State relocation profile · Federal data
District of Columbia
District of Columbia sits in the dearer third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 109.9
- Cost index (US=100)
- $2,246
- 2BR rent / mo
- $89,678
- Median salary
- 41.9
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, District of Columbia ranks #41 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (41.9/100, F), with its strongest marks in wages and safety.
- #41 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 41.9
- Life Score · F
- 109.9
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $89,678
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: childcare (0/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), District of Columbia ranks #41 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 109.9 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $2,246/mo, median salary $89,678; Life Score 41.9/100 (F), strongest in wages and safety.
Signature: BEA RPP 109.9 ranks #49 of 51 states for higher prices (dearer third of the corpus).
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP 109.9 lands in the dearer third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $2,246/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $89,678.
Composite Life Score 41.9/100 (F) puts District of Columbia in the bottom third (#41 of 51).
Metro book is thin (1 MSA); the statewide profile is closer to the labor market you will actually live in.
Life Score plate
Sheet DC · District of Columbia 41.9/100 · F · #41 of 51
LIFE-F · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-DEAR · LEAD-WAGES · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-F Life Score F
- RANK-BOTTOM #41/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±0.5 pts
- RPP-DEAR RPP 109.9
- LEAD-WAGES Lead · wages
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: Florida ( -0.5 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around District of Columbia
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest District of Columbia on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
District of Columbia childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for District of Columbia (infant $25,480/yr leads the book).
District of Columbia Life Score breakdown
District of Columbia composites to 41.9/100 (F) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #41 of 51.
District of Columbia - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Wages
Wages
100 /100
- Safety
Safety
98 /100
- Environment
Environment
48 /100
- Schools 10
Schools
10 /100
- Cost of living 4
Cost of living
4 /100
- Rent 4
Rent
4 /100
- Childcare 0
Childcare
0 /100
What this shows District of Columbia's strongest dimensions are wages and safety; its weakest among scored dims is childcare at 0/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near District of Columbia on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to District of Columbia on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in District of Columbia
Explore detailed relocation data for 1 metropolitan area in District of Columbia. District of Columbia contains 1 metropolitan statistical area in our dataset - Washington-Arlington-Alexandria - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
District of Columbia cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; District of Columbia wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.