Unemployment in the District of Columbia is higher than in 93% of U.S. counties
In the District of Columbia, 6.1% of the labor force was out of work, on average (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Sep 2025 to Aug 2026). That is higher than in 93% of U.S. counties.
More distressed than 58% of U.S. counties.
What drives the District of Columbia's score
In the District of Columbia, housing costs weigh most: the score for housing costs is 82.8. Rent on a two-bedroom takes 26.8% of the median household's income (fiscal year 2027), higher than in 90% of U.S. counties. Late payments on loans come next, at 68.2.
The County Distress Index combines five things we measure for every county: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each gets a score from 0 to 100; the higher the score, the worse off the county is compared with others.
The District of Columbia does better than most counties on two measures: median household income ($109,289, 2024) and people without health insurance (3.6%, 2020 to 2024).
The five parts count equally; together they hold 14 measures. Under each part, a bar shows where the District of Columbia ranks among all 3,144 U.S. counties on that measure, as a percentile: the share of counties it is higher than. A longer bar means more trouble.
- 82.8 of 100
Housing costs
Biggest factorHUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027; renters, 2020–24 Census survey
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income26.8% · fiscal year 202790th percentile
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent22.5% · 2020 to 202475th percentile
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- 68.2 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, Q4 2025
- People with a car or retail loan behind9.6% · August 202590th percentile
- People with a credit card behind5.7% · August 202553rd percentile
- People with a subprime credit score25.7% · Q4 202559th percentile
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- 57.1 of 100
Jobs
Adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey; unemployment through Aug 2026
- Adults 25 to 54 not working15.8% · 2020 to 202420th percentile
- Unemployment rate, 12-month average6.1% · Sep 2025 to Aug 202693rd percentile
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- 35.4 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector21.7% · August 202544th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people80.4 · 202525th percentile
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- 35.0 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- Children below the poverty line25.0% · 202482nd percentile
- People with a disability11.5% · 2020 to 202411th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$109,289 · 20243rd percentile
- People below the poverty line16.4% · 202472nd percentile
- People without health insurance3.6% · 2020 to 20245th percentile
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Sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Aug 2026.
Where the money in the District of Columbia comes from
The Bureau of Economic Analysis adds up all the income that reaches the people of a county and splits it three ways: pay from work, income from investments and rent, and benefit checks.
Cents of every dollar of income, 2024
The District of Columbia
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
In the District of Columbia in 2024, pay from work was 68 cents of every dollar of income. Income from investments and rentals was 19 cents. Benefit checks were 13 cents. Across the country, pay is 61 cents of the dollar and benefit checks are 18.
Benefit checks have grown from 6 cents of every dollar in 1969, but pay from work still brings in more.
In the District of Columbia, benefit checks rose from 6 to 13 cents of every dollar
Benefit checks and pay from work as shares of all personal income, The District of Columbia: 12.6% and 68.1% in 2024. Yearly, 1969–2024.
Use this chart Free to use with credit
The quote: In 2024, benefit checks made up 12.6% of all personal income in the District of Columbia (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAINC4).
Benefit checks are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid paid on people's behalf, veterans' benefits, and food and income support, so a high share usually means an older population, low pay, or both. In the District of Columbia, 12.8% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally.
How the District of Columbia has changed
The number of people living in the District of Columbia stayed about the same between 1969 and 2024, from 762,000 to 702,250. The number of jobs located there grew by about 14% from 1990 to 2024.
Unemployment rose from 6.0% in 1990 to 6.3% in 2025.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| People living in the countyBEA | 1969 762,000 | 2024 702,250 |
| Jobs located in the countyBLS QCEW | 1990 669,154 | 2024 759,572 |
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 6.0% | 2025 6.3% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 15.0% | 2024 16.4% |
| Median household income (not adjusted for prices)Census SAIPE | 1989 $29,322 | 2024 $109,289 |
| Share of income from benefit checksBEA | 1969 6.2% | 2024 12.6% |
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices. We don't chart the distress score over time because it compares counties at one moment.
Dated events in the District of Columbia's history
Largest decennial census count
The county's largest recorded population was the 1950 Census count of 802,178. The 2020 Census counted 689,545, 86% of the peak. Census Bureau
1993
Thunderstorm wind: one death. NOAA Storm Events Database
2002
Thunderstorm wind: one death. NOAA Storm Events Database
2022
Lightning: three deaths. NOAA Storm Events Database
2023
Thunderstorm wind: $20 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1989
23 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered the District of Columbia, 1 of them for flooding. FEMA
Storms are listed if they did $1 million or more in damage or killed someone.
The District of Columbia beside its neighbors
Of the four counties that border the District of Columbia, in District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, one scores higher. For the share of income from benefit checks, the District of Columbia ranks 2nd of the five; Prince George's County is highest, at 17.8%.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prince George's County, MD | 79 | 10.4% | 17.8% |
| District of Columbia, DC | 58 | 16.4% | 12.6% |
| Alexandria city, VA | 22 | 7.5% | 7.6% |
| Montgomery County, MD | 20 | 7.5% | 9.7% |
| Arlington County, VA | 4 | 8.0% | 5.5% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Aug 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. Benefit checks: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
The District of Columbia: common questions
What is the poverty rate in the District of Columbia?
16.4% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: about one in six people. Among children it was 25.0%.
What is the population of the District of Columbia?
About 702,250 people in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis's count. The 2020 Census counted 689,545, 86% of the county's peak of 802,178 in 1950.
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
We rank every U.S. county on 14 federal measures of money trouble, grouped into five equally weighted parts, and average them. The published score is the share of the other 3,143 counties with a lower average. The methodology lists every measure and its source.
If you're behind on your mortgage in the District of Columbia
A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved housing counselor works at a nonprofit agency approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The counseling to avoid foreclosure is free, and a counselor can help you talk to your mortgage company and understand what it offers, according to the Consumer Financial Protection BureauSourceCFPB.
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Carecen-central American Resource Center
HUD-approved housing counselor
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Centro de Apoyo Familiar (CAF)-DC
HUD-approved housing counselor
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Greater Washington Urban League
HUD-approved housing counselor
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Legal Aid DC
Legal aid
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DC Bar Pro Bono Center
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Counseling to avoid foreclosure is free. Our help directory lists 1,311 approved agencies by state.
The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.
Download the CSV for the District of Columbia · Every U.S. county (CSV)
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Aug 2026, built from HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. Our methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts (CAINC4) · income shares Where the money in the District of Columbia comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.