Profile of a City — Washington, District of Columbia
by Clay-Adam Johnson, January 2021
D.C. A city. A capital. No, not only a capital, the capital city of one of the largest and most prosperous countries to ever exist. It is one of the densest cities in the United States of America, the home of an impressive diverse population, some of the nation’s best schools, international organizations and many of the country’s leaders including the president. It's safe to say that without a doubt in mind, that this is one of the most interesting cities in the country.
The current estimated population of the city as of 2019 is 705,749. Of that, 24.6% percent of said population is made up of people under the age of 18, while 12.4% of said population is made up of people 65 years and older.
As it stands, Washington D. C. is one of the largest cities in the country with population growth and a diverse population. Women currently make up 52.6% of the population. Black people currently make up 46% of the population, while Non-Hispanic and/or Latino White people make up 37.5% of the city. White people in total, including White Hispanic and/or Latino people make up 46% of the city’s population.
The total percentage of the population that is Hispanic or Latino is 11.3%, while the people who are descended from Two or More Races make up 2.9% of the population. Native Americans make up 0.6% of the population, Asian-Americans make up 4.5% and people of Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders make up 0.1% of the population.
Along with being the capital of the nation, it is part of one of the most educated Metropolitan areas in the country. Over 90% of the population has at least their high school diploma or its equivalent, while the amount of people 25 and older that had their Bachelor’s degree or higher is standing at 58.5%.
Many of the best universities in the country are located here, with Howard and Georgetown being the most famous of them. This doesn’t necessarily apply to the public school system, though, despite the positive changes that have been made in recent years. Overall, the city itself is very educated. One would suppose it’s necessary with how expensive the city is.
Much like the other major East Coast cities in America, the nation’s capital is much more expensive than much of the nation. Average rent for an apartment is one of the highest in the country, standing at $2,102 a month. One bedrooms cost $1,932 a month, while two bedroom apartments average out at $2,616 a month.
One would need an impressive salary to be able to afford the average apartment. Either that or a lot of roommates, which isn’t an uncommon strategy to afford to live in such a city. The average salary in Washington D. C. is roughly $76,000 with the average currently going down. Cost of living, however is not. That being said, it is still the beginning of the year, so it is too early to tell if this trend will continue.
The city was founded in the late 18th century when the Founding Fathers found it necessary to have a city where they could securely delegate. In 1801, Congress passed An Act Concerning the District of Columbia, which basically put the city under the reins of the federal government; and in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act which ended slavery in the district of Columbia.