Market rankings · District of Columbia
Real estate businesses in the District of Columbia
Every metro area, small-town market and county in the District of Columbia, ranked by the Groundwork market score for real estate businesses, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 1,442
- 71 chain locations (5%)
- Official establishments
- 966
- +7.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $5.9B
- On rent and homeowner costs
- Listings per 10k households
- 44.4
- 15% above the U.S.
- Housing spending per listing (U.S. = 100)
- 94
- 6% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #34 of 51
- Market score 42 · Lower middle
A site report maps the real estate businesses on map listings around any address in the District of Columbia by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
There are 1,442 real estate businesses on map listings in the District of Columbia as of September 2026. Of those, 71 are chain locations, or 5%, against 6% across the U.S. That comes to 44.4 for every 10,000 households, 15% above the U.S. rate of 38.5.
Households in the District of Columbia spend about $5.9B a year on rent and homeowner costs, or $18,134 per household, 9% above the U.S. average. Housing spending per office is 6% below the U.S. figure. The spending figure is all rent and homeowner costs, a measure of housing demand, not money real estate businesses take in.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as real estate agents, property managers, mortgage lenders and inspectors in the District of Columbia was 966 in 2023, up 7.2% from 2019. That is one for every 336 households, against one for every 414 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 15.8% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 11 SBA-backed loans worth $2.5M have gone to businesses classed as real estate agents, property managers, mortgage lenders and inspectors in the District of Columbia.
Among the 50 states and DC, the District of Columbia ranks #34 for real estate businesses, with a Groundwork market score of 42 (lower middle). The one scored metro area in or partly in the District of Columbia, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area, scores 47.
Every market in the District of Columbia for real estate businesses
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in the District of Columbia, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Housing spending per listing (U.S. = 100) | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 47 | 10,984 | 46.3 | 95 | +3.3% | #217 of 387 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Housing spending per listing (U.S. = 100) | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | Not scored | 1,442 | 44.4 | 94 | +3.4% |
Markets with fewer than 5 real estate businesses on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many real estate businesses are in the District of Columbia?
As of September 2026, map listings count 1,442 real estate businesses in the District of Columbia. 71 of them (5%) are chain locations. The listings count real estate agents and brokers, property managers, mortgage brokers and lenders, and home inspectors. Official counts show 966 businesses with payroll classed as real estate agents, property managers, mortgage lenders and inspectors in 2023, up 7.2% from 2019. Another 3,481 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in the District of Columbia spend on rent and homeowner costs?
About $5.9B a year, or $18,134 per household. That is 9% above the U.S. average (an index of 109, where 100 is the U.S. average). For the 1,442 real estate businesses on map listings, housing spending per office is 6% below the U.S. figure. That figure is all rent and homeowner costs, used as a measure of housing demand; it is not money real estate businesses take in. It is estimated from the incomes of the 324,491 households in the District of Columbia and national spending patterns by income.
How does the District of Columbia compare with the U.S. for real estate businesses?
The District of Columbia has 44.4 real estate businesses per 10,000 households, 15% above the U.S. rate of 38.5. The index of housing spending per office is 94, where 100 is the U.S. At the U.S. ratio of real estate businesses to household spending, the District of Columbia would have about 1,358, against 1,442 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 336 households, against one for every 414 across the U.S. The official count rose 7.2% from 2019 to 2023, against +15.8% for the U.S.
Which market in the District of Columbia has the highest market score for real estate businesses?
The one scored metro area in or partly in the District of Columbia is the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area, at 47 (lower middle). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. The District of Columbia scores 42 for real estate businesses (lower middle), #34 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in the District of Columbia. It maps the real estate businesses on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
Real estate in other states
All 51 states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for real estate businesses across the U.S. · All business types in the District of Columbia
Related business types in the District of Columbia
- Real estate agents and brokers1,223 listings
- Property management158 listings
- Mortgage brokers and lenders57 listings
- Home inspectors4 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in the District of Columbia?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.