Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Washington DC

You think about moving to Washington D.C. but want to get additional information about the city and the lifestyle before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you all the pros and cons of living in Washington D.C. in the following chapters.

Living in Washington D.C. – Overview

Advantages of Living in Washington D.C.

1. Washington D.C. is popular all over the US
2. You will find most things you need within walking distance
3. Washington D.C. provides the comfort of a big city
4. Washington is not as crowded as other major cities yet
5. Traffic jams are not a big problem in D.C.
6. Relatively easy to find a parking lot
7. Washington is a great place to stay for every age group
8. You may never have to move ever again
9. Your friends may envy you for moving to Washington D.C.
10. You can spend lots of time in nice parks
11. Many leisure activities to choose from in Washington
12. It will not take you long to get to the coast
13. Washington is full of interesting history
14. Washington is a great place to live in for architects
15. People in Washington are friendly
16. You will always find someone helping you out
17. People in Washington are open and outgoing
18. You can make many new friends soon
19. Many places to socialize in D.C.
20. Washington attracts people from all over the US
21. You can meet tourists from all over the world
22. You can experience many different cultures
23. People are welcome from all over the world
24. You can try many delicious foods in Washington
25. Washington D.C. has a decent art scene
26. More than enough interesting museums to visit in D.C.
27. You can meet many influential people in Washington
28. You can build a strong network
29. Washington offers pretty decent quality of life
30. Public transport is pretty good in Washington D.C.
31. Washington is a bike-friendly city
32. You can walk short distances
33. You may not need a car
34. Your friends may often visit you in Washington
35. You will live where important decisions are made
36. Washington is not as hectic as other big cities
37. Population in D.C. has been increasing over the past decade
38. Many good jobs for highly-qualified people
39. Decent future outlook for Washington
40. Washington has a decent reputation
41. More than enough recreational spaces in Washington
42. Decent education level
43. Good medical infrastructure in Washington
44. Relatively easy to visit your friends in different parts of the city
45. You can watch many sports events
46. You find decent bars and clubs in Washington
47. You will never get bored with living in Washington D.C.
48. Above-average income level
49. Washington has an international airport
50. You can experience real seasons in Washington
51. You will find more than enough shopping opportunities in D.C.
52. Decent air quality in Washington D.C.

Washington D.C. is popular all over the US

One advantage of moving to Washington D.C. is that the city is well-known all over the US.

When you tell people that you are from Washington D.C., they will know where it is located and you will not have to explain anything further.

Moreover, many people will also secretly envy you since many people want to live in Washington but just can’t afford it.

You will find most things you need within walking distance

Living in Washington is also great since you will find most things you need for daily life within walking distance and can get those things within minutes while it would take you much longer if you lived in smaller towns or even rural areas where the supply of goods is often not that great.

Washington D.C. provides the comfort of a big city

In general, Washington D.C. also provides the comfort of a big city and you will find many amenities you would not find in smaller towns or villages.

You will also have lots of entertainment and can also get around in an efficient manner so that you can really enjoy your leisure.

Washington is not as crowded as other major cities yet

While Washington is a big city, it is still not as crowded as NYC or L.A. and you will therefore find more than enough spaces to spend time on your own and you will also not feel like a fish in a can as would be the case if you lived in other major cities.

Traffic jams are not a big problem in D.C.

Since the city of Washington is not that crowded yet, traffic jams are also not a big problem and you can get from A to B in a rather efficient manner without losing lots of time in traffic as people living in Chicago or other major cities often do.

Relatively easy to find a parking lot

Since traffic is not a major problem, it is also relatively easy to find a parking lot in Washington D.C., at least if you don’t live in the city center but rather a little bit outside.

In such a case, you will not have any problems finding a parking lot and don’t have to spend lots of time and money in this regard.

Washington is a great place to stay for every age group

Another reason to move to Washington is that it is a great place to live for the young as well as for the old.

In fact, there are many things to do for people of every age group and different generations get along with each other in a solid manner and often even support each other to increase overall quality of life for the general public.

You may never have to move ever again

Since Washington D.C. is such a great place to live, you may also never have to move ever again once you move to Washington since you will find everything you need to live a happy life and your incentive to move to a different region may be rather low.

Your friends may envy you for moving to Washington D.C.

Another upside to moving to Washington D.C. is that many of your friends will also envy you in this regard since many people secretly wish to move to Washington themselves and you will therefore have a pretty high standing among your peers and can also brag about all the nice experiences you make once you have moved to Washington.

You can spend lots of time in nice parks

Washington also offers nice parks where you can hang out during lunch break or on various occasions so that you can unplug from your stressful life and can reload your batteries for the stressful things yet to come.

Many leisure activities to choose from in Washington

Another benefit of moving to Washington is that you can also choose out of many leisure activities.

Not only can you go for a drink or go to the movies as in other big cities, but you will also be able to enjoy lots of beautiful nature and can also go fishing or hiking in the surrounding region.

It will not take you long to get to the coast

Since Washington is relatively close to the coast, you can also go surfing or swimming on a regular basis while people living in Dallas or most other major cities that are not located at the coast won’t have this luxury.

Washington is full of interesting history

Another advantage of living in Washington D.C. is that it is also a place full of interesting history and you will find many monuments and other artifacts from the past that you can examine and really learn about how the city has been developed and what already happened there hundreds of years ago.

Washington is a great place to live in for architects

Since there are so many interesting buildings, moving to Washington can also make sense for you in case you are interested in architecture or even want to work as an architect since you will get so much inspiration in this regard and can really get many ideas for your own projects.

People in Washington are friendly

Washington is also a great place to live since most people are really friendly and you can just enjoy your time in a nice atmosphere and don’t have to deal with frustrated people as much as in other major cities.

You will always find someone helping you out

Not only are people friendly, but many people are also willing to help you out.

For instance, if you get lost and don’t find your way back home, you can just ask a random person and chances are that he or she will give you direction on how to get back on track and this is true on various other occasions of daily life as well.

People in Washington are open and outgoing

People in Washington are also pretty tolerant and outgoing and you will get in touch with many interesting people can have many conversations that really let you grow in character since you can see the world from a different perspective and can also become more tolerant and open yourself in the long run.

You can make many new friends soon

Since people are open and outgoing, you can also make many new friends in Washington pretty soon and don’t have to worry about getting socially isolated as long as you are friendly and outgoing yourself and also know how to behave.

Many places to socialize in D.C.

Socializing is also pretty easy in Washington D.C. since there are many places you can hang out with other people and it is also pretty easy to get into conversations with strangers and some of those people will become really good friends with you in the long run.

Washington attracts people from all over the US

Another upside to living in Washington D.C. is that the city attracts people from all over the US.

In fact, people have been moving to Washington D.C. from many different states since the city offers high quality of life and is also a place where you can get in touch with many interesting people.

You can meet tourists from all over the world

Not only is D.C. popular all over the US, but it is also a pretty popular city among tourists and you can therefore meet many people from all over the world and can make many connections that may help you later on for your own travels since you can visit those people in their home towns and can have a great time together.

You can experience many different cultures

Since you can meet so many people from foreign countries, you can also experience many different cultures and can also really learn a lot about different lifestyles and become more open and tolerant in the long run.

People are welcome from all over the world

You also don’t have to worry about your origins if you plan to move to Washington since people are welcome from all over the world and as long as you are a friendly and polite person, you will not have any problems in this regard and will find many social contacts pretty soon.

You can try many delicious foods in Washington

Thanks to the high level of cultural diversity, you can also try many delicious foods in Washington and this will not only increase your overall quality of life, but you can also get lots of inspiration regarding what you want to cook at home.

Washington D.C. has a decent art scene

Another benefit of living in Washington is that the city has a decent art scene.

While you will not find the same great art scene as people living in San Francisco, you can still meet a decent number of artists from all over the world and can hang out with many like-minded people.

More than enough interesting museums to visit in D.C.

Since Washington is full of interesting history, you will also find many nice museums you can visit.

In fact, there are more than enough exhibitions and chances are that you will never get bored in this regard in the long run.

You can meet many influential people in Washington

Since Washington D.C. is the capital of the United States, there are many influential people living in and visiting the city on a regular basis this means that you can get in touch with many of those people if you hang out in the right locations and also know how to interact with them.

You can build a strong network

Since there are so many influential and highly-qualified people in Washington D.C., you can also build a strong business network that can help you climb the corporate ladder pretty soon while this would be much harder in smaller towns where you would not be able to meet as many important people.

Washington offers pretty decent quality of life

Since there are so many hobbies you can do and you will also find everything you need to live a happy life, overall quality of life is pretty decent in D.C. and many people are more than happy to live in this city.

Public transport is pretty good in Washington D.C.

You should also know that Washington D.C. offers pretty decent public transport and it is therefore easy to get around by bus or train and you don’t have to rely on your car as much as in other cities.

Washington is a bike-friendly city

Washington D.C. is also considered a bike-friendly city and you will find many bike lanes on which you can get around in a pretty efficient manner.

During rush hour, it may even be faster to get around by bike instead of using your car since you would not get stuck in traffic that much.

You can walk short distances

Washington is also a great city for pedestrians and if you live in the inner city, you can walk many short distances and don’t have to rely on other means of transport.

You may not need a car

Since you can get around by bike or other means of transport in a pretty efficient manner, you also don’t necessarily need a car if you live close to the city center and also live close to your workplace so that you can commute without having a car in an efficient manner.

Your friends may often visit you in Washington

Since Washington is such a popular city, your friends from other parts of the country will also often visit you and this can be great since you will have more than enough social contacts and chances are that you will never get lonely.

You will live where important decisions are made

Washington is with no doubt one of the places where some of the most important decisions are made from a political point of view and you can just live close to those places where people make decisions that will have a huge impact on how the world will look like in the future.

Washington is not as hectic as other big cities

While Washington is a big city, it is still not as hectic as NYC or other major cities in the US and this means that you can spend your time in a rather relaxed manner and can also meet many laid-back people.

Population in D.C. has been increasing over the past decade

Population in Washington D.C. has also been increasing over the past decade and this is also a sign that people are pretty happy to live in this region and don’t have an incentive to move since overall quality of life is pretty high.

Many good jobs for highly-qualified people

Washington D.C. can also be a great place to live in for you if you are highly-qualified and have skills urgently needed in the job market right now.

In case this is true for you, you will have almost freedom of choice regarding whom you want to work for and can also make really good money.

Decent future outlook for Washington

Since population in Washington has been growing for many years and the city is also an important economic and political center, it will stay important for many decades to come and lots of money will be invested in infrastructure projects to make the city a great place to live also in the future.

Washington has a decent reputation

Washington also has a pretty decent reputation all over the US. Thus, while people living in Philadelphia often have to deal with the stigma of living in a dodgy city, you will not have to justify staying in Washington since it is a pretty popular city and has a good standing.

More than enough recreational spaces in Washington

Moving to Washington can also make quite a lot of sense for you if you are the type of person who easily gets stressed and urgently needs recreational spaces to relax since there are so many green spaces and parks where you can reload your batteries in this city.

Decent education level

Washington also has decent schools and colleges and overall education levels are pretty high.

In turn, you can make sure that your kids get the best education possible to give them a good start for their future lives.

Good medical infrastructure in Washington

You will also find pretty good medical infrastructure in Washington and you will find many good doctors and hospitals to choose from in case you get sick and need a specialist to cure your disease.

Relatively easy to visit your friends in different parts of the city

Since Washington is not that crowded and traffic is not a big problem yet, you will also be able to get around pretty efficiently and can also visit your friends in different parts of the city without having to spend lots of time getting there.

You can watch many sports events

Washington also has many famous sports teams.

For instance, you can watch hockey games of the Washington Capitals and can really enjoy your time in this regard without ever getting bored since there is something to watch on almost every weekend.

You find decent bars and clubs in Washington

While Washington doesn’t have the same great nightlife as NYC or L.A., you will still find many decent bars and clubs to hang out in after work and will also have an easy time socializing with many interesting people.

You will never get bored with living in Washington D.C.

Since there are so many things to do, chances are that you will also never get bored living in Washington and can really enjoy your leisure with the things you like most without running out of ideas anytime soon.

Above-average income level

People in Washington can also make really good money.

In fact, income levels are far above national average and if you have skills valuable in the job market right now, you can easily make a six-figure income.

Washington has an international airport

Washington is also a great place to live in since it has a big international airport and you can travel to exotic places all over the world without having to deal with layovers that much.

You can experience real seasons in Washington

Since you will have warm summers and relatively cold winters, you can also experience real seasons in Washington and can go swimming in summer and skiing in winter and will have a pretty balanced life in this regard.

You will find more than enough shopping opportunities in D.C.

You will also find more than enough shopping opportunities in D.C. and can get everything you need without having to drive to other cities as would often be the case if you lived in smaller towns.

Decent air quality in Washington D.C.

Compared to other major cities in the US, Washington D.C. also has pretty decent air quality and this not only contributes to high quality of life, but it also reduces the risk for you of suffering from serious health problems in the long run.

As you can see, there are many reasons for moving to Washington D.C.

However, it is still not all upside and we also have to talk about the issues that come along with it so that you can better decide whether you still want to move to Washington D.C. or rather want to live in a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Washington D.C.

1. Rents are pretty high in Washington
2. Property prices in Washington D.C. have skyrocketed over the past decade
3. Housing shortage is a big problem in D.C.
4. Average person struggles to pay rent in Washington
5. You always have to fear getting evicted from your property
6. You may not have enough money to spend on other things apart from housing
7. Living costs in D.C. are relatively high
8. Many locals may leave the region sooner or later
9. High crime rate in Washington D.C.
10. Unemployment rate is above national average
11. Poor job prospects for low-qualified people
12. Many people have to work a second job in D.C.
13. Significant number of people below the poverty line
14. Social tensions have increased over the past decade
15. Homelessness has become a problem in D.C.
16. Washington doesn’t offer the same great nightlife as other bigger cities
17. Washington has many problems like other big cities
18. Cold winters may not be for you
19. You may not spend that much time outdoors
20. You may not be able to save and invest enough money for retirement

Rents are pretty high in Washington

One problem with living in Washington D.C. is that rents are pretty high and you will therefore have to spend a high fraction of your disposable income on housing and may not have enough money left to spend on other important and nice things.

Property prices in Washington D.C. have skyrocketed over the past decade

Not only rents are pretty high, but also property prices have skyrocketed over the past decade and if this trend continues, many people will no longer be able to afford to buy a home and may not be able to live the American dream.

Housing shortage is a big problem in D.C.

You should also know that housing shortage is a big problem in Washington D.C. and you will have to compete with many other people to find a good place to stay.

In turn, you may have to spend lots of time and money in this regard and it may take you months until you find a suitable place to live.

Average person struggles to pay rent in Washington

Since rents have increased substantially over the past decade, even the average middle-class person often struggles to pay rent in Washington D.C. and if this trend continues, many people will struggle in this regard and housing may become a real problem.

You always have to fear getting evicted from your property

Since demand for housing is huge, tenants often have a hard time since landlords have all the leverage and can evict you in case you don’t pay rent for just a limited period of time since they will find many good prospective tenants to choose from soon and don’t have to rely on you and also don’t have to compromise with you at all in this regard.

You may not have enough money to spend on other things apart from housing

Since housing eats up quite a lot of your disposable income, many people in Washington are not able to afford any luxury and often even struggle to pay for other expenses of daily life and if your income is barely enough to pay for those basic expenses, you may just feel bad in the long run since you often feel like working for nothing while your friends may be able to afford much more luxury.

Living costs in D.C. are relatively high

Another downside to living in D.C. is that living costs in Washington are pretty high.

For instance, if you go out to a bar and have a drink, you will often pay much more compared to people living in Indianapolis or other cheaper regions.

Many locals may leave the region sooner or later

Since many locals are no longer able to make a living, many of them have to leave the D.C. region sooner or later and look for cheaper places to live which will take away some of the charm of the region and may decrease overall quality of life in the long run.

High crime rate in Washington D.C.

You should also know that Washington D.C. has an above-average crime rate and you may just not feel safe living in D.C., especially during nighttime when your risk of getting involved in serious incidents in this regard will be much higher than during the day.

Unemployment rate is above national average

Another disadvantage of living in D.C. is that unemployment rate is above national average and many people struggle to find a good job and are often barely able to make a living from what they are doing.

Poor job prospects for low-qualified people

While highly-qualified people often find good jobs, low-qualified people often have to work in jobs that pay pretty poor money and many people have to spend almost all of the money they make on housing and don’t have anything left to really enjoy life.

Many people have to work a second job in D.C.

If you don’t have solid education, you may even have to work two jobs to make a living in Washington D.C. and this may become really frustrating and annoying in the long run since you will work while many of your friends will be able to enjoy their leisure.

Significant number of people below the poverty line

Another downside to moving to Washington D.C. is that many people in this region live below the poverty line and in case this trend continues, crime rates may increase even further and people may also no longer be that friendly in general since many of them will become increasingly desperate and may no longer know how to pay their bills.

Social tensions have increased over the past decade

With an increasing number of people living below the poverty threshold, social tensions are also about to increase in the D.C. region and this may lead to the deterioration of social cohesion in the long run and people from different social classes may also no longer hang out together in a sufficient manner.

Homelessness has become a problem in D.C.

Another problem with moving to Washington is that homelessness is a big problem and you may just no longer feel safe walking down the streets, especially at nighttime when the whole mess becomes prevalent.

Washington doesn’t offer the same great nightlife as other bigger cities

While you will find some decent bars to hang out, you will still not find the same high-quality nightlife you may be used to from NYC and L.A. and may get bored with nightlife in Washington D.C. sooner or later.

Washington has many problems like other big cities

Since Washington is a big city, you will also have many problems other big cities have to deal with, including people using dodgy substances in public, weird people walking down the streets and so on and you should have the stomach to digest those things in a healthy manner before deciding on moving to D.C.

Cold winters may not be for you

While some people really enjoy real seasons and love to go skiing or do other winter sports, living in Washington may not be for you if you don’t like the cold.

In such a case, you would be better off moving to Oakland or other warmer places instead.

You may not spend that much time outdoors

Since you will have strong winters in Washington, you may also not hang outdoors as much as people in warmer regions may be used to and this may lower your overall quality of life in the long run.

You may not be able to save and invest enough money for retirement

Since you will have to spend quite a lot of money on housing and other expenses of daily life in Washington D.C., you may just not be able to save and invest enough money for retirement and may really struggle to pay your bills once you get older.

Top 10 Moving To Washington D.C. Pros & Cons – Summary List

Should You Move To Washington D.C.?

While Washington D.C. offers everything you need to live a happy life and provides high quality of life in general, it also has pretty high crime rates and unemployment is a problem as well.

Moreover, Washington D.C. is also a pretty expensive place to live since rents and property prices are high and the average person often struggles to make a living.

Thus, you should evaluate all the advantages and disadvantages of living in Washington D.C. carefully to make the best possible decision in this regard.

Alternative Cities To Live In

If you don’t want to move to Washington D.C. anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Sacramento

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Denver

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Seattle

Sources

https://dc.gov/

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.