Census 2000 Demographic Profile Highlights
Please note all information above was gathered for the 2000 Census and is likely to have changed dramatically - especially the economic and housing characteristics
Population Trends
Source: US Census Bureau, Summary File 1 (SF 1) and Summary File 3 (SF 3).
| General Characteristics, Census 2000 | DC Count | DC Percent | US Count/Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 572,059 | 100% | 281,421,906 |
| Male | 269,366 | 47.1% | 49.1% |
| Female | 302,693 | 52.9% | 50.9% |
| Median Age (years) | 34.6 | N/A | 35.3 |
| Under 5 years | 32,536 | 5.7% | 6.8% |
| 18 years and over | 457,067 | 79.9% | 74.3% |
| 65 years and over | 69,898 | 12.2% | 12.4% |
| White alone | 176,101 | 30.8% | 75.1% |
| Black or African American alone | 343,312 | 60.0% | 12.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone | 1,713 | 0.3% | 0.9% |
| Asian alone | 15,189 | 2.7% | 3.6% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone | 348 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Some other race alone | 21,950 | 3.8% | 5.5% |
| Two or more races | 13,446 | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 44,953 | 7.9% | 12.5% |
| Household population | 536,497 | 93.8% | 97.2% |
| Group quarters population | 35,562 | 6.2% | 2.8% |
| Average household size | 2.16 | N/A | 2.59% |
| Average family size | 3.07 | N/A | 3.14% |
| Total housing units | 274,845 | 100% | 100% |
| Occupied housing units | 248,338 | 90.4% | 91.0% |
| Owner-occupied housing units | 101,214 | 40.8% | 66.2% |
| Renter-occupied housing units | 147,124 | 59.2% | 33.8% |
| Vacant housing units | 26,507 | 9.6% | 9.0% |
| Social Characteristics, Census 2000 | DC Count | DC Percent | US Count/Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population 25 years and over | 384,535 | 100% | 100% |
| High school graduate or higher | 299,286 | 77.8% | 80.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 150,237 | 39.1% | 24.4% |
| Civilian population 18 years and over | 454,454 | 9.8% | N/A |
| Disability status (population 5 years and over) | 115,980 | 21.9% | 19.3% |
| Foreign born | 73,561 | 12.9% | 11.1% |
| Male, Now married, except separated (population 15 years and over) | 72,038 | 32.8% | 56.7% |
| Female, Now married, except separated (population 15 years and over) | 69,954 | 27.5% | 52.1% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (population 5 years and over) | 90,417 | 16.8% | 17.9% |
| Economic Characteristics, Census 2000 | DC Count | DC Percent | US Count/Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| In labor force (population 16 years and over) | 298,225 | 63.6% | 63.9% |
| Mean travel time to work in minutes (workers 16 years and over) | 29.7 | N/A | 25.5 |
| Median household income in 1999 (dollars) | $40,127 | N/A | $41,994 |
| Median family income in 1999 (dollars) | $46,283 | N/A | $50,046 |
| Per capita income in 1999 (dollars) | $28,659 | N/A | $21,587 |
| Families below poverty level | 19,365 | 16.7% | 9.20% |
| Individuals below poverty level | 109,500 | 20.2% | 12.40% |
| Housing Characteristics, Census 2000 | DC Count | DC Percent | US Count/Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-family owner-occupied homes | 76,289 | N/A | N/A |
| Median value (dollars) | $157,200 | N/A | $119,600 |
| Median of selected monthly owner costs | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| With a mortgage (dollars) | $1,291 | N/A | $1,088 |
| Not mortgaged (dollars) | $313 | N/A | $295 |
N/A Not applicable
Key Terms
All Other Hispanic or Latino
Refers to people who reported their origin as "Hispanic," "Spanish," "Latino," or other variations of Hispanic general terms without identifying a specific country of origin in the Hispanic origin question.
Average family size
A measure obtained by dividing the number of members of families by the total number of families (or family householders).
Average household size
A measure obtained by dividing the number of people in households by the total number of households (or householders).
Disability
A long-lasting physical, mental, or emotional condition. This condition can make it difficult for a person to do activities such as walking, climbing stairs, dressing, bathing, learning, or remembering. This condition can also impede a person from being able to go outside the home alone or to work at a job or business.
Foreign born
People who are not U.S. citizens at birth.
Group quarters population
Includes all people not living in households. This term includes those people residing in group quarters as of the date on which a particular survey was conducted. Two general categories of people in group quarters are recognized: 1) the institutionalized population which includes people under formally authorized supervised care or custody in institutions at the time of enumeration (such as correctional institutions, nursing homes, and juvenile institutions) and 2) the noninstitutionalized population which includes all people who live in group quarters other than institutions (such as college dormitories, military quarters, and group homes). The noninstitutionalized population includes all people who live in group quarters other than institutions.
Household
A household includes all the people who occupy a housing unit as their usual place of residence.
Housing unit
A house, an apartment, a mobile home or trailer, a group of rooms, or a single room occupied as separate living quarters, or if vacant, intended for occupancy as separate living quarters. Separate living quarters are those in which the occupants live separately from any other individuals in the building and which have direct access from outside the building or through a common hall. For vacant units, the criteria of separateness and direct access are applied to the intended occupants whenever possible.
Labor force
The labor force includes all people classified in the civilian labor force, plus members of the U.S. Armed Forces (people on active duty with the United States Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard). The Civilian Labor Force consists of people classified as employed or unemployed.
Mean
This measure represents an arithmetic average of a set of numbers. It is derived by dividing the sum of a group of numerical items by the total number of items in that group. For example, mean family income is obtained by dividing the total of all income reported by people 15 years and over in families by the total number of families.
Median
This measure represents the middle value (if n is odd) or the average of the two middle values (if n is even) in an ordered list of data values. The median divides the total frequency distribution into two equal parts: one-half of the cases fall below the median and one-half of the cases exceed the median.
Per capita income
Average obtained by dividing aggregate income by total population of an area.
Population
All people, male and female, child and adult, living in a given geographic area.
Race
Race is a self-identification data item in which respondents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify. Race can be one of the 6 races alone or a combination of several (two or more races).
For more information visit Census 2000 - Demographic Profiles