Demographics of Washington, D.C.
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The demographics of Washington, D.C. depict an ethnically diverse, cosmopolitan, mid-size capital city, the 25th largest city in the United States, with a population defined by a 200-year history dating to the founding of the United States and the creation of a capitol district that was explicitly not a geographic inclusion of the federal republic. Washington, D.C. is home to more than 550,000 people, accounting for about 10% of the population of Washington metropolitan area, home to about 5.9 million. In recent years, the city has renewed population growth, which had characterizd the city from its inception through 1950.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 8,144 |
|
|
| 1810 | 15,471 | 90% | |
| 1820 | 23,336 | 50.8% | |
| 1830 | 30,261 | 29.7% | |
| 1840 | 33,745 | 11.5% | |
| 1850 | 51,687 | 53.2% | |
| 1860 | 75,080 | 45.3% | |
| 1870 | 131,700 | 75.4% | |
| 1880 | 177,624 | 34.9% | |
| 1890 | 230,392 | 29.7% | |
| 1900 | 278,718 | 21% | |
| 1910 | 331,069 | 18.8% | |
| 1920 | 437,571 | 32.2% | |
| 1930 | 486,869 | 11.3% | |
| 1940 | 663,091 | 36.2% | |
| 1950 | 802,178 | 21% | |
| 1960 | 763,956 | −4.8% | |
| 1970 | 756,510 | −1% | |
| 1980 | 638,333 | −15.6% | |
| 1990 | 606,900 | −4.9% | |
| 2000 | 572,059 | −5.7% | |
| Est. 2006 | 581,530 | [1] | 1.7% |
| Demographics of District of Columbia (csv) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| By race | White | Black | AIAN* | Asian | NHPI* |
| 2000 (total population) | 35.34% | 61.96% | 0.86% | 3.17% | 0.14% |
| 2000 (Hispanic only) | 6.43% | 1.34% | 0.17% | 0.09% | 0.03% |
| 2005 (total population) | 39.02% | 58.04% | 0.92% | 3.59% | 0.14% |
| 2005 (Hispanic only) | 7.05% | 1.48% | 0.17% | 0.10% | 0.02% |
| Growth 2000–05 (total population) | 6.25% | -9.85% | 2.84% | 9.05% | -2.22% |
| Growth 2000–05 (non-Hispanic only) | 6.41% | -10.22% | 4.41% | 9.25% | 6.78% |
| Growth 2000–05 (Hispanic only) | 5.52% | 6.98% | -3.49% | 2.58% | -34.66% |
| * AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native; NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | |||||
The 2005 Census Bureau estimate of the city's population was 582,049. After the city government questioned the original results – an estimate of 550,521 – the Census Bureau revised the estimate.[2]
As of the 2000 Census, there were 572,059 people, 248,338 households, and 114,235 families residing in the city. The population density was 9,316.4 per square mile (3,597.3/km²). There were 274,845 housing units at an average density of 1,728.3/km² (4,476.1/mi²). The largest Hispanic group is Salvadoran, accounting for an estimated 18,505 of Washington's 45,901 Hispanic population.[3] D.C. has a steadily declining African American population, due to many middle-class and professional African Americans moving to the suburbs, mostly in Maryland (for example, the African American majority in Prince George's County) and Northern Virginia, Atlanta, Baltimore, Beaumont, Birmingham, Boston, Cambridge, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Danville, Dayton, Detroit, Durham, Franklin, Fayetteville, Greenville, Harrisburg, Hattiesburg, Huntsville, Houston, Jackson, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Killeen, Little Rock, Martinsville, Memphis, Meridian, Miami, Mobile, Montgomery, New Orleans, New York City, Orlando, Petersburg, Philadelphia, Pocomoke City, Princess Anne, Richmond, St. Louis, St. Petersburg, Snow Hill, Tallahassee, Tampa, Tuscaloosa, Wilmington, Youngstown, Brunswick County, Charles City County, Greensville County, Sussex County, and the Hampton Roads area of Virginia aggravated by the rising cost of living in the area.[4]
There were 248,338 households, out of which 19.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 22.8% were married couples living together, 18.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.0% were non-families. 43.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the city, the population was spread out by age, with 20.1% under the age of 18, 12.7% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.6 years. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,127, and the median income for a family was $46,283. Males had a median income of $40,513 versus $36,361 for females. The per capita income for the city was $28,659. About 16.7% of families and 20.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.1% of those under age 18 and 16.4% of those over age 65. According to Forbes magazine it is also the 9th-wealthiest U.S. city by median household income. More than half of its residents having an income of $46,500 a year; the average home costs $429,900. Nevertheless, there is a sharp divide between the affluent and poor residents of the city.[5]
A 2007 report found that about one-third of Washington residents are functionally illiterate, compared to a national rate of about one in five.[6] This is attributed in part to the 170,000 Hispanic, Ethiopian, and Eritrean immigrants, many of whom are not proficient in English.[6] This shows huge disparities in the city because over 45% of residents have a college degree or higher and it ranks 4th in the nation with that educational attainment.[7] A 2000 study shows that 83.42% of Washington, D.C. residents age 5 and older speak only English at home and 9.18% speak Spanish. French is the third-most-spoken language at 1.67%.[8]
According to the 2001 American Religious Identification Survey, nearly three out of four District residents identified themselves as Christian.[9] This breaks down to 72% Christian (27% Catholic, 19% Baptist, and 26% other Protestant churches), 13% stating no religion, 4% Buddhist, 2% Muslim and 1% Jewish.
According to the Census Bureau, the District's daytime population is estimated at 982,853.[10] The influx of more than 410,000 workers into Washington on a normal business day boosts the population by 72%, the largest percentage increase of any city studied and the second-largest net increase behind New York City.
The Greater Washington metropolitan area, including contiguous areas of Maryland and Virginia, had an estimated population of 5.8 million in 2003, according to the estimates of the Greater Washington Initiative.
As host to over 180 embassies and hundreds of international organizations, Washington, D.C. has a substantial population of foreign residents. There are also many students from abroad studying at the local universities and colleges. This adds a cosmopolitan flavor to the city.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ [1], United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 16, 2007.
- ^ Montgomery, Lori; Silverman, Elissa. "Population Revision 'Big Deal' For D.C.." Washington Post. July 22, 2006. Retrieved on August 31, 2006.
- ^ HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN BY SPECIFIC ORIGIN — Universe: TOTAL POPULATION for Washington city, District of Columbia 2005 American Community Survey. Accessed June 25, 2007.
- ^ Muhammad, Nisa Islam. "D.C. ‘exodus’ sparks district renewal efforts for Whites", The Final Call, June 21, 2007. Accessed June 25, 2007.
- ^ "Richest Cities In The U.S.", Forbes, October 27, 2005. Accessed June 9, 2007.
- ^ a b "Study Finds One-Third in D.C. Illiterate", Associated Press, 2007-03-19. Retrieved on 2007-10-07.
- ^ Report: U.S. Census
- ^ "Most spoken languages in District of Columbia." Modern Language Association. Retrieved on March 19, 2007.
- ^ Kosmin, Barry A.; Mayer, Egon; Keysar, Ariela. "Religious Identification Survey, 2001." City University of New York (Graduate Center). Retrieved on April 3, 2006.
- ^ Bergman, Mike. "Washington, D.C., Has Huge Increase. Census Bureau Releases First-Ever Data On Daytime Populations for Cities and Counties." (press release). United States Census Bureau. October 20, 2005. Retrieved on August 31, 2006.
