DC housing affordability
Buying the median DC home costs $1,433 more a month than in 2019
Affordability is the question in every big city right now, so here is what buying in DC costs each month, neighborhood by neighborhood. The median sale rose from $599,000 to $725,000, and the mortgage rate went from 3.94% to 6.60%.
DC figures use qualified sales matched to current residential address records. Some historical sales cannot be matched, so these are a partial sample. Three pairs of adjacent neighborhood clusters are combined and named together. Median sale prices describe the homes sold in each year, which may differ between years.
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Spring Valley
+$5,231 a month
Monthly mortgage payment $5,498 in 2019, $10,729 in 2025
See Spring ValleyRise in the monthly mortgage payment, 2019 to 2025
- More than $1,800
- $1,300 to $1,800
- $700 to $1,300
- Less than $700
- Parks and areas without a figure
Rose most and least
Spring Valley +$5,231 · Georgetown +$4,235
Hillcrest +$344 · Kenilworth / Mayfair +$354
- Spring Valley$5,498 → $10,729 a month+$5,231
- Georgetown$4,834 → $9,069 a month+$4,235
- Van Ness$1,972 → $5,211 a month+$3,239
- Chevy Chase$4,171 → $7,153 a month+$2,982
- Tenleytown$4,256 → $7,153 a month+$2,897
- Shepherd Park$3,370 → $6,233 a month+$2,863
- Cleveland Park$2,054 → $4,598 a month+$2,544
- Brookland$2,351 → $4,409 a month+$2,058
That’s the DC median; now look up the home you want.
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Create a free accountA model-generated estimate and analytical context, not investment advice. The estimated value comes from an automated valuation model (AVM). An AVM is an estimated sale price for a property. It is not the same as the opinion of value in an appraisal developed by a licensed appraiser under the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.
DC affordability by neighborhood, A to Z
- Adams Morgan+$1,521
- Bloomingdale+$1,766
- Brookland+$2,058
- Capitol Hill+$1,852
- Chevy Chase+$2,982
- Cleveland Park+$2,544
- Columbia Heights+$1,404
- Congress Heights+$749
- Deanwood+$710
- Downtown+$566
- Dupont Circle+$696
- Foggy Bottom+$1,000
- Fort Totten+$952
- Garfield Heights / Shipley Terrace+$717
- Georgetown+$4,235
- Glover Park+$1,597
- Hillcrest+$344
- Historic Anacostia / Barry Farm+$834
- Kenilworth / Mayfair+$354
- Le Droit Park+$1,114
- Marshall Heights+$645
- Michigan Park+$851
- Navy Yard+$1,359
- Petworth+$1,391
- Randle Highlands+$591
- River Terrace+$632
- Shaw / Logan Circle+$1,335
- Shepherd Park+$2,863
- Southwest / Waterfront+$1,418
- Spring Valley+$5,231
- Stanton Park+$1,475
- Takoma+$1,255
- Tenleytown+$2,897
- Trinidad+$664
- Van Ness+$3,239
- Woodridge+$1,273
Questions about DC affordability
How much does it cost to buy a home in DC?
The median DC home sold for $725,000 in 2025. With 20% down, $145,000, and a 30-year fixed loan at 6.60%, the monthly mortgage payment comes to $3,704 before taxes and insurance.
Is DC still affordable?
That depends on your income, your savings and the neighborhood. The monthly mortgage payment on the median DC home went from $2,271 in 2019 to $3,704 in 2025. Across DC’s 36 mapped areas, the rise ran from $344 in Hillcrest to $5,231 in Spring Valley.
What income do you need to buy in DC?
About $148,000 a year for the median DC home, by a common rule of thumb that keeps the monthly mortgage payment at 30% of gross income. The same rule gave $91,000 in 2019. Lenders apply their own tests, and taxes and insurance come on top of the payment.
How much has the monthly mortgage payment in DC changed since 2019?
The monthly mortgage payment on the median DC home rose $1,433, from $2,271 in 2019 to $3,704 in 2025. Higher prices added $561, and the higher mortgage rate, 3.94% to 6.60%, added $872.
Where in DC did the payment rise least?
Across DC’s 36 mapped areas, it rose least in Hillcrest, $344 a month, and in Kenilworth / Mayfair, $354. The map and list show the available area figures.
What does the full cost to own a home add?
Property tax, insurance, HOA dues and upkeep come on top of the monthly mortgage payment shown here. A free account’s Cost to Own adds them up for a specific home, and three homes a month are free.
Monthly mortgage payment is principal and interest on the median sale with 20% down and a 30-year fixed loan, at each year’s average Freddie Mac rate (3.94% in 2019, 6.60% in 2025); taxes and insurance are not included. Sales: DC Office of Tax and Revenue.