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Greater DC

Fast Facts:

  • The Greater Washington Region was home to 5,706,383 people and had 2,304,838 housing units in 2023. Since 2010, Greater Washinton Region has added an average of 49,700 people and 22,200 housing units per year.
  • Thirty-eight percent of households were renters and 48 percent of renters had unaffordable housing costs.
  • Greater DC exceeded the annual production target of 25,013 units, with 25,930 new units built in 2024. Cumulatively, Greater DC has produced at least 134,695 units since 2019, short of its 6-year target of 150,078.
  • Greater DC includes the District of Columbia; Charles, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George's counties and the cities of Gaithersburg and Rockville in Maryland; Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties and the cities of Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park in Virginia. All jurisdictions except Manassas Park share data for the HIT.
Sources: Census Population and Housing Unit Estimates, Decennial Census, American Community Survey (2019-23), and the HIT survey of local jurisdictions.
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Policy Status

Solving the region's affordable housing crisis requires a portfolio of policies to preserve existing affordable housing, produce more housing, and protect people from discrimination and displacement.

Toggle policy descriptions

Right of First Refusal

  • City of Alexandria
  • Arlington County
  • District of Columbia
  • Fairfax County
  • City of Fairfax
  • City of Falls Church
  • City of Gaithersburg
  • Loudoun County
  • Montgomery County
  • Prince George's County
  • City of Rockville

Preservation Inventory - Subsidized

  • City of Alexandria
  • Arlington County
  • District of Columbia
  • Fairfax County
  • Montgomery County
  • Prince George's County

Preservation Inventory - Unsubsidized

  • City of Alexandria
  • Arlington County
  • Fairfax County

Rental Assistance Demonstration

  • City of Alexandria
  • Arlington County
  • District of Columbia
  • Fairfax County
  • City of Gaithersburg

Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Homeowners

  • City of Alexandria
  • Charles County
  • District of Columbia
  • Fairfax County
  • City of Gaithersburg
  • Loudoun County
  • City of Manassas
  • Montgomery County
  • Prince George's County
  • City of Rockville

Energy Efficiency Upgrades of Affordable Housing

  • City of Alexandria
  • Arlington County
  • Charles County
  • District of Columbia
  • Fairfax County
  • City of Gaithersburg
  • Loudoun County
  • City of Manassas
  • Montgomery County
  • Prince George's County

Housing Outcomes

Local jurisdictions submitted data to enable the region to track housing production, preservation, and rental affordability.

Structural Racism

Discriminatory actions and racist public policies have produced inequitable outcomes for Black, Indigenous, and people of color in the Washington region, including lower incomes and wealth, lower homeownership rates, and higher rates of housing cost burden.

Housing Context

Understanding how household incomes relate to the supply of affordable rental and homeownership units will inform jurisdictions' efforts to meet the current and future housing needs of residents.

Participating Jurisdictions

Local jurisdictions submitted data to enable the region to track housing production, preservation, and rental affordability.

City of Alexandria
  • Population: 155,230
  • Housing units: 81,630
  • Percent of Households that rent: 58%
  • Percent of renters with unaffordable housing costs: 45%
  • Average growth per year: 1,200 people | 700 housing units
  • New units built in 2024: 1,266

2024 Housing Outcomes

  • Right of First Refusal
  • Preservation Inventory - Subsidized
  • Preservation Inventory - Unsubsidized
  • Rental Assistance Demonstration
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Homeowners
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades of Affordable Housing
Arlington County
  • Population: 234,162
  • Housing units: 123,963
  • Percent of Households that rent: 58%
  • Percent of renters with unaffordable housing costs: 40%
  • Average growth per year: 2,000 people | 1,400 housing units
  • New units built in 2024: 2,629

2024 Housing Outcomes

  • Right of First Refusal
  • Preservation Inventory - Subsidized
  • Preservation Inventory - Unsubsidized
  • Rental Assistance Demonstration
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Homeowners
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades of Affordable Housing
Charles County
  • Population: 171,973
  • Housing units: 64,650
  • Percent of Households that rent: 19%
  • Percent of renters with unaffordable housing costs: 44%
  • Average growth per year: 1,900 people | 700 housing units
  • New units built in 2024: 492

2024 Housing Outcomes

  • Right of First Refusal
  • Preservation Inventory - Subsidized
  • Preservation Inventory - Unsubsidized
  • Rental Assistance Demonstration
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Homeowners
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades of Affordable Housing
District of Columbia
  • Population: 678,972
  • Housing units: 367,147
  • Percent of Households that rent: 59%
  • Percent of renters with unaffordable housing costs: 46%
  • Average growth per year: 5,800 people | 5,300 housing units
  • New units built in 2024: 6,317

2024 Housing Outcomes

  • Right of First Refusal
  • Preservation Inventory - Subsidized
  • Preservation Inventory - Unsubsidized
  • Rental Assistance Demonstration
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Homeowners
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades of Affordable Housing
Fairfax County
  • Population: 1,141,878
  • Housing units: 431,036
  • Percent of Households that rent: 32%
  • Percent of renters with unaffordable housing costs: 45%
  • Average growth per year: 4,500 people | 1,700 housing units
  • New units built in 2024: 2,795

2024 Housing Outcomes

  • Right of First Refusal
  • Preservation Inventory - Subsidized
  • Preservation Inventory - Unsubsidized
  • Rental Assistance Demonstration
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Homeowners
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades of Affordable Housing
City of Fairfax
  • Population: 25,144
  • Housing units: 9,307
  • Percent of Households that rent: 31%
  • Percent of renters with unaffordable housing costs: 49%
  • Average growth per year: 200 people | 47 housing units
  • New units built in 2024: 39

2024 Housing Outcomes

  • Right of First Refusal
  • Preservation Inventory - Subsidized
  • Preservation Inventory - Unsubsidized
  • Rental Assistance Demonstration
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Homeowners
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades of Affordable Housing
City of Falls Church
  • Population: 14,685
  • Housing units: 7,097
  • Percent of Households that rent: 50%
  • Percent of renters with unaffordable housing costs: 39%
  • Average growth per year: 200 people | 100 housing units
  • New units built in 2024: 464

2024 Housing Outcomes

  • Right of First Refusal
  • Preservation Inventory - Subsidized
  • Preservation Inventory - Unsubsidized
  • Rental Assistance Demonstration
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Homeowners
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades of Affordable Housing
Frederick County
  • Population: 293,391
  • Housing units: 111,331
  • Percent of Households that rent: 23%
  • Percent of renters with unaffordable housing costs: 48%
  • Average growth per year: 4,500 people | 1,600 housing units
  • New units built in 2024: 2,511

2024 Housing Outcomes

  • Right of First Refusal
  • Preservation Inventory - Subsidized
  • Preservation Inventory - Unsubsidized
  • Rental Assistance Demonstration
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Homeowners
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades of Affordable Housing
City of Gaithersburg
  • Population: 69,563
  • Housing units: 26,414
  • Percent of Households that rent: 49%
  • Percent of renters with unaffordable housing costs: 50%
  • Average growth per year: 700 people | 200 housing units
  • New units built in 2024: 1

2024 Housing Outcomes

  • Right of First Refusal
  • Preservation Inventory - Subsidized
  • Preservation Inventory - Unsubsidized
  • Rental Assistance Demonstration
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Homeowners
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades of Affordable Housing
Loudoun County
  • Population: 436,347
  • Housing units: 149,234
  • Percent of Households that rent: 22%
  • Percent of renters with unaffordable housing costs: 43%
  • Average growth per year: 9,400 people | 3,000 housing units
  • New units built in 2024: 2,452

2024 Housing Outcomes

  • Right of First Refusal
  • Preservation Inventory - Subsidized
  • Preservation Inventory - Unsubsidized
  • Rental Assistance Demonstration
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Homeowners
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades of Affordable Housing
City of Manassas
  • Population: 42,696
  • Housing units: 14,571
  • Percent of Households that rent: 28%
  • Percent of renters with unaffordable housing costs: 46%
  • Average growth per year: 400 people | 100 housing units
  • New units built in 2024: 15

2024 Housing Outcomes

  • Right of First Refusal
  • Preservation Inventory - Subsidized
  • Preservation Inventory - Unsubsidized
  • Rental Assistance Demonstration
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Homeowners
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades of Affordable Housing
Montgomery County
  • Population: 1,058,474
  • Housing units: 406,686
  • Percent of Households that rent: 35%
  • Percent of renters with unaffordable housing costs: 52%
  • Average growth per year: 6,500 people | 2,300 housing units
  • New units built in 2024: 3,611

2024 Housing Outcomes

  • Right of First Refusal
  • Preservation Inventory - Subsidized
  • Preservation Inventory - Unsubsidized
  • Rental Assistance Demonstration
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Homeowners
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades of Affordable Housing
Prince George's County
  • Population: 947,430
  • Housing units: 369,064
  • Percent of Households that rent: 38%
  • Percent of renters with unaffordable housing costs: 53%
  • Average growth per year: 6,300 people | 3,100 housing units
  • New units built in 2024: 1,562

2024 Housing Outcomes

  • Right of First Refusal
  • Preservation Inventory - Subsidized
  • Preservation Inventory - Unsubsidized
  • Rental Assistance Demonstration
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Homeowners
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades of Affordable Housing
Prince William County
  • Population: 489,640
  • Housing units: 163,550
  • Percent of Households that rent: 26%
  • Percent of renters with unaffordable housing costs: 50%
  • Average growth per year: 6,600 people | 2,000 housing units
  • New units built in 2024: 1,202

2024 Housing Outcomes

  • Right of First Refusal
  • Preservation Inventory - Subsidized
  • Preservation Inventory - Unsubsidized
  • Rental Assistance Demonstration
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Homeowners
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades of Affordable Housing
City of Rockville
  • Population: 67,297
  • Housing units: 27,170
  • Percent of Households that rent: 47%
  • Percent of renters with unaffordable housing costs: 47%
  • Average growth per year: 500 people | 100 housing units
  • New units built in 2024: 574

2024 Housing Outcomes

  • Right of First Refusal
  • Preservation Inventory - Subsidized
  • Preservation Inventory - Unsubsidized
  • Rental Assistance Demonstration
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Homeowners
  • Energy Efficiency Upgrades of Affordable Housing
City of Manassas Park
  • Population: 16,361
  • Housing units: 5,572
  • Percent of Households that rent: 32%
  • Percent of renters with unaffordable housing costs: 51%
  • Average growth per year: 200 people | 100 housing units