Population
Washington
672,079
Boston
663,972
Median Income
Washington
$106,287
Boston
$94,755
Home Value
Washington
$724,600
Boston
$710,400
Rent
Washington
$1,900
Boston
$2,093
Crime Rate
Washington
9.26
Boston
6.28
Cost of Living
Washington
181.6
Boston
180.6
Avg Temp
Washington
57°F
Boston
50°F
Unemployment
Washington
6.5%
Boston
6.0%
How Similar Are Washington & Boston?
Boston is Washington's #2 most similar city
4 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Washington
672,079
Boston
663,972
Both cities have similar populations — Washington at 672,079 and Boston at 663,972.
Violent Crime
Washington
9.26
Boston
6.28
Washington has a 32% higher violent crime than Boston.
Property Crime
Washington
35.88
Boston
20.22
Washington has a 44% higher property crime than Boston.
Political Leaning
Washington
5.1%
Boston
22.4%
Both cities lean Democratic, but Boston has a stronger Democratic lean (77% difference).
Unemployment
Washington
6.5%
Boston
6.0%
Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 7% difference.
Median Income
Washington
$106,287
Boston
$94,755
Washington has a 11% higher median income than Boston.
Home Values
Washington
$724,600
Boston
$710,400
Both cities have similar home values — just a 2% difference.
Education
Washington
45.8%
Boston
38.0%
Washington has a 17% higher education than Boston.
Demographics
Washington
39.1%
Boston
47.8%
Boston has a 18% higher demographics than Washington.
Cost of Living
Washington
181.6
Boston
180.6
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 1% difference.
4 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Washington and Boston share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Washington
0
Boston
Washington leads in 5 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Boston leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDWashington has a fair market rent (2br) of $2,246 vs $2,941 in Boston (24% lower). Washington has a fair market rent (1br) of $2,015 vs $2,476 in Boston (19% lower). Boston scores 122.4 on the food index (100 = national avg) vs 131.2 in Washington.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Washington leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSWashington has a single-family homes of 33.2% compared to 18.2% in Boston. Washington has a owner-occupied of 41.1% compared to 35.4% in Boston. Washington has a median rent of $1,900 vs $2,093 in Boston (9% lower).
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Washington leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSWashington has a work from home of 29.4% compared to 18.8% in Boston. Washington has a per capita income of $75,253 vs $60,001 in Boston (25% higher). Boston has a government sector of 41.1% compared to 33.3% in Washington.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — Boston leads
Source: FBI UCRBoston has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.04 compared to 0.25 in Washington. Boston has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 1.26 compared to 4.39 in Washington. Boston has a property crime rate (per 1k) of 20.22 compared to 35.88 in Washington.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate — Washington leads
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoWashington: 6.7" vs Boston: 16.5" for annual snowfall. Washington averages 49°F, about 6°F warmer than Boston. Washington averages 57°F, about 7°F warmer than Boston.
Avg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Washington leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauWashington has a bachelor's degree or higher of 45.8% compared to 38.0% in Boston. Washington has a high school diploma or higher of 56.3% compared to 50.8% in Boston.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSWashington has a population of 672,079, about 1x the size of Boston (663,972). Boston skews younger with a median age of 33.2 vs 34.9.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Washington
Boston
Healthcare
Source: CMS Hospital CompareBoston: 3.7 vs Washington: 2.5 for avg cms rating (out of 5). Washington: 5 vs Boston: 4 for with emergency services.
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Washington leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSWashington has a work from home of 29.4% compared to 18.8% in Boston. Washington has a bicycle of 3.3% compared to 2.1% in Boston. Boston has a drive alone of 34.1% compared to 28.1% in Washington.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Washington, DC
Compare Washington against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.