Should I Move To
Roughly 670,587 people live in Washington, District of Columbia. Living here costs expensive relative to the rest of the country, 23% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,817/mo; the typical household pulls in $101,722. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 59/100 — a C, putting it at #170 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Washington sits at 123 — expensive when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($1,817/mo against $101,722 median household income), housing eats roughly 21% of a typical paycheck — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Buying-side, the median home value is $705,000.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is four-season: roughly 88°F in summer, 32°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 42 inches. Walkability is exceptional — most residents can live without a car if they want to. Crime statistics are on the rougher end of the US distribution; the citywide aggregate hides safer pockets but the headline number isn't great. Air quality reads good (AQI 38).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Washington isn't the strongest match. It earns 55/100 (grade C-) on the families profile. Strongest on walkability (96/100); weakest on safety (19/100).
For retirees, Washington is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 57/100 (grade C) on the retirees profile. Strongest on walkability (96/100); weakest on safety (19/100).
For remote workers, Washington isn't the strongest match. It earns 53/100 (grade C-) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on walkability (96/100); weakest on safety (19/100).
For young professionals, Washington is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 60/100 (grade C+) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on walkability (96/100); weakest on safety (19/100).
Washington, District of Columbia pulls a 59/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C), currently ranked #170 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Washington's cost-of-living index is 123 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the expensive band — 23% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,817/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 88°F, winter averages around 32°F, with about 42 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 96/100. Walkability is exceptional — most residents can live without a car if they want to.
Washington has about 670,587 residents, 63% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 35.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Washington head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Washington stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Take the 2-minute UrbRank quiz to get a personalized ranking of US cities based on your priorities — cost, climate, commute, jobs, and more.