National Center for Healthy Housing

Washington, DC

Location Summary

Positive Findings: Compared to the national average, the Washington area has fewer homes with holes in floors, sewage disposal breakdowns, incomplete plumbing and kitchen facilities, and room heaters without a flue. Central city properties were less likely to have sewage disposal breakdowns or have room heaters without a flue. Rental properties were less likely to have open cracks or holes in walls and floors, sewage disposal breakdowns,  incomplete plumbing and kitchen facilities, room heaters without a flue, and siding, window, and foundation problems. Owner-occupied homes were less likely to have foundation problems and room heaters without a flue, when compared to the national average.

Areas for Improvement: Compared to the national average, Washington-area homes had a higher incidence of broken plaster and peeling paint, mice, water leaks from inside, water supply stoppages, and roofing problems. Homes inside and outside the central city were more likely to have broken plaster or peeling paint, water leaks from inside, and water supply stoppages; central city units also saw signs of mice more often than the national average, whiles homes outside experienced more roofing problems. Rental units experienced water supply stoppage more often. Owner-occupied homes were more likely to have broken plaster or peeling paint, signs of mice, water leaks from inside, and roofing problems.

Community Information: The Washington MSA includes the District of Columbia, Calvert, Charles, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties in Maryland; Arlington, Clarke, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Warren counties in Virginia; Jefferson County in West Virginia; and the cities of Fredericksburg, Manassas, Manassas Park, Fairfax, and Falls Church in Virginia. In 2007, the MSA included 1,949,100 occupied dwelling units, 15.7% of which were located in the central city of Washington. The housing stock of the MSA was above average for age and most heavily rental of the cities surveyed. The percentage of pre-1940 homes ranked 20th (9.8%) for the MSA and 27th (37.2%) for the central city. The median house age in the Washington MSA was 1975. The percentage of rental units ranked 29th (27.2%) for the MSA and 11th (56.1%) for the central city. Compared to other locations, Washington had a lower poverty rate. Its poverty rate ranked 1st (7.1%) for the entire MSA and 13th (14.8%) for homes in the central city.