Boston vs Washington
Side-by-side comparison of Boston, MA and Washington, DC — population, economics, education, health, hospitals, climate, and cost of living from official U.S. government data.
Population
Population
Population
654K
Population
690K
Median Age
Median Age
33.9 yrs
Median Age
34.9 yrs
10-Year Pop Growth
10-Year Pop Growth
N/A
10-Year Pop Growth
N/A
Economics
Median Household Income
Median Household Income
$95,631
Median Household Income
$109,870
Median Home Value
Median Home Value
$705,800
Median Home Value
$737,100
Median Rent
Median Rent
$2,129
Median Rent
$1,954
Poverty Rate
Poverty Rate
16.2%
Poverty Rate
15.4%
Unemployment Rate
Unemployment Rate
6.3%
Unemployment Rate
6.3%
10-Year Income Growth
10-Year Income Growth
N/A
10-Year Income Growth
N/A
Education & Work
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
50.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
64.2%
Work From Home
Work From Home
19.9%
Work From Home
33%
Public Transit
Public Transit
22.4%
Public Transit
20.3%
Health (CDC PLACES)
Frequent Mental Distress
Frequent Mental Distress
17.3%
Frequent Mental Distress
14.1%
Obesity
Obesity
24.2%
Obesity
24.7%
Physical Inactivity
Physical Inactivity
23.8%
Physical Inactivity
14.9%
Smoking
Smoking
11.1%
Smoking
9.4%
Lack of Health Insurance
Lack of Health Insurance
6.6%
Lack of Health Insurance
6.5%
Healthcare
Hospitals
Hospitals
16
Hospitals
0
Avg Hospital Rating
Avg Hospital Rating
4/5
Avg Hospital Rating
N/A
Demographics
Boston Population
White 46.2%
African American 18.2%
Asian 9.3%
Two or More Races 3.1%
Washington Population
White 37.9%
African American 42.1%
Asian 4.4%
Two or More Races 3.7%
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Data Sources
Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2022 5-year estimates). Health data from the CDC PLACES (2023). Hospital data from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020). Cost of living from BEA Regional Price Parities via FRED.