New York vs Washington
The short version
- Washington is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the New York area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $737,100 in Washington and $777,600 in New York.
- Households earn more in Washington ($109,870 vs $80,483 median).
- Washington has the warmer winter: January highs of 45°F vs 40°F.
- New York gets far more snow: 30 inches a year vs 14.
- Washington has more scorching days: 40 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 17.
- Washington is growing faster: +0.6% since 2020 vs -2.5%.
- Commutes are shorter in Washington (30 vs 40 minutes each way).
Side by side
| New York, NY | Washington, DC | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 8,584,629 | 693,645 |
| Growth since 2020 | -2.5% | +0.6% |
| People per square mile | 28,572 | 11,348 |
| Median age | 38.2 | 34.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42% | 64% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $80,483 | $109,870 |
| Median home value | $777,600 | $737,100 |
| Home value to income | 9.7× | 6.7× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,821 | $1,954 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 112.6 | 108.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 148.6 | 151.1 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $84,400 | $81,700 |
| Homeowners | 33% | 42% |
| Top state income tax | 10.9% | 10.75% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.54% | 6% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 40.3 | 30.0 |
| Work from home | 17% | 33% |
| Take public transit | 44% | 20% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 8% | 6.3% |
| Poverty rate | 17.9% | 15.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 40° / 28° | 45° / 30° |
| July high / low | 85° / 70° | 90° / 72° |
| Precipitation per year | 50 in | 42 in |
| Snowfall per year | 30 in | 14 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 17 | 40 |
| Nights below freezing | 67 | 60 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.2 | 97.6 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 42% | 59% |
| Home prices, past year | +5.7% | +0.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.1% | +16.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: New York: May and September to October. Washington: April to June and September to October.
Full monthly tables: New York weather by month and Washington weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $84,400 in New York and $81,700 in Washington. Moving from New York to Washington, you would need about $72,500 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between New York and Washington
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from New York and Washington.
Which would you pick?
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