Trends · District of Columbia
House prices and costs in Washington, DC
How house prices moved across 28 Washington ZIP codes, what buyers here borrowed and paid, what's new and how buying works in District of Columbia. Public data, with sources and dates. Past change, not a forecast.
Washington, DC-MD house prices -1.1% in the year to 2026 Q2 (FHFA, purchases)
7.03% is Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate for the week of Sep 24, 2026, for buyers with 20% down and excellent credit. It isn't an offer or an APR.
Map of Washington ZIP codes
House price change, 3 years
- Under -7%
- -7% to 7%
- 7% to 12%
- 12% to 20%
- 20% or more
- No data
- What's new
15 of 28 ZIPs have this figure.
Tap a ZIP on the map or choose one above to compare it with Washington and the metro.
How house prices moved in Washington, 2022–2025
Of 15 ZIPs with enough data, 4 rose 7% or more, 0 fell 7% or more and 11 moved less (no clear change). Past rankings are a weak guide: of the ZIPs in their city's top 3 for 2019–2022, 25 of 134 (about 1 in 5) were top 3 again for 2022–2025; chance alone would give about 21. Past change, not a forecast.
FHFA's experimental ZIP house price index: houses with Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loans, from sales and refinance appraisals. Condos, co-ops and multi-unit buildings aren't in it. Tap a ZIP to see it on the map.
Largest house-price rises, 2022–2025
3-year change of the ZIP index; ZIPs with an index every year, 5,000+ residents and 1,000+ owner-occupied homes. Left out as too jumpy: a ZIP whose index rose 7% or more in one year and fell as much in another. Each year's change below.
Largest house-price falls, 2022–2025
3-year change of the ZIP index; ZIPs with an index every year, 5,000+ residents and 1,000+ owner-occupied homes. Left out as too jumpy: a ZIP whose index rose 7% or more in one year and fell as much in another. Each year's change below.
No Washington ZIP's house prices fell 7% or more from 2022 to 2025.
Lowest owner-reported values
Median value owners report (Census ACS 2020–2024). Left out: ZIPs under 1,000 residents, less reliable estimates, and ZIPs where most owners live in condos or co-ops.
- 1ZIP 20032± $43K · ≈ $2,560/mo housing payment (est.) on a house, 20% down$408K
- 2ZIP 20020± $26K · ≈ $2,852/mo housing payment (est.) on a house, 20% down$456K
- 3ZIP 20019± $14K · ≈ $2,857/mo housing payment (est.) on a house, 20% down$457K
- 4ZIP 20018± $35K · ≈ $4,310/mo housing payment (est.) on a house, 20% down$697K
- 5ZIP 20017 · includes Brookland± $30K · ≈ $4,343/mo housing payment (est.) on a house, 20% down$703K
Population grew most
Residents, 2015–2019 to 2020–2024 (Census ACS): only changes larger than the margin of error, in ZIPs with 1,000+ residents.
Public loan records · 2025
What buyers here actually borrowed and paid (2025)
2025 home-purchase loans (first liens) on owner-occupied 1–4 unit homes in Washington's census tracts: 4,713 loans. These are loans that closed in Washington, not offers: a rate depends on your credit, down payment, points and the day you lock it.
- Interest rate, 30-year fixed (conventional)
- 6.125% to 6.75%Middle half of loans; median 6.5% · 3,131 loans
- Loan costs at closing
- $5,671 to $9,967Middle half; median $7,167. Origination charges (points included) and settlement services, Closing Disclosure section D · 3,998 loans
- Borrowed, every loan on the home combined
- 80% of the value (median)Middle half 75% to 95%. 49.7% of buyers borrowed more than 80% of the value, 32.4% more than 90%, 19.1% more than 95%. HMDA's combined loan-to-value: every loan on the home (second loans, down-payment-assistance loans and financed FHA or VA fees too) ÷ the value the lender used, so it doesn't show the cash buyers put down · 4,572 loans
- Loan types
- Conventional 85.6% · FHA 6.3%VA 8.1% · USDA 0%
- Discount points
- 40.7% of loans paid pointsMedian paid: $3,265. Points buy a lower rate.
- Loan limits, 2026
- $1,249,125 conformingAbove it, a jumbo loan with its own rates and rules; FHA limit $1,249,125 (one-unit home, District of Columbia)
For comparison: 7.03% is Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate for the week of Sep 24, 2026, for buyers with 20% down and excellent credit. It isn't an offer or an APR. Source: FFIEC Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data: 2025 Snapshot National Loan-Level Dataset (data as of June 1, 2026), via the CFPB HMDA Data Browser; Homiy's calculations (2025 loans; retrieved 2026-09-27).
Research · dated and sourced
What's new in Washington
Rail openings, zoning changes and big projects from primary sources, newest first. Stars on the map mark the ones with a location. News, not a price forecast.
- Project
Reservoir Park and recreation center open
The former McMillan site gains public park and recreation space. The public opening is distinct from the timetable for surrounding private development.
DC Mayor, Reservoir Park Recreation Center opening - Rail opened
Potomac Yard–VT station opens in Alexandria
The regional Blue/Yellow Line infill station opens south of National Airport. The pin is its approximate Alexandria entrance, not a new station inside Washington, DC.
Near ZIP 20032
WMATA, Potomac Yard opening announcement
Metro area · public data
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
- House prices, year to 2026 Q2
- -1.1%FHFA purchase-only index for Washington, DC-MD
- House prices, 5 years to 2026 Q2
- +6.6%FHFA purchase-only index for Washington, DC-MD
- House prices, 2025
- +2.5%All sales and refinances, like the ZIP figures; 2022–2025: +6.3%
- New homes permitted
- 3.4 per 1,000 residents21,974 homes · +11.5% vs a year earlier · Sep 2025–Aug 2026
- Jobs, 12 months
- -2.0%Aug 2026 (preliminary)
- Population, July 2020 to July 2025
- +3.3%6,465,724 residents in July 2025 (Census estimates)
- Mortgage rate benchmark
- 7.03%Freddie Mac average, week of Sep 24, 2026
7.03% is Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate for the week of Sep 24, 2026, for buyers with 20% down and excellent credit. It isn't an offer or an APR. New homes permitted is a supply signal: more permits per resident usually means more homes coming to market. Jobs, permits and population cover the whole metro.
Natural hazards, compared with other U.S. counties
- District of Columbia, DC: expected yearly losses rated very high for winter weather; expected yearly losses rated relatively high for earthquake, hurricane, inland flooding, heat wave, hail.
Other ratings for District of Columbia, DC
- WildfireVery Low
- Coastal floodingRelatively Moderate
- TornadoRelatively Moderate
FEMA National Risk Index December 2025: Expected Annual Loss rating of each hazard, by county (NRI December 2025): expected annual losses to buildings, people and agriculture; FEMA's social-vulnerability adjustments aren't included. This describes each county, not this home. Check the address on FEMA's flood map; in a high-risk flood zone, a federally backed loan requires flood insurance.
Sources (11)
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates, Vintage 2025 (metropolitan and micropolitan areas) (July 2020 → July 2025)
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey: new privately-owned housing units authorized, by CBSA (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
- FEMA National Risk Index December 2025: Expected Annual Loss rating of each hazard, by county (NRI December 2025)
- FHFA House Price Index, purchase-only, not seasonally adjusted: Washington, DC-MD (MSAD) (metropolitan division 47764) (2026 Q2)
- FHFA House Price Index, all-transactions, not seasonally adjusted: Washington, DC-MD (MSAD) (metropolitan division 47764), calendar-year averages of the quarterly index (2020–2025)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, total nonfarm, not seasonally adjusted (series SMU11479000000000001) (Aug 2026 (preliminary))
- FTA National Transit Database, General Transit Feed Specification Weblinks: the public-domain GTFS feeds agencies must publish (retrieved 2026-09-27)
- Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority: GTFS schedule (scheduled service 2026-09-27 to 2026-10-24)
- Maryland Transit Administration: GTFS schedule (scheduled service 2026-09-27 to 2026-10-24)
- Virginia Railway Express: GTFS schedule (scheduled service 2026-09-27 to 2026-10-24)
- Freddie Mac average (Primary Mortgage Market Survey) (Sep 24, 2026)
Research summary · not legal advice
How buying works in District of Columbia
The usual steps, deadlines and closing costs for a purchase in Washington, from state law, standard contract forms and local custom. Contracts can change any of it. Homiy is a prototype: it isn't a licensed brokerage in District of Columbia and offers no services here.
- Who runs the closing
- A title company runs the closing and holds the money. Typical time from contract to keys: about 30 days.
- The contract
- Your signed offer becomes a binding contract once the seller accepts it.
Details
GCAAR District of Columbia sales contract and jurisdictional addenda
- Buyer agreement
- DC written buyer brokerage agreement and agency disclosure, signed before touring.
Details
Homiy's prototype requires a written agreement before a represented tour. NAR's rule binds participating MLS brokers; do not describe it as a universal state law. Compensation is negotiable and total brokerage pay cannot exceed the agreement.
Source: NAR: written buyer agreements before touring (MLS participation rule, not a universal state statute) (reviewed 2026-09-27)
- Inspection
- About 10 days for inspections.
Details
Inspection and financing clauses depend on the regional form and elected addenda. 10 calendar days is a negotiable sample planning period, not a statutory deadline.
- Earnest money
- 1–3% of the price, due within 3 days, held by: Named settlement/title escrow.
Details
Sample only: delivery within 3 calendar days and 1–3% earnest money; the signed contract controls. Buyer delivery is distinct from the holder's statutory deposit deadline.
- Seller's disclosure
- DC Seller's Disclosure Statement You may cancel within 5 days in some cases: Disclosure first delivered after buyer executes agreement: written termination within 5 calendar days after receipt; earlier settlement, occupancy or loan application accompanied by the lender's statutory waiver notice ends the right..
Details
Covered residential transfers require disclosure before or with the buyer's agreement. Statutory exemptions and separate condo/HOA documents need review.
Source: DC Code §42-1302: seller disclosure timing and termination (reviewed 2026-09-27)
- Loan and appraisal
- Loan contingency: 21 days (set in the contract).
Details
21-day financing period and the typical closing time are sample planning assumptions, not measured averages or legal rights. Financing and appraisal protection require the signed form/addenda; an appraisal shortfall is not automatically protected.
- Title insurance
- The buyer customarily pays for the owner's policy.
Details
Payer is a negotiable local custom, not a mandatory charge; obtain a title quote and follow the signed allocation. Filed insurer/rating-bureau rates are not a state-promulgated price.
- Property tax for a new owner
- Your property tax follows the county's assessed market value. About 0.85% of the price a year is our planning figure for Washington; your bill can differ.
Details
Residential Class1 rate applies to assessed value. Homestead deduction and the assessment-increase cap require qualification; do not inherit the seller's protected bill. Co-op tax allocation is in maintenance.
DC residential Class1A baseline$0.85/$100 assessment, before homestead deduction/credits. OTR also lists Class1B (≤2 dwellings):0.85% first$2.558M assessed and1% above; a single percentage cannot encode this higher-value marginal property-tax tier. Actual assessment, class and current threshold control. Co-op tax is in maintenance: suppress separate tax. HOA range and lender-title percentage are SAMPLE inputs.
- Agent credits to the buyer
- District of Columbia allows an agent to credit part of their pay to the buyer, with the lender's approval.
Details
No express consumer-rebate ban identified in the DC licensing statute; unlicensed brokerage payments and undisclosed compensation remain restricted. Low-confidence affirmative interpretation; legal/lender approval required before promising a credit.
Source: DC Code §47-2853.197: real estate license discipline (reviewed 2026-09-27)
Closing taxes
| Tax | Customarily paid by | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| DC deed recordation tax | Buyer | 1.1–1.45% of the price, by bracket (the whole amount)DC Code §42-1103: recordation tax and first-time buyer relief |
| DC transfer tax | Seller | 1.1–1.45% of the price, by bracket (the whole amount)DC Code §47-903: transfer tax |
Programs and after you buy
- Down-payment help
- DC Open Doors (DC Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA))Below-market first mortgages plus a deferred 0% loan for the minimum down payment, with no monthly payments.Official page, checked 2026-09-28.District of Columbia's housing finance agency runs it; the program decides who qualifies and for how much.
- Down-payment help in Washington
- Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP) (DC Department of Housing and Community Development)Up to $202,000 in gap financing plus $4,000 toward closing costs for eligible buyers.Official page, checked 2026-09-28.
- Homestead exemption
- Real Property Tax Reliefs, Credits, and Deductions (DC Office of Tax and Revenue)The Homestead Deduction reduces an owner-occupied principal residence's assessed value by $91,950 for tax year 2026; it needs an application on file with the Office of Tax and Revenue.Deadline: October 1–March 31 for the full year; April 1–September 30 for halfOfficial page, checked 2026-09-28.
- If you disagree with your assessment
- Real Property Assessment Appeal Rights & Application (DC Office of Tax and Revenue)Appeals start at the first level with the Assessment Division; new owners may, in most cases, petition for an administrative review within 45 days of the purchase date.When: 45 days after your purchase (new owners)Official page, checked 2026-09-28.
- After you buy: alerts on your deed
- We found no county alert service for documents recorded on your home. Where we looked: DC Office of Tax and Revenue Recorder of Deeds service pages and web searches.Checked 2026-09-28.
Sources (9)
- DC Code §42-1302: seller disclosure timing and termination (reviewed 2026-09-27)
- DC Code §47-2853.197: real estate license discipline (reviewed 2026-09-27)
- DC Code §42-1103: recordation tax and first-time buyer relief (reviewed 2026-09-27)
- DC Code §47-903: transfer tax (reviewed 2026-09-27)
- DC OTR: real property tax rates (reviewed 2026-09-27)
- FHFA 2026 county conforming limits, one unit (2026 calendar year)
- NAIC homeowners report: selected HO-3 $300k–399,999 and HO-6 facts (2023 data; published July 2026)
- Census CHARS: contractor-built house contract price per square foot, excluding land (2025 annual regional averages)
- DC OTR residential tax classes and rates (reviewed 2026-09-27; Class1B threshold$2.558M)
Methodology
How we measure, and what it isn't
Past change, not a forecast. These figures describe the past from public data; they don't tell you where prices go next.
House prices by ZIP, and the rankings
FHFA's experimental ZIP house price index: houses with Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loans, from sales and refinance appraisals. Condos, co-ops and multi-unit buildings aren't in it. It's built from repeat sales and refinance appraisals of the same homes, not average sale prices, and FHFA publishes no margin of error for it. We rank ZIPs by the change over the last 3 years, only where FHFA published the index in every one of them, and only ZIPs with 5,000+ residents and 1,000+ owner-occupied homes. A change smaller than 7% either way is “no clear change”: in our 50 cities, the index's own year-to-year swings suggest sampling alone can move a three-year change about that much. A ZIP whose index rose 7% or more in one year and fell as much in another is left out as too jumpy. We show rises and falls, each year's change, and the city's and metro's figures for the same years. Past rankings are a weak guide: of the ZIPs in their city's top 3 for 2019–2022, 25 of 134 (about 1 in 5) were top 3 again for 2022–2025; chance alone would give about 21. Many ZIPs, especially dense ones, have no index.
City and metro price figures
City: the resident-weighted average of its ZIPs that have an index (the ZIP card says when that's only part of the city). Metro: FHFA's all-transactions index over the same calendar years, the ZIPs' method; the metro card also shows FHFA's purchase-only index for the latest quarter against a year and five years earlier. Where FHFA splits a metro into divisions (New York, Miami, Detroit and others), the division's index, named where it's shown. Jobs, permits and population always cover the whole metro.
Payment ÷ income
Monthly housing payment (est.) on a house at the ZIP's median value: 20% down · 30-year fixed at 7.03% (Freddie Mac average) · 360 monthly loan payments · APR not calculated (it depends on the lender's fees) · includes principal and interest, property tax, home insurance and any HOA dues, plus mortgage insurance below 20% down. Property tax uses Washington's rule for a new buyer (about 0.85% of the price a year, our planning figure); insurance is a typical premium. Not included: upkeep, utilities, flood insurance, special assessments. Divided by a month of the ZIP's median household income. The Census reports values over $2 million and incomes over $250,000 only as “or more”, so those shares are bounds (“at least”, “at most”). Left out where 50% or more of owner-occupied homes are in buildings with 5+ units: their HOA dues or co-op charges aren't in the payment. It combines two estimates, so no margin is computed. 7.03% is Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate for the week of Sep 24, 2026, for buyers with 20% down and excellent credit. It isn't an offer or an APR.
Census figures and margins of error
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024: the median value owners report for their homes (it lags sale prices; co-op owners report the value of their shares), median rent with utilities, median household income, residents, and the property tax and monthly costs owners report. Each comes with its 90% margin of error (±). Figures whose margin is 20–49% of the estimate are marked “less reliable” and left out of rankings and tags; figures with wider margins aren't shown. A population change (from 2015–2019) is shown only when it passes the Census Bureau's 90% significance test; otherwise it says “no clear change”. Washington's own figures come from the Census's estimates for the city itself where published; otherwise they blend its ZIPs (no margin computed). Lists leave out ZIPs with fewer than 1,000 residents.
Tags
- Lower home values:
- The median value owners report is in the lowest quarter of the city's ZIPs (Census ACS). Less reliable estimates and ZIPs where most owners live in condos or co-ops aren't compared.
- Population grew:
- Residents rose 5% or more between the two latest five-year Census surveys, by more than the margin of error.
- Mostly condos or co-ops:
- Half or more of owner-occupied homes are in buildings with 5 or more units. Values there leave out HOA dues and co-op charges, so they aren't ranked.
- New rail nearby:
- A rail station opened within about a mile in 2023–2026.
“New rail nearby” uses our dated news pins: a ZIP whose center is within 1,600 m of a station that opened, plus the ZIP the station sits in. No tag describes price momentum.
Hazards and flood insurance
FEMA's National Risk Index rates each county's expected yearly losses from each hazard against all U.S. counties; we show those Expected Annual Loss ratings for every county the city lies in, without FEMA's social-vulnerability adjustments. They describe counties, not homes. Flood insurance counts are policies and claims in the federal program (NFIP) only. Check an address's flood zone on FEMA's flood map.
What buyers borrowed and paid
Public HMDA loan records: home-purchase first liens on owner-occupied 1–4 unit homes in the city (the card names the area covered), with the number of loans behind each figure. Loans that closed, not offers or quotes.
Neutral by design
We describe prices, payments, population counts, construction and rail lines. We don't describe places by who lives there, schools or crime, and we don't call areas “up-and-coming”, “transitional” or “safe”. Choose where to live for your own reasons.
Sources and dates
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (ZCTA), with 90% margins of error: population, median household income, median home value, median gross rent, median real estate taxes paid, median monthly owner costs with a mortgage, owner-occupied share and units, owner homes in buildings with 5+ units, median year built (ACS 2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (ZCTA): population and its margin of error, for the 5-year change and its significance test (ACS 2015–2019)
- FHFA House Price Index, five-digit ZIP codes, annual (developmental, all-transactions) (2025 (updated 2026-03-31))
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA to place relationship file, 2025 Gazetteer and cartographic boundaries (city ZIPs, centers, bounds) (2020 ZCTAs; 2025 place boundaries)
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates, Vintage 2025 (metropolitan and micropolitan areas) (July 2020 → July 2025)
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey: new privately-owned housing units authorized, by CBSA (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
- FEMA National Risk Index December 2025: Expected Annual Loss rating of each hazard, by county (NRI December 2025)
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Small Area Fair Market Rents by ZIP code, FY2027 (FY2027 (from Oct 1, 2026))
- FEMA, OpenFEMA API: NFIP Redacted Policies, version 3 (policies in force). This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). (in force Jun 30, 2026; data refreshed 2026-07-27; accessed 2026-09-27)
- FEMA, OpenFEMA API: NFIP Redacted Claims, version 3 (claims since 2000). This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). (data refreshed 2026-08-04; accessed 2026-09-27)
- U.S. Treasury, Federal Insurance Office: Analyses of U.S. Homeowners Insurance Markets, 2018–2022, Supporting Underlying Metrics by ZIP code (premiums per policy, nonrenewal rate) (2018–2022 (published January 2025))
- FHFA House Price Index, purchase-only, not seasonally adjusted: Washington, DC-MD (MSAD) (metropolitan division 47764) (2026 Q2)
- FHFA House Price Index, all-transactions, not seasonally adjusted: Washington, DC-MD (MSAD) (metropolitan division 47764), calendar-year averages of the quarterly index (2020–2025)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, total nonfarm, not seasonally adjusted (series SMU11479000000000001) (Aug 2026 (preliminary))
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates for the city of Washington, DC (Census place 1150000): median home value, median household income, median gross rent, with 90% margins of error (ACS 2020–2024)
- FFIEC Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data: 2025 Snapshot National Loan-Level Dataset (data as of June 1, 2026), via the CFPB HMDA Data Browser; Homiy's calculations (2025 loans; retrieved 2026-09-27)
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FHA forward mortgage limits, one-unit limit for District of Columbia, DC (CY2026 (Mortgagee Letter 2025-23))
- FTA National Transit Database, General Transit Feed Specification Weblinks: the public-domain GTFS feeds agencies must publish (retrieved 2026-09-27)
- Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority: GTFS schedule (scheduled service 2026-09-27 to 2026-10-24)
- Maryland Transit Administration: GTFS schedule (scheduled service 2026-09-27 to 2026-10-24)
- Virginia Railway Express: GTFS schedule (scheduled service 2026-09-27 to 2026-10-24)
- Freddie Mac average (Primary Mortgage Market Survey) (Sep 24, 2026)