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Do you like your neighborhood?
Is it friendly, and where everyone knows their neighbors?
No matter if you live in the sticks or in an apartment building in downtown Washington, you have a little pocket that you can call home. And each neighborhood is different.
Smaller neighborhoods usually have obvious benefits -- less crime, a slower pace of life, and a lower cost of living. But not all Washington neighborhoods are created equal. Some are better than others. But which ones?
Instead of relying on public opinion and speculation, we wanted to get the facts straight and find out which neighborhoods in Washington are the best. If you're in one of the places we're about to highlight, odds are you know you've got it made. So, if you're thinking of moving to Washington Dc and Washington is on the top of your list, check out our best neighborhoods to live in.
Here are the best neighborhoods in Washington for 2020:
So what's the best neighborhood to live in Washington for 2020? According to the most recent census data, Au-Tenleytown looks to be the best Washington neighborhood to live in.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Washington that deserve a little bragging rights or maybe you're interested in the worst neighborhoods in Washington.
Once you're done, you can look at the bottom of the story for a complete chart of every neighborhood we looked at from best to worst.
For more Washington Dc reading, check out:
The 10 Best Neighborhoods To Live In Washington
Population: 18,855
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 3)
Median Home Value: $973,793 (Sixth best)
Median Income: $178,534 (First best)
More on Au-Tenleytown: Homes For Sale | Data
Tenleytown is a historic neighborhood in Northwest, Washington, D.C.
Population: 11,732
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 4)
Median Home Value: $759,100 (11th best)
Median Income: $138,234 (Tenth best)
More on Cleveland Park: Homes For Sale | Data
Cleveland Park is a residential neighborhood in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. It is located at 385611N 77358W and bounded approximately by Rock Creek Park to the east, Wisconsin and Idaho Avenues to the west, Klingle and Woodley Roads to the south, and Rodman and Tilden Streets to the north. Its main commercial corridor lies along Connecticut Avenue, NW, where the eponymous Cleveland Park station of the Washington Metro's Red Line can be found; another commercial corridor lies along Wisconsin Avenue. The neighborhood is known for its many late 19th century homes and the historic Art Deco Uptown Theater. It is also home to the William L. Slayton House and the Park and Shop, built in 1930 and one of the earliest strip malls.
Population: 3,598
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $1,188,500 (Second best)
Median Income: $166,149 (Third best)
More on The Palisades: Homes For Sale | Data
The Palisades, or simply Palisades, is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., along the Potomac River, running roughly from the edge of the Georgetown University campus to the D.C.-Maryland boundary. MacArthur Boulevard is the main thoroughfare that passes through the Palisades.
Population: 18,506
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 4)
Median Home Value: $919,342 (Ninth best)
Median Income: $142,356 (Eighth best)
More on Chevy Chase: Homes For Sale | Data
Chevy Chase is a neighborhood in northwest Washington, D.C. It borders Chevy Chase, Maryland, a collection of similarly affluent neighborhoods.
Population: 9,436
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 3)
Median Home Value: $1,017,370 (Fifth best)
Median Income: $176,403 (Second best)
More on Barnaby Woods: Homes For Sale | Data
Barnaby Woods is a neighborhood in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., wedged between Rock Creek Park and Montgomery County, Maryland. It is bounded on the north by Aberfoyle Place, on the west by Western Avenue, on the south by Tennyson Street, and on the east by Oregon Avenue. Barnaby Woods is entirely residential, with no commercial zoning whatsoever, and the housing consists primarily of 1930s colonial homes on large parcels of land although on Unicorn Lane NW there are only townhouses.
Population: 7,667
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $948,260 (Seventh best)
Median Income: $140,259 (Ninth best)
More on Woodley Park: Homes For Sale | Data
Woodley Park is a neighborhood in Northwest, Washington, DC. It is bounded on the north by Woodley Road and Klingle Road, on the east by the National Zoo and Rock Creek Park, on the south by Calvert Street, on the southwest by Cleveland Avenue, and on the west by 34th Street.
Population: 2,608
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 6)
Median Home Value: $1,335,200 (First best)
Median Income: $134,859 (11th best)
More on Kalorama: Homes For Sale | Data
The Kalorama area within the Northwest Quadrant of Washington, D.C. includes the residential neighborhoods of Kalorama Triangle and Sheridan-Kalorama. The area is accessible from the Dupont Circle and Woodley Park Metro stations, as well as various bus lines. Kalorama Triangle is bordered by Connecticut Avenue, Columbia Road, Calvert Street, and Rock Creek Park. Sheridan-Kalorama is adjacent, to the southwest, located between Connecticut Avenue, Rock Creek Park, Massachusetts Avenue, and Florida Avenue.
Population: 12,937
Rank Last Year: 14 (Up 6)
Median Home Value: $573,173 (19th best)
Median Income: $115,917 (12th best)
More on Glover Park: Homes For Sale | Data
Population: 2,252
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 2)
Median Home Value: $1,083,560 (Third best)
Median Income: $156,869 (Fourth best)
More on Berkley: Homes For Sale | Data
Berkley is a neighborhood in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. It is sometimes referred to as Foxhall Crescents, after a housing development built within the neighborhood.
Population: 14,118
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 3)
Median Home Value: $1,056,531 (Fourth best)
Median Income: $150,426 (Sixth best)
More on Georgetown: Homes For Sale | Data
Georgetown is a historic neighborhood and a commercial and entertainment district located in northwest Washington, D.C., situated along the Potomac River. Founded in 1751 in the Province of Maryland, the port of Georgetown predated the establishment of the federal district and the City of Washington by 40 years. Georgetown remained a separate municipality until 1871, when the United States Congress created a new consolidated government for the whole District of Columbia. A separate act passed in 1895 specifically repealed Georgetown's remaining local ordinances and renamed Georgetown's streets to conform with those in the City of Washington.
How We Determined The Best Washington, DC Neighborhoods In 2020
In order to rank the best neighborhoods in Washington, we had to determine what criteria defines a "best".
Using crime, census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 34 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index the "Best City Neighborhood In Washington." We're lookin' at you, Au-Tenleytown.
Read on below to learn more about what it's like to live in the best places Washington, Washington Dc has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city from best to worst.
Putting A Bow On Our Analysis Of The Best Neighborhoods In Washington
If you're measuring the neighborhoods in Washington where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Washington aren't all good. Brentwood takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in Washington.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below.
For more Washington Dc reading, check out:
Detailed List Of The Best Neighborhoods To Live In Washington For 2020
Rank | Neighborhood | Population |
---|---|---|
1 | Au-Tenleytown | 18,855 |
2 | Cleveland Park | 11,732 |
3 | The Palisades | 3,598 |
4 | Chevy Chase | 18,506 |
5 | Barnaby Woods | 9,436 |
6 | Woodley Park | 7,667 |
7 | Kalorama | 2,608 |
8 | Glover Park | 12,937 |
9 | Berkley | 2,252 |
10 | Georgetown | 14,118 |
11 | Foxhall Village | 912 |
12 | Logan Circle | 13,768 |
13 | Friendship Heights | 3,065 |
14 | Adams Morgan | 17,154 |
15 | Dupont Circle | 13,633 |
16 | Mount Pleasant | 12,696 |
17 | Takoma Park | 5,302 |
18 | U Street Corridor | 10,104 |
19 | Petworth | 11,886 |
20 | Ledroit Park | 11,683 |
21 | Brightwood | 16,318 |
22 | Foggy Bottom | 16,297 |
23 | Shaw | 13,782 |
24 | Mount Vernon Square | 6,077 |
25 | Columbia Heights | 34,835 |
26 | Capitol Hill | 55,592 |
27 | Catholic University-Brookland | 57,481 |
28 | Fort Totten-Upper Northeast | 24,123 |
29 | Downtown | 8,132 |
30 | South West | 11,100 |
31 | Stadium-Armory | 21,142 |
32 | Anacostia | 117,488 |
33 | Deanwood | 29,798 |
34 | Brentwood | 28,660 |