Price History
Median Home Price
Median Rent
Stored observations from 2016-07-31 to 2026-06-29. Source: Zillow ZHVI/ZORI. Missing rents are shown as gaps.
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Purchase
Monthly Cash Flow
* Based on metro-wide median values. 35% expenses include taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and property management. Individual counties and properties vary significantly.
Score Breakdown
Based on 4.97% rent-to-price ratio. Higher ratios indicate stronger cash flow potential.
Based on 0.0% YoY price growth. Moderate growth (3-8%) scores highest.
Based on 0.0% population growth. Growing areas indicate economic stability.
Based on price relative to estimated local incomes.
Scores are calculated using real Zillow metro-level home value and rent data, Census population data, and economic indicators. The weighted average produces the overall investment score. This metro score represents area-wide averages; individual counties may vary significantly.
Investment Outlook
Strengths
- +Low unemployment (0.0%)
Challenges
- -Below-average rent-to-price ratio (4.97%)
- -Negative cash flow at typical financing (-$1,485/mo)
- -Negative leverage (cap rate 3.2% < mortgage rate 6.9%)
- -High price-to-income ratio makes financing challenging
Counties in Washington, DC
Section 8 in Washington, DC: payment standards by ZIP, PHA waitlist status, and voucher counts are on VoucherMatch, the same HUD dataset with the tenant demand side attached.
Compare to Similar Metros
| Metro Area | Verdict | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Branson, MO Branson, MO | 61 | $249,303 | $1,422 | 6.84% | Buy | View | |
Alamogordo, NM Alamogordo, NM | 61 | $232,130 | $1,517 | 7.84% | Buy | View | |
Sanford, NC Sanford, NC | 61 | $293,100 | $1,694 | 6.94% | Buy | View | |
Rutland, VT Rutland, VT | 61 | $316,724 | $1,398 | 5.30% | Buy | View | |
Port Lavaca, TX Port Lavaca, TX | 61 | $207,642 | Est. | Buy | View | ||
Current Washington, DC | 41 | $583,013 | $2,416 | 4.97% | Avoid |
Rent vs buy in this metro
The Bottom Line
The Washington, DC metro area scores 41/100, ranking #835 of 894 US metros (top 93%). The 4.97% rent-to-price ratio may require targeting specific counties or creative strategies for positive cash flow. Current metro-wide averages make traditional buy-and-hold investing challenging. Consider house hacking, value-add strategies, or drilling down to specific counties.