County housing intelligence
District of Columbia Housing Market by County
District of Columbia is not one housing market. Across 1 counties, the median county home value is $724,600 and the median county rent is $1,900/mo. The useful question is not whether District of Columbia is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$724,600
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$1,900/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
1
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Where can I afford to buy?
District of Columbia
6.8x home-value-to-income
Where is rent reasonable?
District of Columbia
28.0% rent burden
Where are ownership costs lighter?
District of Columbia
$-663/mo cheaper to own than rent
Where are taxes least likely to surprise?
District of Columbia
0.58% effective tax rate
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The District of Columbia Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
District of Columbia sit at the top of the purchase market, while District of Columbia anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
District of Columbia lead on rent, while District of Columbia show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
District of Columbia screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. District of Columbia
$724,600
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. District of Columbia
6.8x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. District of Columbia
$1,900/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. District of Columbia
28.0% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. District of Columbia
0.58% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. District of Columbia
$-663/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. District of Columbia
$106,287 income, 6.8x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Renter pressure | District of Columbia $1,900/mo rent, 28.00% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Lowest rents
Lowest rent burden
Compare Every District of Columbia County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $724,600 | $1,900/mo | $106,287 | 6.8x | 0.58% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in District of Columbia by county?
What is the typical rent in District of Columbia by county?
Which District of Columbia counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.