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Sarah Mitchell
Compass Real Estate · District of Columbia
“Your trusted relocation specialist since 2009. 350+ homes sold. Zero-pressure, data-first approach.”
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District of Columbia housing market
District of Columbia housing market summary
The typical home in District of Columbia is worth $590,000, down 8.9% over the past year. Homes that actually closed went for a median of $590,000 after 108 days on market. On supply, pricing discipline, and speed of sale, District of Columbia currently reads as a buyer's market at 5.9 months of supply. At today's 7.03% 30-year fixed rate, that typical home costs $3,150 a month in principal and interest with 20.0% down.
Sources: Redfin, through February 2026 · Freddie Mac via FRED, September 2026
District of Columbia housing market at a glance
Every tile carries the provider and the month it was published
Median sale price
$590,000
Redfin, through February 2026
Typical asking rent
$2,517/mo
Median of 1 cities · Zillow Research
30-yr fixed rate
7.03%
Freddie Mac via FRED, September 2026
Monthly P&I
$3,150
20.0% down, 30-yr fixed
Days on market
108
+29 days YoY
Active listings
2,386
-7.0% YoY
Median household income
$106,287
U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Typical home value is Zillow's ZHVI — the value of a typical home across the whole housing stock, not just the homes that sold. Median sale price is what actually closed. Redfin stopped publishing public market trackers in June 2026; latest available period is May 2026.
Where District of Columbia home prices are heading
Zillow does not publish a statewide typical-home-value series for District of Columbia, so there is no honest single number to lead with here. The city pages below carry Zillow values where they exist, and the statewide sale-price history from Redfin is charted underneath.
What would have to change for District of Columbia prices to fall. Prices fall when supply outruns demand for long enough that sellers compete on price rather than waiting. District of Columbia is carrying 5.9 months of supply — inside the four-to-six-month band where neither side dictates terms. Active listings are -7.0% year over year and new listings -3.9%, so supply is still tightening, which supports prices even with weak demand. The other lever is the rate. At 7.03%, existing owners with cheaper mortgages have little reason to list, which is what has kept supply artificially low across most of the country. A sustained move down in rates unlocks those sellers and adds inventory; it also adds buyers. Which side moves first decides the direction.
Market trends
Statewide monthly series · Redfin, through February 2026 · No longer updating · Redfin stopped publishing public market trackers in June 2026; latest available period is May 2026.
What it costs to buy in District of Columbia at today's rate
Down payment
$118,000
20.0% of value
Loan amount
$472,000
30-yr fixed
Monthly P&I
$3,150
at 7.03%
Income needed
$135,000
28.0% front-end ratio
A buyer purchasing the typical District of Columbia home at $590,000 puts $118,000 down, finances $472,000, and pays $3,150 a month in principal and interest. Property taxes, homeowners insurance, HOA dues, and mortgage insurance sit on top of that and vary by county — budget for them separately rather than assuming the P&I figure is the payment.
Lenders typically want principal and interest under 28.0% of gross income, which puts the qualifying income for that purchase at roughly $135,000. District of Columbia's median household earns $106,287 (Census ACS 2023) — a gap of $28,713 above what the median household brings in. Put differently, the median household would spend 35.6% of gross income on principal and interest alone — above the ratio most lenders underwrite to, which is why buyers here typically need a larger down payment, a co-borrower, or a cheaper city than the statewide typical home.
The value-to-income ratio in District of Columbia is 5.6x. Anything above 5x means prices have run well ahead of local earnings; buyers are relying on dual incomes, prior equity, or outside capital rather than local wages. Model your own numbers in the affordability calculator or the mortgage calculator.
Figures are illustrative, not a quote or a pre-approval. Rate: Freddie Mac via FRED, September 2026 · Value: Redfin, through February 2026 · Income: U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Buying in District of Columbia in the next 12 months?
Tell us your timeline. We send the District of Columbia market brief: the price ranges that are actually clearing, the cities where your budget goes furthest, and what to fix on your credit before you apply.
Rent or buy in District of Columbia?
Zillow publishes its rent index per city rather than per state, so the honest statewide read is the median across the 1 largest District of Columbia cities that carry it: $2,517 a month. Set against a typical home value of $590,000, that is a price-to-rent ratio of 19.5x.
Between 15x and 20x the two options are close enough that the tiebreaker is how long you stay, not the ratio itself. Principal and interest on the typical home runs $633 more per month than that typical rent — and that is before taxes, insurance, and the roughly 1% of value a year most owners spend on maintenance.
For a second read on the same question, the Census ACS puts median gross rent across all District of Columbia households — every unit type, not just what is currently listed — at $1,900 a month (2023), with 41.1% of District of Columbia households owning rather than renting. Asking rents lead the ACS figure because they reflect today's new leases rather than the whole stock of existing ones.
Run the rent-vs-buy calculator with your own holding period and down payment — the statewide ratio is a starting point, not an answer.
Supply: what is on the market in District of Columbia
| Measure | Latest | Year earlier | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active listings | 2,386 | 2,566 | -7.0% |
| New listings | 773 | 804 | -3.9% |
| Homes sold | 404 | 499 | -19.0% |
| Months of supply | 5.9 | 5.1 | +0.8 |
| Sale-to-list ratio | 98.0% | 98.3% | Below asking |
What these mean. Active listings is the shelf — everything a buyer could tour today. New listings is restock rate; when it falls faster than sales, the shelf empties. Months of supply is active inventory divided by homes sold per month: at the current sales pace, how many months it would take to sell every home currently listed. Under 4 months of supply tilts toward sellers, 4 to 5 months is the neutral band, and above 5 months tilts toward buyers — above 7 months is a glut. These are the same thresholds the market verdict on every city and ZIP page is scored against. Sale-to-list ratio is the discipline check — above 100% means homes are clearing over asking on average, below means sellers are conceding.
Redfin, through February 2026 · No longer updating — Redfin stopped publishing public market trackers in June 2026; latest available period is May 2026. Zillow's inventory and new-listing counts are published per city and appear on the individual city pages.
Where District of Columbia home values are moving fastest
12-month change in typical home value · Zillow Research
Rising fastest
- 1.Washington-3.2%
Falling
- 1.Washington-3.2%
Computed from Zillow's typical home value for each city at Zillow Research against the same month a year earlier, across the 1 largest District of Columbia cities by population. Small markets swing hardest because a handful of transactions moves the index — read the city page before treating a large move as a trend.
The most and least expensive cities in District of Columbia
Typical home value across the 1 largest cities · Zillow Research
Most expensive
- 1.Washington$570,082
Most affordable
- 1.Washington$570,082
The spread between Washington and Washington is 1.0x — one reason a single statewide number is close to useless for a buyer with a fixed budget. Pick the city first, then the price band. Speed is a separate axis from price: Washington was the quickest of these markets to clear at 109 days on market (Redfin, through February 2026).
How District of Columbia compares
| Market | Typical value | 12-mo change | Median income | Value / income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | — | — | $106,287 | 5.6x |
| United States | $368,697 | +1.2% | — | — |
| Maryland | $428,308 | +0.0% | $101,652 | 4.2x |
| Virginia | $414,662 | +2.2% | $90,974 | 4.6x |
| Pennsylvania | $290,401 | +2.4% | $76,081 | 3.8x |
The three states above are District of Columbia's nearest land neighbours — the markets buyers most often price against when a move is still negotiable.
Values and 12-month changes: Zillow Research · Refreshes monthly. Income: U.S. Census ACS, 2023. ACS publishes household income per state, not for the nation on the same basis, so the U.S. row shows home value only.
District of Columbia housing markets by city
1 cities tracked — the 1 largest by population shown
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What to do next in District of Columbia
If you are buying
- Set the payment before the price. Start from what you can carry monthly, then work backwards with the affordability calculator — the typical District of Columbia home is $3,150/mo in P&I today.
- Pick the city, not the state. Values across District of Columbia run from $570,082 in Washington to $570,082 in Washington.
- Put two finalists head to head in the city comparison tool before you tour anything.
- Fix the credit file before you shop the rate. A better score moves the payment more than haggling over price does at 7.03%.
If you are selling
- Price against your city, not the statewide figure — the spread between District of Columbia markets is wider than the year-over-year move in any of them.
- Read the supply table above. At 5.9 months of supply, neither side has leverage, so presentation and pricing accuracy decide the outcome.
- Watch days on market in your city, not the state. The statewide median was 108 days (Redfin, through February 2026); your city page carries its own.
- Time the listing against new-listing volume. New listings are -3.9% year over year — less competition than a year ago.
District of Columbia housing market questions
What is the typical home value in District of Columbia?
The median sale price in District of Columbia is $590,000 (Redfin, through February 2026). Zillow does not publish a statewide typical-home-value series for District of Columbia, so city-level values on the pages below are the better read.
Are District of Columbia home prices going up or down?
Direction of travel for District of Columbia prices is tracked per city on each market page, since statewide averages hide most of the movement.
How much income do you need to buy a home in District of Columbia?
At the current 30-year fixed rate of 7.03%, a $590,000 home with 20.0% down carries roughly $3,150 a month in principal and interest. Using the 28% front-end ratio most lenders underwrite to, that implies a household income of about $135,000 before taxes, insurance, HOA dues, or mortgage insurance are added. District of Columbia's median household income is $106,287 (Census ACS, 2023), a gap of $28,713 above the median household. These figures are illustrative, not a quote or a pre-approval.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in District of Columbia?
Typical asking rent across the largest District of Columbia cities Zillow publishes rent data for is $2,517 a month (median of 1 cities, Zillow Research). Against a typical home value of $590,000, that is a price-to-rent ratio of 19.5x. Ratios under about 15x generally favour buying if you plan to stay put; above about 20x, renting and investing the difference tends to win over short horizons. Principal and interest alone runs $633 more than that typical rent each month, before taxes, insurance, and maintenance.
Which District of Columbia cities are the most affordable?
Among the largest cities we track in District of Columbia, the lowest typical home values are in Washington ($570,082). Values are Zillow's typical-home-value index for Zillow Research.
Which District of Columbia cities are the most expensive?
The highest typical home values among the largest District of Columbia cities are in Washington ($570,082). Price per square foot, inventory, and days on market for each are on the individual city pages.
Which District of Columbia cities are appreciating the fastest?
Over the past 12 months the largest home-value gains among District of Columbia cities we track were in Washington (-3.2%). Fast appreciation usually reflects constrained supply, in-migration, or a small transaction base — check the individual city page before reading it as a trend.
How long do homes take to sell in District of Columbia?
Homes in District of Columbia spent a median of 108 days on market in the last month Redfin published (Redfin, through February 2026). That is 29 days slower than the same month a year earlier. The quickest market among the state's largest cities was Washington at 109 days. Redfin stopped publishing public market trackers in June 2026; latest available period is May 2026.
How does District of Columbia compare to neighboring states?
District of Columbia is benchmarked against the U.S. typical home value and its nearest peer markets as soon as those series are available for all of them.
Is now a good time to buy in District of Columbia?
That depends on your timeline, not the headline. The measurable inputs today: a 30-year fixed rate of 7.03%, 5.9 months of supply statewide (Redfin, through February 2026), active listings -7.0% year over year. Buyers with a five-year-plus horizon are mostly exposed to the payment, not the price, so the rate you can qualify for matters more than the month you buy. Properties Incorporated is an independent data platform, not a brokerage or lender — this is information, not advice.
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Neighboring state markets
- Maryland housing market — $428,308 typical value
- Virginia housing market — $414,662 typical value
- Pennsylvania housing market — $290,401 typical value
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