District of Columbia
Ranked #48 of 51 for housing affordability
Median Home Price
🏠$716K
6.61x income
Median Rent
🔑$1,904
38.0% rent-burdened
Median Income
💰$108K
Population: 689,545
Homeownership
🏡39.0%
7,938 experiencing homelessness
Housing Shortage
📉35,000
units needed
Building Permits (2024)
🔨1,737
Price-to-Income
📊6.61x
Severe Rent Burden
⚠️20.5%
paying >50% of income
Rent Burden Breakdown
vs. National Average
House Price Index (2000–2025)
FHFA All-Transactions HPI · Base = 100 (1980s)
HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2026)
Maximum rent HUD considers fair for Section 8 voucher holders
FMR ($2246) is above the state median rent ($1904) — vouchers cover typical rents.
Metros in District of Columbia
| Metro | Score | Home Price | Rent | Income | Rent Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington DC | 32 | $560K | $1,950 | $107K | 34.0% |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | 73 | $574K | $1,945 | $121K | 22.4% |
Market Trends
Homeownership Rate
39.0%
Rent-to-Income Ratio
21.0%
of gross income spent on rent
Total Households
334,673
Owner-Occupied
130,934
Renter-Occupied
203,739
Homelessness
Latest Count (2024)
5,616
1-Year Change
+14.1%
10-Year Trend (2015–2024)
-23.0%
7,298 → 5,616
Housing Policies
Construction Activity
Total Permits (2024)
1,737
0.1% of national total
Single-Family
146
8% of state permits
Multi-Family
1,591
92% of state permits
Mortgage Access
National HMDA data — mortgage denial rates by race/ethnicity
Denial Rates by Race
Top Denial Reasons
Housing Shortage
State Shortage
35,000
units needed
National Shortage
7,300,000
0.5% of national total
Affordable Units per 100 ELI Renters
35
nationally (NLIHC)
National Shortage by Unit Type
45%
Single-Family
18%
Small Multi (2-4)
22%
Medium Multi (5-49)
15%
Large Multi (50+)
Rent Burden Detail
District of Columbia burden rates with national demographic breakdown
Cost-Burdened Renters
38.0%
paying >30% of income
Severely Burdened
20.5%
paying >50% of income
Households >30% Burden
44,725
Households >35% Burden
9,959