

Homeowner Housing Supply by Cost

Owner housing units by monthly housing cost for a first-time homebuyer, 2018-22

020406080100Percent District ofColumbia7%8%10%7%10%58%
$0-$1,799
$1,800-$2,299
$2,300-$2,799
$2,800-$2,799
$3,300-$3,799
$3,800 and higher

Note: Costs for owner housing were calculated as the monthly payment for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage for 90 percent of the market value to the unit, along with estimates of other monthly costs including mortgage insurance, taxes, utilities, and fees.

Source: American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)

Affordable Homebuying

Share of mortgage originations to households with moderate incomes and below, 2022

For first-lien owner-occupied home purchases of 1-4 unit dwellings

020406080100Percent District ofColumbia16%21%
0-80% of AMI
80-120% of AMI

Source: Home Mortgage Disclosure Act

Potential Homebuyers

Number of potential homebuyers with low or moderate incomes by race and ethnicity, 2018-22

For renter households with a head of household age 45 years or younger and incomes between 50-120% of AMI

05,00010,00015,00020,000Households District ofColumbiaRace and ethnicity2,60013,5004,9002,00020,900
Asian or Pacific Islander
Black
Hispanic/Latinx
Indigenous, Other or Multiple Race
White

Note: Categories are mutually exclusive, borrowers identifying as Hispanic are not also represented in a race category. Income categories reflect HUD Income Limits by household size for 2022. Renter households with a head of household under age 22 were excluded.

Source: American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)